Google My Business, now known as Google Business Profile (GBP), is a free tool that allows business owners to promote their company information on Google search and maps. Creating one of these profiles for your business is essential in the digital marketing landscape we find ourselves in today.
You can publish your hours, location, phone number, and website through Google Business Profile to help potential customers reach your business and build a level of trust. In this blog, we will discuss 4 ways to effectively optimize your GBP and why it’s important.
Importance Of Optimizing Your Google Business Profile
With over 55% of all internet traffic coming from smartphones in 2022, it’s of the utmost importance to optimize and consistently update your Google Business Profile.
Failing to optimize your GBP will be unfavorable to your business’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. Google favors companies that play an active role in SEO. By optimizing your business profile, you can help increase your chances of showing up in Google’s search results.
Also, if you don’t claim your GBP, there could be no information on your business online. Even worse, information that does exist could be incorrect and customers will shy away from your services. An optimized GBP should be a staple in your 2022 digital marketing strategy.
4 Tips To Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Fully Populate Your Profile
Do you already have a Google Business Profile but aren’t making any new connections? Chances are you have some missing information on your profile.
Leaving blank fields such as a missing website link or location hours can prove to be detrimental to engagement and SEO rankings. Ensure that all your information from the company name to address is correct and up to date. To do this, simply click the info tab under your GBP and review your information.
Add Business Description & Category
The business description is one of the most critical yet overlooked assets of a GBP. It allows you to add a brief description of your history, values, services, or anything you feel is important to highlight.
One trick for better SEO is adding the cities you serve into the business description. This will prompt Google’s search engine to move your business higher on search results when users include those cities in their search.
You also want to include the most specific business category for your profile. For example, if you operate a steakhouse, don’t just put ‘restaurant’ for your business category, but rather put ‘steakhouse restaurant.’
Interact With Reviews
One of the most advantageous aspects of a GBP is the ability for customers to leave reviews. These reviews can be the life or death of a business. However, no matter what type of reviews you receive, it’s beneficial to respond to all of them.
In your responses, provide any relevant information to reviewers and address negative comments with sincerity and remorse. This will show potential customers that you truly care about their opinions and are seeking to improve your product/service.
Upload Photos Of Products & Services
Photos are the best way to captivate attention. Whether your company sells products or services, it’s imperative to upload photos that show what you can provide to customers. You can also upload a cover photo which should include your company logo on a colored background. Sites like Canva can be used to create images that will fit perfectly into your GBP.
Optimize All Your Marketing Strategies Today
Businesses that don’t optimize their Google Business Profile are missing out on a huge opportunity. Not only can it help in your SEO rankings, but it also provides customers with relevant details about your organization. At Digital Mules, we can help optimize all of your marketing strategies to elevate your brand and improve your online presence. For more information on the services we provide, please contact us today.