*** This article was written prior to the Google my business name change to Google Business Profile. It has been updated since. ***
So you have small business and have been told about Google Business Profiles (formerly known as Google My Business pages). But you are left wondering ’ Should I get a Google my business page’ or ’Is a Google Business Profile page worth getting’?
Short answer, almost every business can benefit from having a Google Business Profile (GBP).
This page will explain what a Google Business Profile is, why you need a Google Business Profile and how it will benefit your small business. Keep reading to find out more information and answer the question – Should I get a Google Business Profile?
Can’t be bothered to read all the tips and tricks? The answer is yes! Yes you should get a Google Business Profile – You are welcome.
What is a Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) and do I need it?
Google Business Profile is a free Google tool that allows you to promote your business on Google searches and maps. You can create a profile in minutes. By adding your business contact details, operating hours and images you are able to get in front of your audience quickly.
A Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business – GMB) account allows you as a business owner to interact with customers, request and reply to public reviews and add products and services to your public business profile.
As the administrator of your Google Business Profile you have full control over what information is available to your customers. For example, contact phone number, email address, website and physical address.
Additionally, you can add a description of your business and the operating hours. All the information your customers need so they can get in touch with you. And it is located in a Google search’s side panel for quick and easy access.
What are the benefits of a Google Business Profile?
1. A Google Business Profile is an additional avenue for your clients to find you and your business information
A GMB page is a great free platform to connect with future and current customers and clients. Whether a prospective or current client is searching on Google Search or Google Maps, having a perfectly optimised GMB will allow you to be seen, with information controlled by you.
2. A Google Business Profile is easy to set up
One of the best parts of Google My Business is it is relatively easy to set up. This means you can create it quickly, easily and be available online FAST! We understand not everyone has the time to set aside to set up a GMB page which is where we come in. We offer a GMB page set up as a service for a small fee. If you are time poor but agree with us and think it is important to have one, contact us to discuss further.
3. Build social proof with client reviews on a Google Business Profile
Google reviews can assist future clients in deciding if you are a good fit for their business or not. You can request reviews from your loyal fan base, which helps boost your ratings. Just ensure you read the GMB rules and requirements so you don’t partake in any of their big ‘no-no’s’. For example, you can not incentivise reviews on Google.
It is important to respond to all reviews and remember your response is public as well. A well written response can outweigh a negative review. That is, of course, depending on the review! The main objective is to keep your clients and customers happy and this will reflect in your ratings.
Additionally, these reviews boost your site authority in search engines.
4. A Google Business Profile is FREE!
The Google Business Profile is a free platform for business owners. Unless you pay for an online marketing team (like us) to set it up for you, having a GBP will cost you ZERO dollars! There are no ongoing costs involved. It is easy to set up, with plenty of guides online for you if you hit a speed bump. If you are time poor, please contact us to discuss our small set up fee and management plans.
5. A Google Business Profile can improve your local SEO with Google Maps
6. Google Business Profiles give powerful insights into your customer’s behaviour
What you need to include in your GMB profile
* Contact details
How else are your prospective customers going to contact you if you don’t include these details for them to access quickly and easily? Don’t make your contact details hard to find as people won’t look for long. A Google My Business page is the perfect place to prominently showcase all of your contact details from phone number to email addresses and websites. At this stage, social media platforms are not included in the business profile page options. Rather they are automatically added by Google’s algorithm
* Link to your website
A Google My Business page is a gateway to your business and website. It is another form of online marketing to gain more customers. It is a compact version of your website, and you want to direct your customers to an extended version in order to convert them into customers if they are undecided. Whilst some customers may already know they want to engage with you, others will need more persuasion. This is where a link to your website will come in handy.
* Correct and full business address
When adding your address to your Google My Business profile you are opening the gate to Google Maps where customers can find you and your location. It is another search avenue for customers. It also allows customers to easily find directions to your place of business.
* High Quality Photos
If your business offers a product or service that can be showcased visually, make sure you add high quality images. Poor quality images or irrelevant images will affect your credibility and professionalism. This is your chance to showcase the best you have to offer and giving low resolution images is not the way to do this.
* Keywords
Without stuffing your keywords in obviously, adding them is always beneficial no matter what platform you are using. So that means your keywords should be included in all of your online marketing campaigns through your websites, social media platforms and Google My Business.
* A response to all reviews
Whether the reviews are good, bad or ugly, it is important to respond to them all. And remember all Google My Business reviews and their responses are public! Keep in mind, a well written response to a bad review can be just as important as the bad review itself.
“According to consumers, businesses that respond to reviews are 1.7x more trustworthy than businesses who don’t (76% vs. 46%).”
Google Business Profile
How to optimise my Google Business Profile for better visibility
There are three main factors Google uses to determine local search ranking. They are:
Distance: Your proximity to the search or searcher
Relevance: How well your Google Business Profile matches a search
Prominence: or online reputation, aka how well known your business is regarded. Google uses various factors such as reviews (number of reviews and ratings), SEO and links.
How can you use these three factors to optimise your Google Business Profile? Here are some helpful tips to help boost your visibility in search results.
How can you use these three factors to optimise your Google Business Profile? Here are some helpful tips to help boost your visibility in search results.
Complete all of the requested information
When optimising your Google Business Profile it is important to complete as much information as possible.
According to Google itself, customers are 2.7 times more likely to consider a business reputable if they find a complete Business profile on Google Search and Maps (check out the report ) They also found that:
“customers are 70% more likely to visit and 50% more likely to consider purchasing from businesses with a complete Business Profile.”
Google Business Profile
Pro tip: Keep your Christmas and Holiday opening times up to date.
Add your products and services
We mentioned above that completing a Google Business Profile is a great way to build an online presence. Completely filling out your profile will enhance your chances of being found and your click-through-rate. This means adding your services or products to your profile. You can directly link to your website which will help generate traffic to your website.
Add high quality images
When creating any digital marketing campaign it is imperative to include high quality images. NO ONE likes blurry images or images so small they can not see what the images is trying to show. A Google Business Profile is no different. You have the opportunity to showcase your products and services to an audience who are ready to engage. Be sure to add on brand images to your Google Business Profile to assist in standing out from your competition.
Leverage keywords in your profile
This is not where you load your content with keywords. Google have made it clear this is a big no-no and will penalise any business trying to cheat the system this way. So just don’t do it. Google has stated your content should provide a great customer experience. This should be the way you approach all of your content creation. After all the user is who will be paying for your product and services. Impress them!
With the approach of user-first, create content for your Google Business Profile that uses your keywords in a strategic way. Incorporating keywords into your business profile is a great way to help your business appear on relevant searches. By adding keywords to your posts and profile you are helping users understand your content and business but also helping generate more organic traffic to your website.
Encourage reviews on your Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile reviews are a great way for prospective clients to decide if you are worth engaging.
Always respond to your reviews – even the bad ones!
This is a BIG one! Make sure you respond to all of your reviews professionally, even the bad ones!
Now we don’t aim for bad reviews (let’s go as far to say we aim to keep our customers happy!) but sometimes we get disgruntled clientele or even a misunderstanding. It is important to respond to these reviews as your response can be a stronger ‘social trust’ element than the review itself. Sometimes people write weird and wonderful reviews. They will grab the attention of prospective clients. But it will be YOUR response that they will focus on. Be kind, professional, informative and clear in your response. This will speak volumes to prospective clients.
Is Google My Business really free?
Yes Google Business Profiles are a FREE Google tool available to businesses. With all of the benefits listed above, why wouldn’t you take advantage of a free tool marketing tool! Log into your Google my business account or sign up for free and get your business online.
Should I get a Google Business Profile
In short, yes! Yes, you should get a Google Business Profile page! Having a Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business or GMB) is quick, easy and FREE.
Additionally, it is a great online marketing tool to help build your online presence. We think it is a MUST for all businesses, especially small, local businesses. If you need help setting up your Google Business Profile please contact us to discuss how we can assist you.
