How to Optimise Your Google Business Profile

If you own a local business, then your Google Business Profile could be one of the most important factors in your online success.

Having an optimised profile not only helps potential customers find you more easily, but it also sets you apart from your competitors.

In this post, we’re going to dive into how you can optimise your profile and start getting more customers today.

How to claim your Google Business Profile

If you already have a profile, you can skip this step. However, some of you may not so here’s how.

The first step is to create a Google account. Make sure the account is using an email that you use frequently.

Once you’ve created the account, search for your business on Google as it may already have a listing.

The last thing you’d want is a duplicate listing as your account could be penalised for spam as it’s a violation of Google’s guidelines.

If your business profile is already on Google, you want to click ‘Own this business?’ and request access from the current manager.

However, if your business doesn’t have a profile yet, you want to create one.

Optimise your business information

According to BrightLocal, “80% of consumers lose trust in local businesses if they see incorrect or inconsistent contact details or business names online.”

In fact, inconsistencies in business information online will negatively affect your ranking on search engines.

To avoid this, make sure that your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) is consistent across all of your listings (Google, Yelp, Facebook etc.).

Also, you should write a compelling description for your Google Business Profile.

Add photos and videos

Adding high-quality photos and videos of your business and services will help potential customers see what they will get before they even spend a penny.

This builds a level of trust that you wouldn’t be able to get if you hadn’t added those photos and videos.

Not only is it great for showcasing your offerings, but it’s also necessary to fully optimise your profile to rank higher in search engines.

Ask for reviews

One simple way to boost your profile is to ask for reviews from your previous and current clients.

To get a review link that you can send to clients, simply type your business name into Google.

Once you’ve found your business, click “Ask for reviews” and it will give you a link that you can send via email, WhatsApp and Facebook.

Alternatively, you can just copy the review link and send it to your customers on any platform of your choice.

Reviews are a core part of your Google Business Profile. They help with:

• Building trust
• Higher ranking
• Increasing revenue
• Social proof

Add new posts regularly

Google posts are a great way to promote your business.

Adding new posts regularly will help customers see what you’re up to, and any offers that you have currently.

Here are 4 different types of posts that you can do:

• Showcasing a new product
• Highlighting an offer that you are running
• Sharing updates to your company
• Advertising an upcoming event

Keep in mind that they disappear after 7 days so you should be constantly adding new posts (3-4x/week).

Updating your profile

Make sure to maintain and update your profile frequently.

Anyone can make edit suggestions on your profile so keep checking to make sure the information is correct.

As we mentioned earlier, any inconsistencies will negatively affect your Local SEO ranking.

Don’t forget to keep your operating hours and days up to date and let customers know if you’re closed on certain days (Christmas, Easter, bank holidays etc.).

Google are constantly adding new features and updates to the platform so make sure to utilise these to your advantage.

Conclusion

Having an optimised Google Business Profile is an extremely important factor in online success for local businesses.

If you aren’t running an SEO strategy, one of the main ways for your business to get found may be through your Google profile.

Not having a profile is like placing your business in the middle of nowhere. It’s still there, just much harder to find.

Ammo Digital are members of Laurel Leaf Networking.