For small local businesses, creating and optimising your Google Business Profile (formally, Google My Business) or GBP is becoming even more important as a marketing strategy than having a sussex website. These days, GBP has practically become most SMEs new primary homepage.
Why? It all comes down to visibility. Google Business Profile listings can appear above the very first organic search result â also known as position zero â which is a coveted spot for any company. Appearing as the top result can positively impact your sales if users can swiftly access all the details they need through a GBP listing, as well as potentially increasing site traffic too.
However, simply creating a Google Business Profile is not enough: it needs to be optimised to maximise your chances of ranking high locally, in order to attract more customers.
In this guide, weâll explain more about what Google Business Profile is, as well as how to create and optimise your Google Business Profile.
What is Google Business Profile?
Google Business Profile is a platform by Google that is completely free for businesses to use and set up. Companies can create a Google Business Profile profile that shows important information about your business in both the Google Search and Maps results. Critically, these details can be easily viewed without someone needing to necessarily click onto your site.
However, to set up a Google Business Profile you need to meet one requirement: there needs to be some element of face-to-face interaction with your clients or customers as part of your business activities. Online-only businesses canât set up a Google Business Profile.
Details that can be found on your Google Business Profile include your address, reviews, phone number, and business.
Want to see what a Google Business Profile listing looks like? Take a look at the example below. Youâll probably recognise something similar to this coming up in the search results when looking for local services or businesses such as restaurants, cafes or bakeries:
As you can see here, three businesses appear in what is known as the âLocal Packâ or a âKnowledge Packâ and this is what local businesses should be aiming to appear in.
Depending on your industry, itâs also possible to add appointment booking details and list products (including their description and prices) to your Google Business Profile.
This platform is an essential component of any successful local SEO strategy (search engine optimisation) that is geared towards appearing on the first page of the local search results.
How To Create a Google Business Profile
Setting up a Google Business Profile is a quick and easy process. Follow the steps below to get started:
Create your GBP listing
- Log into your chosen Google account and then head to google.com/business.
- In the right-hand corner click âStart nowâ.
- Type your business name.
- Enter your location.
- Fill in delivery information (if applicable).
- Enter your business category.
- Include your business website and phone number.
- Fill out all remaining properties in the GBP listing (such as appointment information, services, team members etc) to maximise your ranking potential.
- Pick a verification option (more on this in the next step).
Verify your GBP listing
After claiming and creating your Google Business Profile, the next step is verifying it. You can do this either by postcard, email, phone, instant or by bulk verification. Depending on the option you choose (and the category your business is in â not all firms are eligible for instant verification) it may take less than 24 hours or up to a week to validate.
Thatâs it! Youâve sorted out the fundamentals of your GBP page. But as we mentioned earlier, to increase your chances of appearing in the top 3 Google Business Profile listings for local searches, you need to optimise this profile. Check out the next part of the guide to find out how.
The Best Ways to Optimise Your Profile
Get reviews
When so much of our decision-making is made online, reviews are more important now than ever before. A staggering 90% of people read reviews prior to making a purchase, and the number of reviews you receive on your GBP listing count as a ranking factor.
With this in mind, encourage customers to leave a review. You can make this easier for them (and therefore increase the likelihood of action being taken) by providing a link, which you can create in under a minute on the Google Business Profile dashboard. Send this to customers via a follow-up email after purchasing.
Remember to engage with reviews that you get on your GBP page. Engagement also counts as a ranking signal, having an impact on your visibility in the search results.
But donât forget to engage with negative reviews too, if you receive them. When deciding on a purchase, users will take into consideration not only the positive reviews, but how well you deal with the negative ones too. Always respond in a proactive, helpful manner, finding the best way to resolve the situation (if at all possible).
Keep active
Increase your visibility even further with your GBP listing (and keep in contact with existing customers) by posting regularly. On the platform, utilise the Google Posts feature to highlight things such as company updates or special offers relating to your products.
Donât forget photos
Photos are a crucial component of any GBP profile â so make sure you are adding them as often as possible. Visuals are key to success for Google Business Profile pages: data by Google shows that businesses who use photos in their listings gain 42% more direction requests, so donât forget about them! Make sure you are using high-quality, eye-catching photos that are representative of your business.
We hope this guide has clarified why the creation of a Google Business Profile is of paramount importance, especially for local businesses. It is the cornerstone of any successful local SEO strategy, ultimately yielding in more clients.
RJM Digital can take off the set-up and optimisation of Google Business Profiles on your behalf, saving time and considerable effort. We also provide expert web design Eastbourne services to local businesses wanting to generate more leads from their website once users click on their website from their Google Business Profile.