How to Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Are you ready to stand out on Google and start attracting more local leads than ever before? If so, mastering your Google Business Profile is a must-do!
Optimizing this profile will drastically increase your visibility, and is thus a crucial component of your overall online strategy. Once the Google algorithm recognizes you are skilled at maintaining an accurate and active profile, it is more likely to suggest you in local searches on both Google Maps and the organic search engine. Here's everything you need to do to get your business on the map, literally
1. Fill out your profile.
It may sound obvious, but we can't move on to the fun stuff until we nail down the foundation! To complete your profile, you'll want to input all the basic information about your business. What's your brand name? Address? Phone Number? Hours of operation? A detailed profile indicates that you are professional and on the ball, plus it's something Google looks for. This is your first impression, so make sure to double-check all information for accuracy. You can also link other information here, like your website and social media profiles.
2. Select the correct business categories.
When setting up your profile, Google will ask what type of business you are. You'll choose a primary category that best describes your service, and then select any additional categories that relate to your service. For example, an Italian Restaurant might choose "Italian Restaurant" as their primary category, and "Bar", or "Fine Dining", as additional categories. Being as specific as possible helps narrow down the search for potential customers, and places you alongside similar establishments.
3. Use keywords to improve your SEO.
You want to place your best buzzwords in the headers of your profile. So instead of writing something like "Nail Salon" in your business description and calling it a day, try a more specific route. What sets you apart from your competitors? Where are you located? With these details in mind, you can swap the basic description for something localized and specific, like "High-Fashion Nail Salon Based in San Francisco Bay Area." When choosing your keywords, lean on your strengths. What does your business do best?
4. Encourage and respond to customer reviews.
When potential customers navigate to the review section of your page, they're looking for two things. Quality and consistency. This is why it's essential to encourage customers to leave a review after purchase, and even more important to provide that customer with a top-tier experience that they are eager to talk about. If you sell a product online, this could look like a QR code in the package that sends them directly to your review page. If you run a brick and mortar store or provide a service, you could include a link on their digital receipt or provide a QR code on the physical copy. And remember, responding to reviews (both good and bad) is equally as important as receiving them! This shows you are thankful for the praise, and eager to use the criticism to improve your processes.
5. Post updates and photos relating to your service.
Posting regular updates and photos can help keep your Google Business Profile fresh and engaging. This could include updates about new products or services, special promotions, or upcoming events. Note that Google only allows 8 posts on your account at a time, so choose your content wisely. The oldest post will automatically be deleted if a 9th post is made. If you prefer, you can manually delete a post first so that this doesn't happen.
6. Ensure listing accuracy across major platforms.
This helps build trust with Google! At the end of the day, Google is a business that prides itself on accuracy. Without this, users will no longer rely on the platform. As part of their protocol, they cross-check information on other platforms like Bing, Apple, Facebook, and Yelp to be sure they don't lead users astray. Updating your profiles on each site should do the trick, but if you want to take the extra step, you can use a software tool called Yext that will do the checking for you.
We hope that with these tips, you feel prepared to tackle the Google Business network and get your brand on the road to more clients! As part of The Social HQ Monthly Membership, you gain access to our training vault which contains recordings of past workshops like the one all about Google Profiles.