If you want to grow your local business, one tool you should take advantage of is Google Business Profile (GBF). Introduced in 2014, the tool is free and key for businesses to increase their visibility, appear more credible, and engage with their customers. With a Google Business Profile, customers can easily find your brand when they search for products or services related to your brand.

However, unlike what some think, GBF isn’t only for brick-and-mortar businesses. Businesses in various industries are using it to expand their reach. In this article, we look at how you can leverage Google Business Profile to take your brand to the next level.

What is Google Business Profile?

Google Business Profile is a tool that helps businesses manage their profiles in the Google Business Directory. Previously known as Google My Business, it allows businesses to maximize their visibility on Google Search and Maps and connect with their customers in a convenient way that supplements their other PPC or SEO efforts.

GBF also allows businesses to manage their profiles on Google Maps and Google Search from a single dashboard. This gives them more control over how people view your profile on the Google platform. That means a well-optimized GBF can help you map your customers’ journey more effectively and engage people at different stages of the sales funnel.

The primary role of GBF is to help businesses appear online, enhance their visibility, and be seen as more credible by their customers. That means you can create and optimize your Google Business Profile to control your online presence and provide potential customers with key information, such as your business address, operating hours, and contact details.

Benefits of Having a Google Business Profile

If you are wondering whether a Google Business Profile is necessary, here are some benefits to consider:

Better Local SEO

The primary role of Google Business Profile is to enable potential customers to find your business on Google Maps and Search. That also means it's an invaluable tool that can help local businesses get noticed. These include restaurants, retail stores, and service providers.

When a customer searches for a coffee shop in Salt Lake City, Google uses information from the Google Business Profile, including the location, address, phone number, and reviews, to determine the best match for the search intent. The best-matching website will appear at the top of the search results page. This also applies to finding local businesses in Google Search, as Google will use your profile information to find relevant companies on Google Maps, enabling users to easily find sites to visit.

When considering the Google SEO ranking, Google suggests that to rank high, your business must have complete and accurate information. Google indicates that three factors affect your Local SEO ranking: distance, popularity, and relevance. That means that when you provide business details that match the user’s search intent and location, you are more likely to appear in search results. Additionally, more reviews will again reflect your popularity, increasing the likelihood that your business will appear in search results.

Better Management of Your Business Information

The Google Business Profile lets you update your information at any time. This means you can always retain control over your business details, such as the phone number, business number, and other attributes. This will tell you how to direct customers with the correct contact information.

In addition to serving as a hub for your search engines and Google Maps, the Google Business Profile can act as a bulletin board to share real-time announcements about temporary or unexpected business closures.

Showcasing Your Products or Services

Google Business Profile also provides a good preview of your business, acting like a micro website. It will showcase your top products, helping potential customers understand more about your company and why it is worth checking out.

Increase the Level of Trust

One of the most essential forms of social proof is reviews. These are a great way to increase your credibility and trust online. Even when searchers don't read the full context of your review, seeing your profile receive 5-star ratings encourages them to check out your business. This is the same: when you come across a company with many 4.5-star reviews, you start to trust it and believe it’s liked and popular.

Even if you are unable to maintain several 5-star reviews, you don’t have to worry, as studies indicate that a combination of positive and negative reviews is considered to be more trustworthy and authentic.

How to Set up a Google Business Profile

Here are the steps to set up your Google Business Profile:

Log in Using a Google Account

You need a Google account to use the Google Business Profile. Therefore, if you don’t have one, create one. It’s important to avoid using your personal account when setting it up, as you may need to provide access, and you will need a dedicated account to do so.

Include Business Information

After signing in, you will be required to enter your business name in the Google Business Profile. You can then click Enter, followed by Continue.

Choose the Business Type

You can go ahead and sign up for the Google Business Profile if you are either selling directly to your online customers, selling to customers directly online, or offering a service to customers. You can choose the option that applies to your business. After you are done, click Next.

Choose a Category for Your Business

After that, you can choose the business's category. Make sure you are as specific as possible. Begin by selecting the work for your business from the pre-populated options list. For instance, if you choose a garden, you will see various options, such as a beer garden.

Enter the Location or Service

Additionally, you need to choose the type of business you plan to operate, whether in-person or online. If your business is only online, you will be required to provide your website details. Whether it’s an online or offline business, you will need to enter the country where the business is registered, which may differ from your current location. If your business has a physical location, you can enter the business address instead of a website, and add more information later.

You may be required to add a pin for the location to ensure accuracy. If your business has no physical location but offers in-person deliveries or services, you can list the service area, then select Next. If you don’t enter a physical location, Google will require you to specify your region from a drop-down menu, then click Next.

Add Your Contact Information

Now it’s time to include your contact information so customers can reach you. This could be your phone number, your website, or both. People on your profile can view the information publicly.

Verify the Business

If your business doesn’t have a physical location, you will need to add the mailing address for verification. Google will send you a verification code by phone, email, or SMS. At times, verification may be done through a short recorded video or a live video. Google will choose the desired verification method based on your business type, region, public information, or business hours.

At times, it can take around five days to be verified. The good news is that after verification, you can respond to your customer’s review, ensure complete profile optimization, and leverage the optimization.

Profile Optimization

You can now include all the details you need to increase your profile’s visibility. Some of the key information you can add includes:

• Your business description.
• Hours of business.
• Business photos.

You can optimize your business in many ways beyond the options provided during setup. We will look at the different features you should take advantage of.

Claim Any Unverified Listing

If you already have an unverified Google listing, you can claim and regain it using the following steps:

1. Go to Google Maps and search for the business.
2. Tap on the “Claim business” button or link labelled “own this business.”
3. Once you click the link or button, you will be prompted to follow a few steps to verify the business.
4. After you are verified, you can then add business profile updates or manage the listing.

Add All the Necessary Details

After your account is verified, you can fill in your profile with the details listed in the next section. The more information you add, the easier it will be for your customers to understand what your business offers. However, make sure you add only accurate, true information.

There are many Google optimization details you need to include in your GBP, such  as:

• Reviews. The GBP manager allows you to read and respond to your business reviews. Remember that responsiveness is a key part of good customer service. When you respond to your customer’s reviews, whether positive or negative, it is the same thing.
• Products. You can use your GBP profile to showcase your products and services in the same way you list them on your website.
• Business hours. You can include the hours of the week or day when you can reach your customers or when your business is usually open.
• Analytics. This feature allows people to discover your business on Google and see how people interact with it.
• Q&A section. You can use this section to address common customer questions about your business, such as the location, pricing, hours, and offerings.
• Posts. This is an excellent feature for promoting some special offers, making announcements, or providing more details about your business or product.
• Messaging or appointments. This is a good option for customers to schedule bookings or send DMs from Google. It eliminates all forms of friction and ensures maximum conversions.
• Attributes. You can also add badges to provide more information concerning your business, such as woman-owned, black-owned, or veteran-owned.

How to Troubleshot Common Setup Issues

When setting up your GBP profile, you might face several challenges. Here are some common ones, with troubleshooting tips:

• Lost ownership. At times, you may be unable to log into your GBP profile because you lost the login details or someone else claimed your profile. You can click “Manage Now” under the Google Business Page. You will receive the necessary prompts and steps to add the location to the business and request access to the account.
• Negative review. If a customer posts a negative review, you can respond with an honest, respectful comment that addresses any issues that could improve your reputation. If you realize that a review comes from a person with a conflict of interest, such as a former employee, you can report it.
• Suspended account. Google can suspend your GBP for many reasons, some of which may be outside your control. For instance, if you make too many changes to the profile at once, it can be suspicious. If you get suspended, you should submit a request for reinstatement. Google will review your profile to determine if a reinstatement is possible.
• Rejected Google posts. There are times when Google will reject your post because it contains images or languages considered sensitive. You may unknowingly use a word that is supposed to be offensive. To address the issue, you need to familiarize yourself with the language allowed on the platform by reviewing the sensitive categories. Also, update the language in the images and text to ensure they don’t violate Google’s terms.

How to Use Google Business Profile for Marketing

We have seen how to set up your GBP. After setting up, you will need to use the profile for local marketing. Here are four different ways in which you can do that well:

Engaging with Your Customers

A Business Profile enables customers to interact with your business in different ways, such as answering customers’ queries, responding to their reviews, answering questions, sending them direct messages, and setting up alerts for your business, just as you would on Facebook and other social media platforms. This can be a good way to increase your engagement on Instagram and other social media platforms.

Provides Business Highlights

A business profile contains the necessary information for your business. However, you can showcase what makes your business unique by adding key details such as your products and their prices, key attributes, opening hours, and more. If you need to make updates or edits, you can do that under GBP. In short, use the Business Profile to provide a snippet of your whole business and the top features in the SERPs. You can read our guide on how to stay ahead on the SERPs.

Get Audience Insights

Under the Google My Business dashboard, you can see essential audience insights and the performance of your local SEO. You will get insights into how your customers found you, whether through Google Search or Google Maps, and a breakdown of the actions you have taken in your listing. You can also see how your photos perform compared to competitors’. However, you can also track the clicks of the Business Profile using Google Analytics and UTM parameters.

Similarly, Google uses an algorithm to rank websites and ads for business profiles. Under the dashboard of Google My Business, you can add the relevant keywords combined with the optimization to enable you to rank on the local search results.

How Google Business Profile Can Boost Your SEO

GBP isn’t static and varies by business type, but certain sections will be shown based on the search query and the information considered essential to consumers in that category. If you have used some keywords in your profile that Google thinks are important, these terms are shown in bold. Therefore, it can help to know which keywords and information you should emphasize. You can leverage AI to improve your keyword research.

Which is the best method for using GBP for your local SEO?  A well-optimized profile should meet the user’s needs. That means it should be optimized for three key factors: targeting, trust, and information quality.

Add the Relevant Keywords

When optimizing your profile for GBP, a good idea is to add relevant keywords that help Google determine what you are trying to rank for. You can use these keywords in the business description, in responses to queries, and in reviews. You can also add them to your published posts. When doing that, make sure it sounds natural so the keywords don't sound awkward or forced.

Add Quality Information

Another key factor affecting the ranking of GBP is its accuracy and completeness. Therefore, ensure you share all requested details across all sections of the Google Business Profile. While you need to provide as much information as possible, you cannot complete it without the contact information, attributes, and special hours.

Optimize Your Business for Voice Search

It is worth noting that most local searches now occur on mobile phones via voice search. Since people are searching while on the go, you need to ensure that your GBP is optimized for voice search. There are several tips you can use to do that, such as:

• Using a conversational keyword. The way people talk is different from how they type on keywords. Use natural and question-based phrases to optimize your listing. For instance, you can use an acquisition phrase such as “Which is the nearest coffee shop?”
• Add accurate and complete information. We have already mentioned this, but it is worth repeating. The GBP data is what Google uses to provide answers for local voice search. That means you can increase your chances of appearing in these answers by adding your contact details, address, hours of operation, and more.
• Optimize for local SEO. In most cases, voice searches are usually local. Therefore, make sure to include relevant keywords, such as "24/7 coffee shop near Times Square" or "vegetarian cafe in Salt Lake City."
• Answer some common questions. You can answer common FAQs in a clear, direct way.

When your GBP is optimized for voice search, you can increase the likelihood that your business will be recommended by Google.

Use GBP to Add Your Latest Updates and Offers

A GBP also acts as a virtual business card. It's a marketing tool that helps to put your business in front of its target customers. You can use the posting feature to highlight your offers and deals, special promotions, new products you have released, or a key announcement on Google Maps or Search.

A GBP acts as a free advertising space for businesses to share some compelling posts to drive engagement, like:

•  Announcing a discount for a limited-time offer.
•  Promoting your new service.
•  Sharing your words when hosting an event.

Trust Building

Another key factor that Google now uses in ranking websites is trust. When there are changes to your business information, update this in your profile. Ensure you have a steady stream of reviews and respond to them, and show Google that your business is active by adding recent photos and publishing posts to your Business Profile.

You can add posts to GBP by going to the management panel and clicking on Add update, event, or offer. There is also an option to add a text, a photo, and a CTA button before clicking on Post. Posts usually appear on the profile under Search and Maps, keeping customers regularly updated on news, events, and specials.

Add High-Quality Images

GBP also lets you add images and videos to your listing. This can be a powerful way to showcase your work and help your audience understand what they can expect when reaching out to get a particular service. The recommended image size for GBP is 1200 by 900 pixels, with an aspect ratio of 4:3. You can also add high-quality photos to complement the post.

For instance, if you are a restaurant, you can post quality pictures of your delicious food and the ambience. On the other hand, a landscaping business can post photos of its work. If you have no images to add, consider adding a location and a logo that will identify your business.

In Conclusion

Google Business Profile can be an excellent tool for helping your business get discovered in local search. It is an essential tool for local SEO and converting searchers into walk-in customers. That means if you want to gain the benefits of local SEO and grow your brand, you need to add and optimize your GBP profile. If you are wondering how to do that, our detailed guide will help you get started.