Google My Business (GMB) now Google Business Profile (GBP) is the most important and most used feature for SEO for small businesses. This article will cover all the basics about GMB, what it does, how to set up a profile, and why you should care about it.
What is Google My Business?
Google Business Profile is a free and easy-to-use tool for businesses and organizations to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. By verifying and editing your business information, you can help customers find you, contact you, and learn more about your business.
How to Search for Your Own Business
When you search for your business on Google, you may notice that there is now a “Google Business Profile” associated with your company. This is a new feature that Google has rolled out, and it allows businesses to manage their information and engage with customers directly on Google.
The Good:
The good news is that this new feature gives businesses more control over how they appear on Google. Businesses can now manage their own listings and make sure that their information is up-to-date and accurate. This is a great way to improve your visibility on Google and attract new customers.
The Bad:
However, there is also some bad news associated with this new feature. The biggest downside is that businesses now have to actively manage their listings or risk having outdated information appear on Google. This can be a lot of work, especially for larger businesses with multiple locations. Additionally, if you don’t claim your listing and verify your business, someone else could do it for you and then take control of your listing.
The Ugly:
Overall, the new Google Business Profile feature is a good thing for businesses. It gives them more control over their online presence and helps them attract more customers. However, it does add some responsibilities as well. It is important for businesses to know that their information may now be more accessible and make sure they do the necessary work to keep their business listings up-to-date.
The Importance of a Complete Profile
As a small business owner, you know the importance of managing your online reputation. Your Google Business Profile is one of the first places customers will go to learn more about your business, and you want to make sure they find a complete and accurate picture.
A complete profile helps you show up in more search results and provides potential customers with the information they need to make a decision about doing business with you. It also helps you manage your online reputation by giving you control over what information is displayed about your business.
Unfortunately, not all businesses take the time to create a complete profile. In fact, according to research from BrightLocal, nearly 40% of businesses have incomplete Google Business Profiles. This can be a costly mistake, as an incomplete profile can lead to lost customers and lower search rankings.
The good news is that creating a complete profile is relatively easy, and only takes a few minutes. Here’s what you need to do:
1. Claim your listing. If you haven’t already done so, go to Google Business Profile and claim your listing. This will allow you to edit your business information and add photos, among other things.
2. Fill out all fields. On the left-hand side of your Google Business Profile dashboard, you will see a list of fields. Make sure that all these fields are filled out. This includes contact information (such as phone number, email, and website), hours, location info, and category.
3. Add photos to your business page. Google Business Photos allows you to add up to 10 photos for every listing. Make sure that you’re filling this field out completely – including descriptions and captions for each photo.
4. Connect with other social media platforms from within the dashboard. Google allows you to connect your business with 30 different social media platforms through their dashboard – which means it’s really easy to create new profiles for each platform on the fly.
5 . Add a virtual tour. Google Business Photos allows you to add a virtual tour to your business. Just ensure that your tour doesn’t exceed 15MB so that it can upload quickly and easily!
6. Use the “Get Verified” tool. The “Get Verified” tool will let you designate which hours are actually open for customers to shop at your store – and also pinpoints the location of your business, as well as its hours.
7. Pay close attention to the review section. Google really wants businesses to actively weed out fake reviews – while ensuring that they are getting legitimate customer feedback (the good and the bad).
The Benefits of a Complete Profile
Your Google Business Profile is a critical part of your web presence, and it’s important to keep it up-to-date and complete. Here are some of the benefits of having a complete profile:
1. Increased visibility: A complete profile is more likely to show up in search results, both on Google and other search engines.
2. More information for customers: A complete profile provides potential customers with more information about your business, which can help them make a decision about whether to use your services.
3. Better customer service: Customers can use your Google Business Profile to leave reviews and ratings, which can help you improve your customer service.
4. Improved SEO: A complete profile can help improve your website’s SEO since Google takes into account profiles when ranking websites.
5. Greater trust and credibility: A complete profile helps build trust and credibility with potential customers since they can see that you’re committed to managing your online presence.
Keep these benefits in mind as you manage your Google Business Profile. Taking the time to keep it up-to-date and complete can pay off in many ways!
What NOT To Do With Your Google My Business Page
If you’re like most people, you probably think that your Google My Business page is just another way to get your business information out there. However, there are some things that you should avoid doing with your page if you want to maintain a good reputation. Here are some of the worst things you can do with your Google My Business page:
1. Don’t use it as a personal page.
Your Google My Business page is for business purposes only. It’s not a place to share personal information or photos. If you do, you risk having your page removed by Google.
2. Don’t spam your page with keywords.
Keyword stuffing is a bad idea for any type of web content, but it’s especially bad for your Google My Business page. Not only will this make your page look Spammy, but it will also hurt your search engine ranking.
3. Don’t post fake reviews.
It’s tempting to post fake reviews on your own page in an attempt to boost your ratings, but don’t do it! Google is very strict about fake reviews, and if they catch you, they will remove your reviews and could even penalize your page.
4. Don’t forget to list your address.
If you want to show up on the map, then you need to include the correct address on your page. Just like with Google Maps, Google My Business will pull the address from your Facebook page if it’s not listed on your business page.
5. Don’t forget that your business can have multiple locations.
If you have multiple locations, then make sure they’re all listed on your business page so people can find them easily.
Conclusion
So there you have it — the good, the bad, and the ugly of managing your Google Business Profile. Overall, we think the pros outweigh the cons here, and that having a well-managed and up-to-date Google Business Profile can do wonders for your business. Of course, as with anything else related to your online presence, be sure to keep an eye on your profile and make updates as needed to ensure that your information is accurate and up-to-date.
