Today, customers no longer call businesses first — they Google them. In addition, today’s consumers perform 80% of their research online—before you even have a chance to speak with them. With more than 90% of the search engine market share, people turn to Google to find the information they’re looking for. If you want to be discovered among their search results and get people to click to your website, you need a free Google Business Profile. Here’s why…
- Your Google Business Profile is one part of the ingredients in getting ranked in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).
- Google pays attention to what you do—and what you don’t do.
- Google likes it when you use their tools, including placing Google Ads.
- Your Google Profile is what customers see FIRST when they Google your business name—before they even get to your website.
- A valid, optimized Google Business Profile will help you attract more customers.
- Google is the place customers look at first for reviews and pertinent information.
What Is Google My Business Profile?
Google allows businesses to provide a listing or profile on its website. These profiles appear in search results and on Google Maps. Google Business Profile, formerly known as Google My Business, is one way to manage your online presence and information on the world’s most-used search engine.
You can create a free Google Business Profile to achieve a number of things for your business online.
- Display important information, such as hours of operation, locations, and menus
- Communicate with the public, including a new promotion.
- Highlight your products and/or services.
- Confirm that you are a valid business.
- Place ads for your product or service.
- Collect service and product reviews.
- Provide social proof based on your reviews.
Why You Need a Google Business Profile Strategy Today
Your Company Google Business Profile May Provide More Reach Than Your Website or Social Media
Here’s a hard truth: if customers can’t find you on Google, they may not be able to find you at all—even if you have a website. So, they may not think that you are a serious or valid business.
When customers search for your business on Google, there’s a chance it won’t appear at the top of their online results, especially if there are several businesses with a similar name or if your website is not optimized for search engines. However, your Google Business Profile may still show up — and your reviews. This is why it’s critical to maintain a complete Google Business Profile.
Google search engine displays the best profiles before listing your website. So, most often, your free Google Business Profile may provide your customer’s first point of contact online—not your website. While a website is still essential for your business, your business profile takes precedence when it comes to Google search.
Learn how a Google Profile can transform your business strategy.
Contact a marketing specialist at Precise Creative today!
Your Online Marketing Presence Plays a Major Role in Your Google Reviews and SEO
While customers use Google to look for business information, they also use the search engine to learn about and get social proof for your company by reading your online reviews.
A number of reasons could inspire customers to search for your business on Google. They may have questions about your company or want to determine if they’ll patronize your business. Your Google Business Profile is where they’ll look for answers.
Here are a few popular questions that could prompt customers to search your business information online:
- Do they have any reviews?
- Where are their locations?
- What kind of reviews do they have—good or bad?
- What’s their star rating?
- When do they open?
- Are they open on a specific holiday?
- What does their building look like—inside and out?
- Do they display pictures of their products or services?
- Are they running any ads?
Customers will use the information and reviews displayed on your profile as a deciding factor on whether they’ll choose your business over others.
These are a few scenarios that could lead Google customers away from your business:
- No reviews or bad reviews
- No pictures or poor-quality images
- No recent updates
- Missing hours of operation or location
- Incorrect, incomplete, or missing contact information (i.e., phone, address)
Our free Google Business Profile guide outlines how to repair these problems.
Improve Your Company’s Online Information, Media, and Location Google Search Ranking
Local searches, or ‘x near me’ searches, are increasing. When a customer searches for a business near them, Google will display valid businesses within a certain geographical radius versus a business that’s in another city or state.
Your free profile on Google plays a key role in how you appear in local search results. A complete profile will help you stand out among similar companies in the area. If you have multiple good reviews, your Google profile will appear first and provide social proof for your potential customers. And companies that appear higher in search results are often clicked on more. We suggest aiming for at least 50 positive reviews on your Google Business Profile.
This is yet another reason why every business needs to add a Google Business Profile to their business marketing strategy.
Be sure to complete and provide details for the following categories in your free Google account:
- Business category
- Business description
- Business photos (Google likes to see 100 different photos.)
- Business locations (Create a separate profile for each.)
- Business products
- Business services
- Business updates
- Business ads
How Do I Get My Free Account?
You’ve learned about why Google Business Profile, company information, and reviews are so important to you and your customers. You’ve also learned the benefits of this platform and reviews.
Before you create your Google Profile and collect reviews, you’ll need a Google business account, which you can create for free. Then, you’ll want to gather a few pictures and have a detailed description of your services ready. You can use this guide to complete the process.
Tips to Improve Your Existing Google Business Profile
As for standard practices, you can do a few things to make your Google Profile stand out. Try these Google business best practices.
- Make sure your Google Business Profile is complete. Update your operating hours, contact information, and locations if they change.
- Try to get at least 50 four- and five-star reviews. (You can add a reviews widget to your site to help with this.)
- Post weekly updates, such as a new product or service or a blog article. Be sure to keep the public informed with any relevant updates.
