How To Use Google Business Profiles For Your Small Business
Google Business Profile (Formely Google My Business) is a free tool that allows businesses to manage their online presence on Google.
It will enable businesses to create and manage their listing on Google Maps and Google Search so that customers can easily find and learn more about the business. Businesses can use Google Business Profile to add their address, phone number, hours of operation, and other information to their listing.
They can also add photos, videos, and other content to showcase their products or services. Customers can use Google Business Profile to leave reviews and ratings for the business, and businesses can respond to these reviews to improve their reputation and customer service.
Google Business Profile can be a valuable tool for local businesses because it can help them to improve their visibility and reach in the local community.
Why Your Small Business Needs a Google Business Profile
Having a Google business profile can be beneficial for businesses because it can help them to improve their visibility and reach in the local community.
When a business creates a Google business profile and adds information about their products or services, it becomes more likely to appear in search results and on Google Maps when people search for related keywords.
This can help customers to easily find and learn more about the business, and it can also help the business to attract more customers.
Additionally, having a Google business profile allows businesses to respond to customer reviews and ratings, which can improve their reputation and customer satisfaction.
Overall, having a Google business profile can help businesses to improve their online presence and reach new customers.
What Are The Benefits Of A Google Business Profile?
Google My Business provides businesses with statistics and insights about their Google business profile. These statistics can help businesses to understand how their profile is performing and what actions they can take to improve it.
Some of the statistics that businesses can view include:
- Views: This shows the number of times that the business profile has been viewed on Google.
- Actions: This shows the number of actions that have been taken on the business profile, such as clicks to call or directions.
- Search impressions: This shows the number of times that the business profile has appeared in search results.
- Direction requests: This shows the number of times that customers have requested directions to the business.
- Website clicks: This shows the number of clicks on the website link on the business profile.
- Phone calls: This shows the number of calls that have been made to the business from the business profile.
These statistics can help businesses to understand how their profile is performing and what actions they can take to improve it. For example, if the business is not getting many views on its profile, it could consider adding more information or photos to make the profile more appealing to customers.
Factors That Help You Rank Higher On Google Maps
- Relevance: Google Maps will prioritize businesses that are the most relevant to the search query. For example, if someone searches for “pizza near me,” Google Maps will show businesses that sell pizza in the area first.
- Distance: Google Maps will prioritize businesses that are closer to the user’s location. For example, if someone searches for “pizza near me,” Google Maps will show businesses that are closer to the user’s location first.
- Prominence: Google Maps also takes into account the prominence of a business. This can be influenced by factors such as the business’s ratings and reviews, the number of photos and videos on the business profile, and the number of times the business has been mentioned on other websites.
How To Set Up Your Google Business Profile
To set up a Google Business Profile, businesses can follow these steps:
- Go to google.com/business and sign in with their Google account.
- Click on “Manage now” and enter the business name and address.
- Verify the business location by choosing one of the verification options, such as receiving a postcard by mail or verifying by phone.
- Once the business has been verified, add information about the business, such as the business category, phone number, hours of operation, and a description of the products or services.
- Add photos and videos to the business profile to showcase the products or services.
- Share the business profile with customers and encourage them to leave reviews and ratings.
- Monitor and respond to reviews to maintain a positive reputation and improve customer satisfaction.
By following these steps, businesses can set up their Google business profile and start attracting more customers.
How To Verify Your Google Business Profile
To verify a Google business profile, businesses can follow these steps:
- Go to google.com/business and sign in with their Google account.
- Click on “Manage now” and enter the business name and address.
- Choose one of the verification options, such as receiving a postcard by mail or verifying by phone.
- If the business chooses to verify by postcard, they will need to enter their mailing address and wait for the postcard to arrive. Once it arrives, they can enter the code from the postcard on the Google My Business website to verify their business.
- If the business chooses to verify by phone, they will need to enter their phone number and wait for a verification call. During the call, they will need to enter the verification code provided by the automated voice to verify their business.
- Once the business has been verified, they can add information, photos, and videos to their business profile.
Verifying a Google business profile is important because it helps to ensure that the information on the profile is accurate and up-to-date. It also allows businesses to take full control of their online presence on Google and respond to customer reviews.
Final Thoughts
Having a Google Business Profile can be beneficial for your business because it can help you improve your business’s visibility and reach in the local community.
When a business creates a Google Business Profile and adds information about their products or services, it becomes more likely to appear in search results and on Google Maps when people search for related keywords.
This can help customers to easily find and learn more about the business, and it can also help the business to attract more customers.
Additionally, having a Google business profile allows businesses to respond to customer reviews and ratings, which can improve their reputation and customer satisfaction. Overall, having a Google Business Profile can help businesses to improve their online presence and reach new customers.
