Can you imagine not being able to find a business online? Sounds like self-inflicting damage, doesn’t it? We live in the digital age, where information is at our fingertips. People expect to find you online and one of the most powerful tools available to do that is the Google Business Profile. This platform offers a unique opportunity to connect with potential customers, enhance your online visibility, and ultimately, drive growth.
But what exactly is a Google Business Profile, and why is it so crucial for your business?
In this article, I will show you how to set up your Google Business Profile, how to optimize it for more leads and clicks, and of course how to track and analyze the performance of your GBP profile. Let’s dive in.
Google Business Profile: A Powerful Tool for Growth
Do you like your business? I suppose you do, that’s why you created it. And I also suppose you like attracting leads, especially when you can do it without paying for them. If my assumptions are correct, then you have your reasons why a Google Business Profile is important. But let’s talk about them in a bit more detail.
Let the Locals Find You
A Google Business Profile is the best way to be found online. Just think of all those times you searched for a gym, a restaurant, or a barber in your area. “X near me” is one of the most commonly searched terms on Google. Without a Google Business Profile, people won’t be able to find you and you will miss a ton of free leads.
Rank Higher
Local SEO is the best way to drive traffic to Google My Business listing. In a sense, it also works vice versa. Without a Google Business Profile, you can’t take advantage of local SEO. It wouldn’t lead anywhere. They complement each other.
Customer Engagement
Customers love it when they can talk to a business easily. A Google Business Profile allows you to do just that. Potential customers can leave reviews or read ones already up to help make up their minds. Lastly, they can see pictures, uploaded by you or customers, that showcase your products and services. All that helps build trust and credibility, thus bringing in even more leads.
Now, we will show you how to sign up for Google Business Profile and optimally set up your GBP.
Make Your GBP Listing Your Own
Setting up a Google Business Profile is easy. Let me show you how to do it in 5 simple steps.
Step 1. Go to Google Business Profile and click on Manage now. Sign in with your email.
Step 2. Fill in all the required fields. Make sure the photos you add are all high quality and professional. Include your staff and equipment if possible. Look friendly but serious.
Step 3. Now you should add your business on Google Maps. It’s unnecessary but will help your potential customers find you more easily. Plus, your business will appear on relevant Google Search results with all the reviews right beside it, making it more attractive to leads. So, go to Google Maps.
Step 4. Type in your business address and then select “Add your business”.
Step 5. Follow the instructions by adding your business info and clicking Next. Make sure to fill in everything. Once verified, your business will appear on the maps.
Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Let’s get to the meat of the subject now. How to optimize your GMB profile and drive traffic to Google My Business listing.
Get the Basics Done
You need to fill in every field and section available. From business name and address to hours of operation and website. Be accurate. Verify that all information is correct and consistent across all platforms. Don’t have different business hours on Facebook or your website, and different ones on GMB.
State Your Case
Customers are looking for products, services and businesses that can provide those things to them. Select categories that accurately reflect your business. Write a compelling description. Use relevant keywords to describe your business and services. Check all applicable attributes to enhance your profile’s visibility. Be descriptive and concise at the same time. You don’t need to write a whole novel about your business, but the customers should be aware of the full range of your services.
Appearances Matter
Humans like nice things. This applies to everything, including your business. Show them how nice your products and services are. Post high-quality photos and videos of around 30 seconds each. Not too little to be of no value, but also not too much to drive people away and waste your resources and time. Your Google Business Profile is something like window dressing. Keep it clean, organized, and consistent.
Driving Traffic to Your GBP Listing
Now that you have optimized your GBP profile, it’s time to talk about bringing those sweet leads to it. Having a well-made listing is only half the battle. Let’s see how you can win the other half of it.
Don’t be Shy, Ask for Reviews
If you are confident in your products or services, then there is nothing wrong with asking for reviews from your customers. And customers usually love leaving good reviews when a business has done good for them. It makes them feel good because they are helping, especially when it’s for a small local business. Having many positive reviews creates a virtuous circle of bringing in more customers, who then leave positive reviews.
Respond to them as often as possible. A simple “thank you, can’t wait to have you back again” is more than enough in these cases. Sometimes though, you might get a negative review. Could be true, could be a misunderstanding. Respond to these as well and always in a professional manner. Ask them what went wrong and offer a way to rectify the situation. Don’t resort to insults or dismiss them. Remember, other customers can see the reviews and your responses as well.
Post Regularly
Yeah, you are right. A Google Business Profile isn’t exactly social media. It doesn’t matter though, because it kinda acts like one. People can talk to you and see pictures of your business. So, they expect to see you active on it. Upload 1-3 pictures or videos every week, respond to messages and reviews, and create offers, events, and updates regularly. Be active and alive.
Social Media Are Your Allies
Include your GBP link in your social media bio and posts. Cross-promote your posts across all your platforms to reach a wider audience and encourage social sharing. Make it easy for customers to share your GBP posts and reviews. People live on social media nowadays. There is no excuse not to use them and not to connect them all.
SEO, SEO & More SEO
This part is not as easy or simple to do as the previous ones. It’s not something you can do from a dashboard within your GBP profile. You might need to work with a specialized SEO agency if you don’t want to do it yourself. In any case, it’s an investment worth doing, because it will benefit not only your GMB listing but your whole marketing efforts as well.
List your business on relevant local directories to build citations. Ensure your business name, address, and phone number are consistent across all of them. Aim for backlinks from reputable local websites to boost your authority. Good SEO work requires consistency and continuous monitoring and efforts, but it also creates a never-ending stream of leads.
🔥 A Google Business Profile and local service ads go hand in hand👉 Local Service Ads & How to Grow with Them
Tracking & Analyzing GBP Performance
Alright, you’ve put in the work to optimize your Google Business Profile listing. But how do you know if your efforts are paying off? You need to track and analyze your performance.
Google Business Profile Insights
This is how you can access your listing insights.
From here you can get data on:
Customer demographics: Age, gender, and interests.
Search terms: How people find your business.
Website traffic: How many people visit your website from your GBP listing?
Photo views: Which images are most popular?
Direction requests: How many people are looking for directions?
Data and insights are paramount in understanding your audience and tailoring your content and marketing strategy to meet their needs.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Your GBP
There are certain KPIs that you should keep an eye on if you want to measure the success of your GBP listing.
Website Clicks
This one measures how many people clicked through to your website from your GBP. It directly correlates to website traffic and potential conversions, so it’s perhaps the best indicator of how well-optimized is your GBP listing.
Phone Calls
Tracking this particular source of leads can be tricky since it’s an offline source and Google doesn’t offer any way to monitor them. You can utilize call tracking software like Nimbata, instead.
All you have to do is use the tracking number, provided by the software of your choice, as your primary number and your actual number as a secondary one. Having your business number in the listing, even as a secondary one is important if you want to maintain a unified brand image.
By doing this, all calls generated through your tracking number will be monitored by your call tracking platform, which in turn will provide you with useful data and insights.
Directions Clicks
Shows how many people are looking for directions to your location. If that’s not a strong indication of interest in your business, then I don’t know what it is.
Reviews
How many reviews are you getting, and what is your average star rating? Remember, reviews are a crucial factor in driving customers and leads to your business. Not just the final rating counts, but also their total number and of course how you respond to them. Engage with your customers in a professional and friendly way.
Takeaway
If you want to increase online visibility for your business, then a Google Business Profile is a must-do. It’s one of the easiest and cheapest ways to attract new customers and drive growth. By following our tips and strategies outlined in this article, you can create a compelling GBP listing that will stand out in local search results.
Remember, a well-managed Google Business Profile is a powerful tool that can significantly impact your bottom line. It’s an investment of time and effort that pays off in increased visibility, customer engagement, and ultimately, more leads. So, what are you waiting for? Dive in, optimize your profile, and watch your business thrive.
