Why Your Google Business Profile Matters?
A potential customer is looking for a mechanic because their car broke down and they need it fixed in a reasonable time from a trusted local place. What is the first thing they do? They pull out their phone and search for “car repair” or “car repair near me.” The first 3 results they are going to see are what is called the “local pack,” and it consists of the 3 Google Business Profiles that meet that search criteria.
Your business profile is the most critical factor for showing up in that local pack. However, simply having a business profile doesn’t guarantee that you will appear as one of the top results. There are a lot of other local businesses competing for that spot against you.
So, what can you do to outrank them? Optimize, optimize, optimize! What do I mean by optimize? This question doesn’t have a simple answer. Optimizing a business profile requires completing both basic tasks and more complicated ones. Additionally, your profile performance is combined with other performance factors.
This guide will explain step by step how to optimize your profile, so it ranks on the first three spots in the local pack.
Claiming Your Profile
The first step is to create or claim your Google business profile. The easiest way to do this is to go to Google and search for your business. Once you find it, click on the “Own this business” option, and then follow the on-screen instructions to claim it. Business Not Showing Up? If the business doesn’t show up when you search it on Google, you will be provided with the option to create one. Just answer all the questions about your business as accurately as possible to create the business profile.
Verification
After the profile is created, it needs to be verified. Verification is one of the most crucial steps in creating or claiming a profile. This is a security process established by Google to ensure that you are a legitimate business and that you are the actual owner. The verification process can be completed using various verification methods. These include a phone call to the business phone, mailing a postcard to the business address, or recording a video showing you locking or unlocking the business’s main door. Please complete this process as soon as possible, as failure to do so may result in your business profile being disabled.
The 5 Key Areas to Optimize
It is important to maintain consistency and accuracy in the Name, Address, and Phone (NAP) of the business on every online listing, including your Google Business Profile. Business hours should also be consistent across all online listings. For example, if our business profile for Miranda Tech Solutions in Google shows the address as “1500 1st Ave NE Ste 109” and the Yahoo listing shows the same address without the suite number, that would be inconsistent and would affect the ranking or even confuse the customer who is looking for our business.
A crucial and often overlooked section, this is where you tell Google and the customers what services and products you provide. Make sure to list all of the products and services that you provide. Include a brief description of the service and if applicable the price of the product of service.
Visual content helps customers build trust and attract more clicks. It is relevant to include pictures of the exterior and interior of the business, staff, products, and logo. Make sure the images are high quality. Videos of customer interactions and staff working help build trust and show the human side of the business.
Feedback from and to the customer provides another way to connect with them and remember their idea is to build a brand and trust; by answering their questions, you are establishing yourself and your business as an authority or subject matter expert for the services that you provide, creating more confidence with current and potential customers. Make sure to answer quickly and accurately.
The business profile portion that provides the most trust for potential customers is what other customers have to say about your business. This is where reviews come in; the most organic part of your business profile is the “word of mouth” advertising that comes from them. Even though some reviews might come from disgruntled customers or even from your competitors, most of them will be honest opinions about your services.
Pro-Tips and Maintenance
There are more ways to customize your profile to tailor it to your business needs. This may include a booking link, a link to a landing page, messaging features, and tracking options to see how the profile performs.
The Ongoing Effort
The business profile needs to be updated and optimized regularly; it is not a “set and forget” task. Regular maintenance should be scheduled monthly, this can include business updates, events, pictures and videos or answering questions. Reviews are crucial for your profile, so make sure that you encourage your customers to leave them and answer them promptly.
In conclusion, your Google business profile is the lifeline of your local SEO strategy. It is important that you claim it and keep it optimized, and update it regularly. This will help your business by gaining the trust of your customers and exposing your brand to potential ones.