You’ve mastered your SEO. You’ve put the money into Google Ads and optimized your website so that the views and clicks trickle in every day. But it’s just not enough. You aren’t getting the click rate you predicted and your sales are down. What gives?
Well, it could be a myriad of factors, but one of the most common optimization tools that people overlook is their Google Business profile.
Formally known as “Google My Business”, this listing tool is a powerful weapon that you need to make use of if you want potential customers to find your business and learn about all of your features and offerings.
We chatted with business leaders to learn the best practices for using this crucial (and totally free!) utility.
What is Google Business Profile?
Google Business Profile recently got a makeover when Matt Madigral, VP/GM Merchant Shopping at Google announced, “Moving forward, we recommend small businesses manage their profiles directly on Search or Maps. To keep things simple, ‘Google My Business’ is being renamed ‘Google Business Profile.”
The rebranding is still rolling out, but the main features remain unchanged. Google Business Profile is a Google tool that allows you to improve your company’s SEO in your local area and helps you manage the way customers see you on Google and in Maps.
This is important because, despite some 167 billion monthly searches on google a month, many small businesses miss out on their share of views and clicks by not making use of Google Business.
Essentially, Google Business Profile is a free business listing on behalf of Google allowing you to provide details of your business so that potential customers can quickly find and learn about you; an important tool considering approximately 72% of people who conduct a local search will visit the first business they find.
So, how can you make sure you are the business that people decide to visit? Read on to find out.
Enter Complete Data
“Customers are much more likely to engage with your business if it appears reputable,” says Max Schwartzapfel, CMO at Fighting For You. In fact, they are 2.7 times more likely, according to Google. They are also 70% more likely to visit if your business profile is complete.
Local search results on Google will always direct to the most relevant results. That’s why businesses with more detailed and accurate information are easier for the search engine to bring to the front of its results.
“This means making sure that the name, address, and phone number for your business are in your profile and are accurate. This also includes things like your hours of operations,” added Juan Pablo Cappello, Co-Founder and CEO at Nue Life. “If you are closed for holidays or other special events, make sure that is listed as well.”
Be as thorough as you can with your information section so that any question you might have for a business is answered in your listing, says Colette Shelton, Founder of Chirpyest,
“You’ve used Google and searched for businesses, what are things that you wanted to see on those listings? Now is your chance to create the listing you would like to see in the world! Make sure your profile answers any questions about your business that potential customers might have by putting yourself in their shoes.”
Photos
A picture is worth a thousand words, right? Having pictures on your Google Business Profile could be worth thousands of dollars if done right. “Google has a lot of options for including photos on your profile and for good reason; the more pictures and the better the quality, the more likely people are to check out your business,” says Scott Annan, CEO of Mycube Safe.
It’s true, Google says businesses with photos receive 42% more requests for directions to their location and more clicks than those that don’t have any. Uploading pictures ensures people that your business is a reputable place of business and gives them a sense of security.
Adding photos regularly, one every two weeks is a good habit. This will show Google that your profile is up to date and active. Remember to follow the photo guidelines that Google has for specifications.
“Show off the interior of your business and exterior and, if possible, show some happy customers,” says Natalia Morozova, Partner at Cohen, Tucker & Ades P.C.. “I would certainly consider hiring a professional photographer for product pictures if you haven’t already and make sure that your logo is the first picture that comes up on your profile.”
Description
“What is the one-sentence summary of how you change the world?” – Alphabet CEO, Larry Page
Who better to take advice from than one of the people behind the company that created the Business Profile in the first place? Your brief description below your business name on the Google Business Profile is not in your control. Luckily, Google usually does a pretty good job at writing a description.
Where you can exert some control and optimize your profile is in the “from the business” section of your profile. This section appears below the reviews and lets you describe your business in your own words.
“Use this space to express to viewers your mission statement or ‘About Us” page from your website. Make sure that you aren’t just restating things that are already visible on your profile. Be yourself and pitch your product to the customer,” says Raina Kumra, Founder and CEO at Spicewell.
It’s recommended that you use all 750 characters that are allowed.
Reviews and Questions
“Reviews are the biggest influence on customer’s decision making,” says Kumra. “So, it makes sense that Google places high importance on them when ranking your company.”
Most Google searches will pull the first three local results with the best reviews. In some cases, Google will also display the Business Profile in the search results if some of the reviews have the same keyword that was searched making reviews all the more important to your business’s optimization.
“I recommend reaching out to long-time, loyal customers and asking them to add reviews. From there, start sending out a link to every new customer asking them to post a review. Try making use of a free review shortcut link to make the process even more seamless,” says Rachel Reid, CEO of Subtl Beauty.
Don’t forget that you can respond to reviews as well. Now is your chance to stick up for yourself if there is a negative review and thank people for their positive ones. This goes a long way in showing customers that you care and are human.
But there is another aspect to customer interaction that your business can make use of to optimize your profile: Questions, adds Ann McFerran, CEO of Glamnetic. “This section might be the determining factor in a potential customer’s decision. But there is a caveat. While anyone can ask a question on your Google profile, anyone can answer as well.”
Letting your question and answer section be completely customer-run can lead to inaccurate information and embarrassing comments. To combat this, set up an alert so that you will be notified anytime a question or answer is posted. Make sure to create a list of the most frequent questions and then answer and upvote your answer to the question so it is the most visible.
Lastly, keep your keywords in mind in this section since Google will read them to improve your ranking.
Products and Services
“Products are one of the more visible elements of your profile,” cautions Dr. Payel Gupta, CMO and Co-Founder at Cleared. “Make sure you pay attention to this section and fill it out appropriately so that Google can better understand your business and match to the right customers.”
This feature will be especially helpful if the title of your business doesn’t make it clear what products or services you offer. Make sure you add the name, description, and price for each product. The more information you can provide, the better chance you have at attracting customers to your page.
Make use of the images, descriptions, and calls to action that you are able to include in order to better leverage your ranking. Remember, the last product you enter on this page will be the first to be featured on your profile, so plan accordingly!
Maintain, Maintain, Maintain
“Your Google Business Profile is not a one-time thing you can set and forget. You need to routinely check in on it if you want to increase your online ranking and presence,” says Sara Alshamsi, Chief Operating Officer at Big Heart Toys.
Make sure you update information no matter how minor it might seem. Publish a post and photo every two weeks and maintain your review section. Center your business page around providing concise and quality information and reap the long-term rewards.
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