Xhesika Tufa
Google Business Profile gets a bad rap. Yes, that’s right. Many small business owners don’t take advantage of the organic SEO that is given when you pay attention to your listing on Google My Business.
Hyper-local businesses and multi-location businesses are missing the boat big-time if they claim their profile and then just leave it. Or, if they don’t even claim it!
Imagine a potential customer Googling, “nail salon near me” or “Poke restaurant in (your city)” and you pop up in the top three listings. Priceless and it doesn’t cost you a penny! This is the beauty of an optimized Google Business Profile. All it costs you is time, and time well-spent!
Yes, that’s right! A direct link to your website is front and center on your Google Business Profile. Easily point your customers to your website with just a click of their mouse!
Click here for the full guide to creating a Google Business Profile.
Hours change, especially with much of the country still accommodating the Covid restrictions that may be in place in their city. Holiday hours may be different, too. Maybe you are closed for inventory or have a private party or event at your location. The ability to update your hours is awesome for keeping the public aware of when you are open… or closed.
One of the most awesome features of Google My Business is the ability to post an update, event, and offer. You can use Publer for all your Google Business client posts. Simple to schedule and add an image. Keep posts short and sweet, knowing that by using the right keywords, they will help a business organically in search. Updates show up on mobile, too.
Google loves images and Business Profiles encourage as many photos as you want to post. You can post customers, team members, products, food (restaurants really benefit from this feature), and fun images of the personality of the business. All your photos get indexed by Google search.
NEW: Publer allows you to share schedule photo posts on your Business Profiles!
This is one of the best features of Google My Business. Sharing your products and your services give your customers a complete picture of what you offer them. The Product category allows you to post a photo, too. There is no limit to the number of products or services you can post – so go crazy!
This is a relatively new feature, but an awesome one. List the cell phone number you would like your customers to message you and waa-laa! No phone tag, no missed opportunities. It’s easy to implement and effective!
Google My Business provides a space for a cover banner that is seen on mobile. Be sure you put your logo front and center. Anytime you can improve your branding and showcase your logo, do it!
Why not give your customers a peek inside your business?
Video tours are a great way to accomplish this and so easy to do! Just shoot a video and upload it to your Google My Business profile. Your customers will be impressed and sets you apart from your competition that may not have taken this extra step.
Google My Business provides space for you to share more information, in story form, about your business and your offerings. It’s under the Info button. Don’t skip this important piece of your profile. Use the keywords that your customers use to search for your business. Just ensure they make sense in the context of our story. In other words, don’t keyword “stuff” just to use them. Google doesn’t like that!
Reviews are the lifeblood of a business, and Google My Business lets you share a simple link to encourage your customers to leave a review. Google reviews are the best place to have reviews because they show up everywhere, on mobile and desktop. Just copy and paste the personalized review link and sent it to your customers, politely asking them to review you.
All of the above may seem overwhelming and time-consuming but going through this list of 10 essential parts of your Google My Business profile is well worth it!
Credits to: Laurie S Hurley
Get in touch for a quote.
Connect with Laurie on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Related articles:
The Importance of Adding New Photos in Google Business Profile
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