What's a Google Business Profile?

A Google Business Profile (GBP), which used to be known as Google My Business (GMB), is a free listing of your business created by Google.

You should claim and optimize your profile because most people search on Google and location searches (e.g. “type of business + city” or “near me”) are a common type of search.

By optimizing your profile, your website’s chances of appearing on page one of Google’s search results improve. Further, if your site appears on Google’s featured map pack on page one, people see your listing prominently displayed, driving traffic to your site:

 

Google My Business local pack example

Two short videos on how Google Business Profiles helps your business:

As the above videos show, with an optimized Goggle Business Profile of your business, you:

  • make it easy for people to find you on Google Search and Maps
  • let people find information that they commonly look for in a business (hours, phone, address, your services, directions, reviews, etc.)
  • can engage with customers. Post the latest news of your business (specials, events, info, offers, etc.) on your listing and reply to them and
  • gather customer reviews on your GBP. People often choose businesses based on how many positive reviews a business receives as social proof.

Plus, with your GBP, you can also, for free:

  • enable people to book an appointment, chat or get a price quote from you through your GBP
  • optimize your local search ranking through GBP even possibly get on Google’s local maps pack if it’s fully optimized and has lots of reviews
  • see how many people visited your listing and website
  • setup your own YouTube Channel, the second largest search engine and third most visited after Google, to market your business with videos and
  • setup advertising campaigns on Google Adwords and Shop.

Optimizing Your Google Business Profile For SEO

Go to Google Business Profile Home Page (opens in a new window). If you already have a Google account or email address, click on the sign in button; otherwise, click on Get on Google or Manage now and follow the prompts to create or claim your GBP Listing. Optimize your profile to appear on page one of Google by following these steps:

  1. Fill out all your GBP fields fully. These fields contain information that people commonly look for in a business, like hours, services offered, etc. Google indexes this information for search.
  2. In the GBP primary category field, type and select the primary category that best represents your business; the primary category is a major search signal to Google. In the GBP secondary category fields, type in and select any secondary categories that your business offers as well.  
  3. Include keywords that people would likely search on to find your business into your description, service, product and business title. Google indexes keywords for search.
  4. List your business website on local city directories, chambers of commerce, etc. Google considers any backlinks and citations to your website as a ranking signal.
  5. Also, ensure that the name, address & phone number listed on your website and on websites linking to you matches the name, address & phone number you enter on your GBP.
  6. Embed the Google Map Code of your location on your website.
  7. Add local keywords on your website lets Google match for local searches done on it for your type of business, like mentioning the cities you serve.
  8. Post photos and videos of your business, more the better. For video, at least one, if not more hosted from YouTube. Google will credit you as it owns YouTube. We offer a 1st Video Special Pricing and Vlogging for SEO.
  9. Turn on GBP’s book, message, get a price quote and click to call functionality so that people can conveniently contact you from your profile.
  10. Most people tend to choose businesses based on who has the most positive reviews. Also, Google ranks these businesses higher, so always be collecting Google Reviews for your profile. See our Online Reputation Strategy for maximizing Reviews on Google, Yelp, etc. for SEO.
  11. Post news of your business, tips and especially your offers (Google serves up offers; they know people like deals) at least twice a week on your profile. Google ranks businesses higher who regularly post to their profiles. Here’s one way to come up with posting ideas.
  12. Respond to any engagement to your posts and Googe Reviews signals to Google that you’re responsive. If any bad reviews, respond by inviting bad reviewers to contact you to address concerns. Visitors to your GBP then see that you take bad reviews seriously and could discount them.

Following the above steps, especially the last 3, gives your business a competitive advantage. Why? Most competitors never optimize or use their GBP; Google favours businesses that regularly use their tools like GBP and YouTube. You thus rank higher than them for location searches on Google, generating more traffic and customer calls to you. Here’s a link to a flowchart that walks you through the steps to optimize your GMP, get engagement, reviews and citations:

 

Let Us Optimize & Manage Your Google Business Profile For You

You’re busy enough running your business to find time to set up your GBP correctly for a high Google search ranking. Let us take care of that for you for only $260 (half down, half on completion).


Optional:
After optimizing your GBP for SEO, regularly gathering customer reviews, posting and updating your GBP will help maintain its ranking. As a result, people will always find you from the many local searches done on Google. We can help ensure this continues by managing your GBP for a monthly fee. This monthly service includes:

  • maximizing your Google Reviews (opens in a new window) for increased Google search ranking and customer conversions and
  • for an extra monthly fee, regularly posting to and keeping your GBP updated for you.

Contact us below to optimize your GBP Listing today or ask any questions; we’re happy to give you free advice.

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