How To Set Up A Google Business Profile

If you are wondering why you are not getting much online traffic towards your website have you considered whether there are tweaks to be made? or perhaps you need the assistance of an SEO company? who specialises in this particular field to boost your business brand online. Or perhaps you also need the assistance of a Google Business Profile too. It is a fairly straightforward process that could potentially boost your brand awareness significantly.

A Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) offers several benefits for businesses of all sizes. Here are the top three advantages of having a Google Business Profile for your company:

Increased Visibility in Search and Maps: A Google Business Profile enhances your company’s visibility on Google’s search engine and Google Maps. When potential customers search for products or services you offer, your business can appear right at the top of search results, along with important information such as your business hours, location, and contact details. This increased visibility makes it easier for customers to find and choose your business over competitors.

Improved Local SEO: Having a optimised Google Business Profile is a key factor in local search engine optimization (SEO). It helps your business rank higher in local search results, making it more likely that local customers will find your company when they search for relevant products or services. By regularly updating your profile with fresh content, responding to reviews, and adding photos, you can improve your local SEO and attract more customers.

Direct Customer Interaction and Feedback: Google Business Profile provides a platform for direct interaction with customers through reviews and Q&A features. Customers can leave reviews about their experiences, to which you can respond. This interaction not only builds trust with potential customers but also gives you valuable feedback to improve your business. Additionally, the Q&A feature allows potential customers to ask questions directly on your profile, enabling you to clarify doubts and provide accurate information instantly.

These benefits, among others, make a Google Business Profile an essential tool for any business looking to enhance its online presence, improve customer engagement, and drive more traffic both online and in-store.

How a Google Business Profile Can Help Your Business

Essentially the Google Business Profile page is where you can use Google’s platform to advertise your business on their search engine and appear on Google Maps. Both aspects are particularly useful as the search results page enables the customer to be directed to your website while the maps functions demonstrates your exact location of the business.

How To Set Up a Google Business Profile

The first step will be to register your business and provide all the necessary details. If you do not already have a Google account you would need to set one up at this stage.
Once the first stage is complete, you will then need to verify that it is your business. You will then be provided with a verification code which you can receive either by email, telephone or through the post.
For this stage, your primary focus will be inputting all the key information that would be relevant to a customer. So for example the following.

Up to date opening hours
Full address
Type of business you are, with primary keywords
Link to your website
Social media links to your business pages for Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
If it is a business that provides a service such as a restaurant, bar, hotel, hairdresser, then a link to a booking website.
Photos of the exterior and interior to draw your customers in. This alone can boost your potential for business by 42%. *
Feedback from customers so that people can see the type of experiences other people have had.
Google even offer a FREE web site if you need one.

The important thing is to ensure all the necessary information is constantly up to date, which you can easily edit by logging into your Google Business Profile. It is also advisable to respond to customer queries and reviews, both good and bad, to demonstrate that you are passionate about your business and are willing to take on board any criticism which will enable you to grow as a business.

The Use of Smartphones for Googling

With the use of Google increasing yearly through smartphone use, it is no wonder that many people will turn to this app to do a quick search of nearby locations that will help them find the correct goods or service that they require when they are on the move. So ideally you want your business to be featured within the Google list of businesses to enable potential customers to find you with ease and hopefully return in future as well.

If you need any help in setting up and taking full advantage of Google My Business then please get in touch

(*About Google My Business – Computer – Google My Business Help)