Just 25 years ago, if your business had a website, you were ahead of the game. You could dominate online and get as many visitors as you could handle. Today the digital world is more complex, much more crowded, and just being there is the bare minimum.
With every competitor also trying to attract customers, it is a constant battle to put your business name at the top of the pile, and there are several tools and platforms you can use to get there. One of the most effective is your Google Business Profile.
A Google Business Profile is a listing that appears on Google Maps and in the results of Google searches for specific locations. It contains details about your business, including address, contact details, what services and products you offer, business hours and so on, everything a customer needs to know to find you and make a purchase.
For instance, if you searched for ‘Landscapers near me’ or Landscapers in Farmingdale New Jersey’, the top Google Business Profiles of landscapers in Farmingdale would show at the top of the search results. In the same way, if you are looking at Farmingdale on Google Maps and searching for landscapers, the top 3 Google Business Profiles would show up on there too. It sounds simple, but it is often overlooked and misunderstood.
Today we want to take a closer look at the Google Business Profile platform, and why this free tool should be at the heart of your online marketing strategy.
Key Features of Google Business Profile
Aside from being completely free, your Google Business Profile is a powerful tool that brings together important information about your business. This includes who you are, what you do and so on, all within Google Maps or local searches. It combines the convenience of finding all the information someone needs with the trust that Google has spent billions of dollars to build.
Here are the important features that make a difference for potential customers:
Business Information
Everything they need to know to get in touch with you. Name, address, phone, email and so on are all present here, along with a summary of the services or products you offer. When managing your Google Business Profile, this information must be up-to-date and always accurate.
Customer Reviews
Google’s review system is linked directly to your Google Business Profile. This is an important aspect of the platform, as it helps potential customers look deeper into your business in one place, using tools from Google, that they already trust.
This provides credibility to the reviews, and in turn, helps consumers begin to trust your brand too.
Google Posts
Think of these like social media posts, concise but informative content that adds value for the reader. You can use them to inform people about sales or offers, the latest news from your business or to provide more detail about a product or service.
Photos and Videos
Similar to Google Posts, this content sits on your profile to be accessed by any visitor. Building trust is an essential part of the sales process, and the key to that is communication. In our digital world, no matter how well-written your posts are, visual messaging can have just as much an impact, and often even bigger.
Photos and videos allow you to put a human face to your business, add some personality and make that connection. Regular video and photo posts will keep visitors to your profile engaged and informed, helping to establish a relationship to aid in the sales process.
How to Create a Google Business Profile
If you are launching a new business, or yours is not listed already on Google Maps, then you can set up a Google Business Profile from scratch.
Head to the Google Business Profile home page, just search for Google Business Profile and Google will take you to the right local page for you. Then just click the blue ‘Get Started’ button on the top right and follow the steps to create your account and Google Business profile itself.
First, they will need your business name and the category it fits.
Then enter the address for your business.
After that, you will need to add in all relevant business information including:
- Name
- Address
- Phone Number
- Industry or Market
- Opening Hours
You can also add pictures of the business, your staff working, specialized equipment or anything else you want.
As with claiming a Google Business Profile, to be confirmed as the owner of the profile you will need to verify you are the business owner.
Whether you get the option for email, mail or phone, or in some cases video, just follow the instructions and once completed, you will receive a verification code. You then enter this in your Business Google Profile, and you will take ownership and be able to edit and make changes to everything from then on.
How to Claim Your Google Business Profile
To take full advantage of everything Google provides for free with a Google Business Profile, you need to claim yours. It is not complicated, but to make sure you succeed, we have put together a comprehensive guide that takes you through the entire process, just visit our guide how to Claim Your Google Business Profile.
Conclusion
A Google Business Profile is an incredibly important tool for your business. Completely free, it puts your name in front of consumers actively searching for your products or services in your local area. Setting up a profile, or claiming a business entry on Google Maps, is very easy, and by following the simple verification process you have full editing rights to your profile.
However, just having a Google Business profile is not enough, to stay ahead of the competition your profile must be optimized, up-to-date and with regular new content added. That keeps you ahead of the competition and puts your business at the top of local searches. Grid Rankers are Google Business Profile experts, with a dedicated GBP optimization service that ensures you stay ahead of your competition. Talk to our team today to see how you can make full use of this powerful tool to grow your local sales.
FAQ
Is Google Business Profile Free?
Yes! There is no charge for having a Google Business Profile, and you can add content and make changes as often as you wish.
How to Grow Traffic with Google Business Profile Scheduling?
Regular posts, whether blogs, text content, photos or videos, have a positive impact on the ranking of your Google Business Profile. By using Google Business Profile scheduling, you can make regular posts automatically, just set up content once a month, and have the system post you content daily or weekly.