“At Google, we see 5x more views for regularly updated Business Profiles, so we recommend not only filling out your listing, but also updating it to share what makes you unique.” Those are the words of Lisa Landsman, global business development at Google speaking about why Google Business Profiles are so important to local businesses
“At Google, we see 5x more views for regularly updated Business Profiles, so we recommend not only filling out your listing, but also updating it to share what makes you unique.”
Those are the words of Lisa Landsman, global business development at Google speaking about why Google Business Profiles are so important to local businesses looking to be more visible and win more customers online.
But, weirdly, Google Business Profiles are often overlooked by business owners. Some are neglected completely, or not even set up or claimed in the first place.
If you’re a local business, learning how to optimise a Google Business Profile can be a simple way to win more customers through search engines, without spending thousands on a website.
Because, the best part about Google Business Profiles?
They’re completely free.
If you’ve never claimed or created a Google Business Profile, then that’s job one.
It’s easy to do.
You might find that your business’ profile already exists and is showing up in Google Map results (even if you’ve never set it up).
That’s because Google automatically creates a listing for your business using publicly available information when it finds it.
If your Google Business Profile already exists, you can claim it by clicking a prompt on the listing.
This prompt is usually: Claim this business or Own this business?
If you click this, you’ll be able to start the process of claiming the profile.
You’ll be given an option of how you want to verify the profile is yours (phone, text, email, through your Google Search Console account, or over video)
You’ll then get on-screen instructions (which will be different depending on the verification method you’ve chosen) to claim and verify your business’ Google profile.
If you’re business isn’t already showing in Google Maps, then you’ll need to create a new listing.
You just go to google.com/business and sign in using a Google account. We highly recommend setting up any Google accounts using a company domain (rather than a personal Gmail account).
Enter your business name (making sure it’s exactly as it appears everywhere else, (like Companies House).
For example, if you registered your business as Business Services Limited, then this is how you should write it in your profile, not Business Services Ltd.
You then need to choose a main business category.
If you’re not sure exactly what the category is, you can start typing a broad suggestion and see what Google suggests:
Once you’ve registered your business name and category, you’ll be able to add the contact information and other details about your business.
Your NAP information (Name, Address, Phone) should be written exactly as it appears on your website (if you have one), or in any business directories or registers, or anywhere else it might be online.
Consistent NAP details are used by Google to verify your business is real and trustworthy.
Having inconsistent or incorrect NAP information in your Google Business Profile could result in you not appearing (at least not as high as you could) when people search for your services.
You’ll also be able to add your website URL, and additional information, like opening hours (you can include bank holiday or Christmas opening hours if you need to).
Now you’ve created and verified your Business profile, it’s time to start improving it so you can start to become visible and win some customers from it.
These are the main things you’ll need to get across:
Your description should mention your key services and location at the start (accountant in Liverpool) for example, to give Google context of exactly what you offer, and where.
Use your description to give your business’ USPs, a clear description of all your services and the reasons a customer should use you over the competition.
We’d usually start with up to 10 high quality pictures. Use the exterior of your office building, an interior picture, images of your team, screen shots of testimonials etc.
If you’re a service business like a loft conversion company, include before and after pictures of projects you’ve completed in the past.
This should give extra information about what your business offers or anything that’s unique to you. If you’re a cafe or restaurant, you could use this section to mention that you have free wifi or are wheelchair accessible, as an example.
Google prefers Business Profiles that are active, so you should have a plan to update your profile with new images and information on a regular basis.
If you don’t have the resources to do this in your business, a local SEO agency could help.
Posts in your Google Business Profile are short form bits of content that you can use for providing company updates, to promote offers, or to announce events your business might be hosting.
If you’re able to, you should post updates regularly.
If there’s one thing you should pay attention to and put some effort into getting, it’s reviews for your business profile.
Positive Google Business Profile reviews serve two purposes:
1 – They’re social proof that other people will use to decide whether to use your business
2 – They’re used by Google to determine how trustworthy your business is (and whether to make you visible in search)
There are lots of ways you can try and get more reviews.
If you’re a service business, ask customers to leave a review at the end of a successful project.
Add a link or QR code to an invoice or receipt, making it easy for the customer to get to your profile and write something.
You can add a link to your email signature as another way to encourage customers to leave reviews.
If you’re a business like a cafe or a restaurant, put QR codes on menus or on tables and encourage happy customers to leave a review of their experience.
If someone comes to say they’ve enjoyed the meal or drink they’ve had, ask them if they could say something in a review.
It’s not enough to just get reviews. It’s important you’re also active in responding to them (whether they’re positive or negative).
Google wants to see your business profile being active, and responding to reviews is an easy way to show you are. It’s also good for other people to see that reviews are looked at and not just ignored.
You should respond to reviews, whether they’re good or bad.
For bad reviews, acknowledge what the customer has said (if you think it’s fair) and offer an explanation for why the experience may not have been what they expected.
If you think a negative review is unfair, you could ask for it to be removed (you can even ask Google to remove reviews that you think are malicious or fake)
Your Google Business Profile provides all kinds of information that helps you improve your performance, and shows what results you’re getting from your profile.
It can help show you how people are finding your profile and what search terms they use (and that you appear for)
Knowing what customers are searching for to find your business can help you figure out if you’re targeting the right keywords and services.
If you’re being found for enquiries that don’t match your services, it could be you need to make improvements, or review your business categories.
Your Google Business Profile also shows what results you’re getting from your profile.
The key things to look at are:
Calls (how many people have used your click-to-call direct from your profile)
Bookings (how many people have booked a service direct from your profile)
Website clicks (how many people clicked through to your website for more information from your Google Business profile)
Directions (how many people have searched for directions to your business)
If you have offices or premises in more than one area, you’ll need to create separate Google Business Profiles for each location.
This makes sure customers can find you in any location your business operates from.
If you do set up multiple Google Business Profiles, there is a way you can easily manage each profile.
A location group lets you manage each location for your business in one place (rather than trying to manage each one separately, which can become difficult as your business grows)
To set up a location group, you just need to click the Create group tab in your Business Profile.
Once you’ve created your group, you’ll need to repeat the process of creating a listing for each location just as you did before.
Each branch needs its own name, address and phone number along with opening times, description and additional information.
You’ll also need to go through the same verification process for every listing you create
Once your area profiles have been verified, go through the same process of optimising each profile as you did with your main profile.
Add photos, get reviews, use posts for offers, announcements and events.
Make each profile specific to the location. Highlight any landmarks you’re close to or any specific information.
One of our clients, ORS recycle, provide new and used office furniture to businesses around the UK, with different branches for the areas they operate in.
This means they need Google Business Profiles for each location, as you can see below:
And, as you can see, having Google Business Profiles in each of these areas means they’re visible for searches related to their key services.
Here’s an example of how a Google Business Profile allows them to be visible for searches relating to used office furniture in each location:
If you don’t have multiple offices, but offer your services across a wider geographic area (like an emergency plumber or tree surgeon) then you won’t need a separate profile for each area you work in.
Instead, you’ll need to set a “service area” in your profile for where you work.
You can do this easily in your profile.
Just go to the location section and go to Service Area.
You can specify the areas you work in either by city, post code or other areas.
Here’s an example of how Liverpool Tree Care Services uses this service area feature to appear in local area searches around Liverpool…
We’ve managed hundreds of Google Business Profiles over the years, so we’ve seen our share of mistakes that need to be fixed.
These are the most common:
Trying to manage every location from one profile can confuse search engines and customers. It can also damage your visibility in local searches.
If you have inconsistent NAP information, Google is less likely to view your business as reliable, so won’t trust your business enough to show you in search results.
Google prefers listings that are active. Updating your listings is also a good sign to potential customers that your business is active.
Make each listing unique and specific to the local area rather than using a single, generic listing for every profile.
Whether you’re getting positive or negative reviews, you should respond to each one.
Your Google Business Profile isn’t like a business directory.
It’s an active tool that makes your business more visible to a wider range of customers looking for your services online.
Whether you’re a single location business, a business with offices in multiple locations, or a service business operating in multiple areas, a properly optimised Google Business Profile is a free way to generate brand awareness and new customers for your business.
If you need help managing your Local SEO or Google Business Profiles, get in touch with our professional Local SEO agency to see how we can help.
You can get a free consultation and audit of your Business Profile and Local SEO and a plan for making improvements you can either do yourself, or use us to help.
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