Businesses devote countless hours to digital marketing but fail to understand the importance of search ranking and how to optimize it.
A potential customer looking for the products you offer will conduct a thorough Google search as one of the first things before making critical purchasing decisions
According to Google, the primary information the local searches seek is your business location. Having a Google Business Profile listing is the simplest way to appear in the search results.
For all local businesses, Google Business Profile's ability to integrate the information gathered from search results in marketing campaigns is quite beneficial. It's more than just a simple business listing; it's a powerful tool that gives a business owner the advantages of being found in Google Search. This robust tool enhances your online presence.
Table of Contents
Defining Google Business Profile
It is a free Business Profile allowing you to enhance local customer engagement through Google Search and Maps. It has vital information about the name of your business, physical address, contact details, business hours, and a link to your website.
This is an important part of your Search Engine Optimization strategy because it allows customers to find out all about your company and leave positive reviews or negative reviews. As a result, it's critical that the information is updated.
Transition to Google Business Profile
You've probably heard the terms "Google Business Profile" and "Google Business Profile" used interchangeably a lot over the years. You may have wondered if there was a distinction between the two. According to a recent announcement, Google has renamed Google My Business to Google Business Profile.
Google will implement this change in 2022 as an initiative to simplify things. And it's actually quite simple. Unless you've been using the Google Business Profile dashboard, there won't be much of an impact on your business and how you manage your listings.
Larger Businesses with multiple listings will be able to manage their profiles directly from Google Search or Maps as the Google Business Profile dashboard will be updated to support them.
Why Do You Require a Google Business Profile?
Before we dive into the advantages of having a Google Business Profile, you'll need to create a business profile. After claiming, you'll begin listing all relevant information about your business, including your products and services, service areas, hours of operation, and more.
Google will eventually display your business to consumers looking for local providers of your products or services once you have a complete business profile and manage it properly.
The more time and effort you put into managing your profile (including accumulating positive Google reviews), the faster your company will rise above non-local results.
Google Business Profile has always been critical as it's often the first thing your customers see when they search for your business. GMB has numerous advantages. To give you an idea of what you can gain by optimizing your GMB account, here are a few key benefits:
Boost Your Online Presence
The most significant advantage of using a GMB listing is the fact that it increases your company's online visibility. The first three results that you find when searching for a business online are Google Ads, maps with a Local 3-pack, and organic results.
A Local 3-pack contains the top three local businesses in the searcher's area. Through this pack, customers arrive at your shop's front door without having first visited your company's website.
A completed GMB listing can get you on this local list, reflecting your business on Google Maps. The listing also boosts a company's local SEO ranking. GMB's Google Maps integration makes it easier to find your business's physical location on the world's most popular mobile map and directions app.
Share Updated Information With Target Customers
It gives searchers an immediate first impression when they see your company's vital information listed on the right-hand side of the interface. When someone comes across your Google Business Profile on Google Maps, they will be able to see your business information such as
- Name
- Business Category
- Contact information
- Hours of operation
- Popular Times
- Shared media
- Review summaries
- Website address
You can share any kind of updates and special offers. These posts appear in Google Search and Maps, allowing you to stay connected with your potential customers. Your posts should have a CTA button to encourage potential customers to take the desired action you want them to take.
Stay Connected Through Direct Message Option
Through direct messaging optionality, potential customers can now send messages directly to your business's phone number or custom email address using the GMB interface.
Google's messaging feature is now available, allowing direct communication with your leads who searched for your business profile. You can use this feature to respond to queries in real-time.
Last year, Google Maps added a feature that allows you to chat with customers. That feature is now being rolled out to Google Search as well. This will allow you to see and respond to customer messages from either Google Search or Google Maps as a result of this.
Google is also releasing read receipts this month, allowing you to see when a customer saw your message (and they, in turn, will be able to see when you saw theirs).
Get Reviews to Grab Attention
The customer's purchase decisions are dependent on reviews. They assess a local business's quality and select a product with the best ratings. Customer reviews appear on your GMB profile, giving your company social credibility on par with competitors.
As a result, having several positive reviews can mean the difference between a customer choosing you over another local business. Higher search ranking on Google Maps and Google Search, as well as landing in the golden 3-pack, are also encouraged by a better online reputation.
Make sure you're getting Google reviews and responding to each one, particularly the negative reviews. It shows empathy towards the customer.
People tend to overlook businesses with a rating of fewer than four stars. Their goal is usually to find one with the highest overall score and the best reviews. A 5-star review is extremely beneficial to your reputation and the acquisition of new customers. Always express your gratitude if you receive a 5-star review.
Entice Potential Customers Through Photos
Images can help your Business Profile listing stand out in the results of Google Search or Google Maps. Include some useful and relevant images to entice visitors to your business. These may include,
- Company logo
- Cover photo
- Team photos
- Product photos (Exterior and interior)
New Features of Google Business Profile
Claim your Business Profile on Google Search and Maps
The introduction of Google Business Profile has made it quite easy to complete verification and resolve issues like editing on your profile. These two simple steps will help you add your business if it is not added already
- Add your Business using Google Maps
- Claim your Business using Google Maps
Now, Google Search also allows you to directly access the business profile. You can then change the information that people view while searching for your business, such as the physical address, business hours, and photos, among other things.
Google will allow all merchants to complete their profile set up directly through Google Search and Maps in the future. It will enable you to make the profile public and increase its visibility to your customers.
Link Directly to your Business Profile
With Google Business Profile, the website Google Business Profile and the mobile app will be made redundant. Merchants will be able to link to their business profiles directly through e-mails and notifications received from Google.
Business Profile Manager Concept
Business Profile Manager will be the new name of the Google Business Profile web page. It would be dedicated to supporting larger businesses handling multiple profiles. Both large and small businesses will be expected to directly manage their Individual profiles through Google Search and Maps.
Manage Data through Business API
The Google Business Profile API will soon be called the "Business Profile API." However, the functionality will remain the same.
The Business Profile API allows merchants or their representatives to control who co-manages their data and how it is presented across Google. The Business API is be used to manage user-generated content such as photos, posts, and reviews.
Improve Merchant Experience
The year 2022 brings good news for small businesses. Google plans to deprecate its Google Business Profile app and enhance the experience for merchants by using Google Search and Maps.
Osborne Digital Marketing’s Business Optimization Services
We've seen why keeping track of your Google Business Profile is so important in digital marketing. We've also seen that professional management services yield better results, rankings, and returns on investment.
Let's take a closer look at why hiring Osborne Digital Marketing, a local SEO firm is a good idea. We provide
- Hassle-free Google My Profile set up
- More SEO tools including Google Business Profile optimization service and Google Business Profile analytics for Keyword Search breakdown and Google analytics reports.
Conclusion
Google Business Profile is clearly not a passing fad, as the majority of shoppers use it as their primary method of communication with local businesses. According to a recent Google report, 60% of smartphone users used the "click to call" option on the GMB interface to contact businesses directly.
Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, it's more important than ever to use and optimize Google Business Profile to display accurate, up-to-date information about your business. Consider your GMB panel to be the first point of contact for your customers. If your operating hours or description are out of date, you risk losing a customer's trust and losing out on the relationship's lifetime value.
GMB Posts can significantly improve your local search rankings. It not only increases your business visibility but is also mandatory for Search Engine Optimization.
