A Google My Business (GMB) profile, also known as your Business Profile, is a dynamic snapshot of your business in Google's search engine results page(SERP) and showcases your greatest qualities and allows potential customers to rapidly locate, learn about, and connect with you. It is free of cost. Most businesses today need targeted visibility in Google to compete with other businesses. Most businesses also know that this necessitates improving their website and Google Ads. However, it is to be noted that the google my business or GMB profile must also be properly optimized to make your business gain more customers.
Despite the fact that Google receives 167 billion queries every month, a BrightLocal analysis found that the average Business Profile receives just 1,260 views over that time. out of 1,260 views, only 59 actions were taken, suggesting businesses were not paying enough attention to their GMB profiles. If you will read this article you will be met with tips and know how you can apply the same knowledge to your business. Google refers to your Google Business Profile as your "Google My business listing," but we'll refer to it as "Business Profile" or “GMB profile” throughout this article, as it is more popular by that name.
Essential tips to optimize your google my business profile
Following are the important tips you need to follow to optimize your GMB profile so that you gain more customers. It's crucial you follow them if you want to get found in local searches, stand out from the competition, and earn consumers online.
Create a Google my business account
First you need to have a google my business account to optimize your business profile. It's crucial to understand that a GMB Profile and a “Google My Business account” are two different things. The GMB account is utilized to obtain access to the GMB profile and optimize it. You need to have a Google My Business account, which you'll need to link to your Google Business Profile. To establish an account, go to Google.com and sign in using the Gmail account you use for your business. Then follow the instructions on-screen to finish the registration process.
Complete every section
If you complete every section of your GMB profile, google ranks your business higher on local search results. There are a lot of sections to fill out but you will need to provide as much accurate info as possible wherever needed In order to optimize your business profile. Because there is so much information to present, here are some tips for prioritizing it.
These sections must be completed as soon as possible.
- Business name
- Address
- Phone number(s)
- Website
- Operating hours
Put some thought into it before completing these sections
- Products and services
- Category and attributes
- From the business section
- Owner generated queries and Q&As
These sections will be ongoing at all times
- Posts
- Customer generated queries and Q&As
- Reviews
Add products and services
If your offers aren't obvious in your business name, adding items and services might assist. Filling up this box gives your profile additional material, which can help it rank for more relevant searches. Include the name, description, and pricing when adding items and services (if applicable). When a searcher clicks on a product, the complete description appears. Google may also include a link to your items in your category area.
Be careful while you are updating contact information
Following are some important things you need to take care of while updating your contact information.
- Make sure your company name and the name on your retail signs in the real world are the same. Google may penalize you if you include a place name (unless it's already in your brand name) or keywords.
- Make sure your company name and address are the same across all of your online listings. Google takes small discrepancies into consideration while evaluating your credibility. Things like using "st" vs. "street" or "co" vs. "company." are important
- Indicate both your usual working hours and holidays. This helps you avoid the possibility of a poor review from someone who drove out to your store only to discover it closed.
Choose a category
Google has a large number of business categories, and it's critical to pick the right ones. Also keep in mind that if you change or add several categories, Google may ask you to validate your business. This is simply to ensure that their platform is accurate. Here's how to use categories to improve your Google Business Profile:
- Be specific: Once you begin typing, a drop-down selection of categories will display. Try to be as exact as possible. Instead of selecting "restaurant," select "Italian restaurant" if it is present in the drop-down menu.
- Choose secondary categories: Many businesses fit under more than one category. Set your major category to your main service (for example, "Grocery Store"), and then choose any applicable additional categories.
- Don’t select wrong categories: Choose only categories that fit your offering if you want Google to link you with customers that need your service.
Select applicable attributes
Once you've decided on a category, Google will present you with a selection of criteria to check off in order to fully characterize your company. Attributes are unique characteristics that potential buyers look for. The Google My Business platform is not unique for having its own set of attributes (review sites like Yelp also have them).
Complete the “for your business” description
The brief description that shows in your Business Profile directly below your business name is not within your control. This is the editorial summary that Google creates to guarantee platform consistency. Google, However is excellent at generating those descriptions. The "from the business" component of your Google My Business account dashboard is the only part of the description you have influence over. This part usually displays underneath the reviews section on your profile. While completing this section, take note of the following tips.
- Use all the 750 characters provided for completing the descriptions
- Don't duplicate any information that's already in your profile's other sections.
- Don’t include HTML links
- Use Keywords that your target audience is familiar with in this section.
Post to your GMB profile
You may add news, deals, events, and items to your Google Business Profile just as you do on social media marketing. Posts are produced on your Google My Business dashboard and appear in the "Updates" section of your Business Profile near the bottom. Here are some advantages if you choose to post to GMB profiles.
- Consumers are more likely to engage with your Google postings than they are with other posting platforms (for example, Facebook and Instagram, where they are casually browsing)
- Regular posting on your GMB profile sends Google favorable ranking signals.
- Consumers who find your business profile are more likely to take action after seeing your posts.
Add photos
Google is improving its image recognition technology and is now including photographs in local search results. Customers are 42 percent more likely to seek driving directions to a firm with images in its Business Profile, and 35 percent more likely to click through to its website, according to Google. For all of these reasons, you should include images of your company in your Google My Business profile. Follow these tips to optimize your photos.
- Use your business logo as the thumbnail photo
- Add a photo once every seven days.
- Follow google’s photo guidelines
- Don’t put special effects on the photos you add to the GMB profile. Stock photos must not be added.
Get reviews
A study found that If requested, 62% of consumers will leave a review. Use email, text, social media, and in-person discussions to do this. That’s why you need to ask for reviews often. It is good to remind consumers that reviews aren't simply for your advantage and also assist folks with similar problems in finding a solution and making educated judgments. Make writing a review as simple as possible for consumers. You should also respond to feedback, especially to negative ones. This feedback encourages other consumers to leave theirs, exposes a lot about your company to potential clients, and boosts your local SEO.
Ask and answer questions
You can assure accurate information, showcase your greatest features, and lower common obstacles to access by monitoring and seeding your Q&A section. You can’t turn off the Q&A feature in your GMB profiles that anyone can answer. However, you can follow the following tips if you want to use that feature to your benefit.
- Set up notifications to keep track of the questions and answers that have been submitted to your profile.
- Remember to use keywords. Keyword-rich questions and answers can help your Business Profile rank higher for that term. use them sparingly and naturally, and avoid keyword stuffing.
- You may post your own Q&A section. Make a list of the most commonly asked questions at your company. Then, on your own profile, pose a question, respond, and upvote your response. This does not violate Google's terms of service. Google, in fact, promotes it.
Set up your messaging options
This feature allows users to send a text message directly from their phone from your Google Business Profile. With 82 percent of smartphone buyers using their device for local search (92 percent for millennials), this is a good way to get the customers to contact you. Select the "Messaging" tab in your Google My Business dashboard to allow messaging, and you can install it from Google Play or the Apple App Store.
Keep your GMB strategy updated
The Google My Business Profile is not a one-time marketing activity. It's a local marketing technique that needs continual attention in order to boost your internet presence and get its rewards. Even if it's just a change in suite number, you should keep updating information. Try posting and uploading photographs once a week to maintain a continuous supply of evaluations. You should also reply to the negative feedback. Keeping up with new features to make sure you're getting the most out of your profile