Google Business Profile 101

How To Optimize Your Google Business Profile + Maximize Your Online Presence

In this article we will cover:

What is a Google Business Profile (GBP)
Why Your Business Needs and Optimized Google Business Profile
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

After reading this article, you will begin to learn how to utilize your Google Business Profile to increase your reach and drive traffic to your website. Whether you want to devote the time to do it yourself or talk to an agency that can do it for you, you should understand the basics. Call Motus for a consultation or a second opinion.

What Is A Google Business Profile?

A Google Business Profile is a must have in 2023. It is free and a major component of any SEO strategy. It is a free business listing that appears on Google when a user searches for online. A GBP allows businesses to manage their online presence on Google, which includes their Search and Maps features. A Google Business Profile is essential for any company that wants to increase visibility and gain the trust of their customers and future customers. A Google Business Profile includes necessary contact information about a business and also acts almost like a Social Media Platform. You must post to it regularly (according to best practices) so that Google will begin to recognize your business as trustworthy. These posts come in the form of updates and offers. All of the content and photos should be done with keywords in mind, and the posts are a micro-blog. Most digital marketing companies overlook this tool, Motus does not. Having a complete and accurate Google Business Profile will help a business improve its online visibility, improve rankings in search results and attract more traffic to your website. In this article, I will explain the benefits of a Google Business Profile, best practices for creating and optimizing a profile, and how it can impact a business’s online presence.

Why Is It Important?

Everyone spends their time on online these days. A majority of people do their research and look online before making ANY purchasing decisions. Do not fall behind your competitors by ignoring the online market place. Even if you believe you do not need it, do it anyway. It is crucial to meet your customers and prospects where they are. An optimized GBP is an essential part of every overall marketing strategy. It is important to make sure you have a consistent message.

Should I Outsource?

If you are too busy or do not have the know-how to dedicate time to do this correctly, I suggest hiring a digital marketing agency to take it off your hands. A digital marketing professional will conduct competitive research, develop a strategy, create the content, and utilize best practices. They will take care of the online marketing so that you can focus on what you do best. It is important to do your research and know what you are getting before deciding on an agency.

Benefits Of An Optimized GBP

Essential to any local SEO campaign
Start ranking in the “local packs” and first page of search results
Increases visibility in Google search results and Google Maps, making it easier for potential customers to find the business
Provides accurate and up-to-date information such as business hours, contact details, and location, making it easier for customers to contact the business
Allows businesses to post updates, offers, and events, keeping customers informed and engaged
Provides an opportunity for customers to leave reviews and ratings, which can help to build trust and credibility for the business
Allows businesses to manage their online reputation and respond to customer feedback
Provides businesses with valuable insights and analytics about their online presence and customer engagement
A well-optimized Google business profile can lead to more website traffic and ultimately increase sales.

How To Optimize Your GBP

Verify your business: Ensure that your business information is accurate and that you have control over your business’s online presence.
Complete your profile: Make sure to fill out all of the information fields, including your business name, address, phone number, hours of operation, and website URL.
Upload high-quality photos of your business, products, and services.
Use relevant categories: Do your competitive research and then select categories that best describe your business and services. This will help Google let your future customers find your business when searching for products or services in your industry and/or location.
Encourage reviews: Encourage customers to leave reviews and ratings by providing great customer service and making it easy for them to leave feedback. An easy way to do this is by emailing your customers a link to leave a Google review. Respond to reviews, both positive and negative, to show that you value your customers’ opinions.
Keep your information up-to-date: Regularly review and update your business information, including hours, contact details, and services offered to ensure that it is accurate and up-to-date.
Use Google Updates: Use Google Posts to share updates, offers, and events with customers. This will keep your business profile fresh and engaging. Most SEO companies overlook this.
Use Google Insights: Use the insights provided by Google to understand how customers are interacting with your profile and make data-driven decisions to improve your online presence.
Use keywords: Again, do your research. Then begin to use relevant keywords to improve your search engine visibility.

FAQs

Is A GBP More important than a website?

A Google Business Profile is an important part of a business’s online presence, but it is not more important than a website. While a Google Business Profile allows businesses to manage their online presence on Google and can improve visibility in search results and maps, a website is a more comprehensive representation of a business.

A website allows businesses to fully showcase their products and services, provide detailed information about their business, and engage customers in various ways such as contact forms, e-commerce, and blog. A website also allows businesses to have their own web address and branding, which gives them more control and ownership over their online identity.

Additionally, having a website provides businesses with more analytics and tracking capabilities, which can help them understand their customers better and make data-driven decisions to improve their online presence.

To summarize, a Google Business Profile is a great way to improve visibility on Google, but it should be used in conjunction with a website and not as a replacement.

Do People usually look at a google business profile?

Almost everyone researches a company online before making a purchasing decision. 93% of people tend to look at reviews before making a purchase. Google owns over 90% of search traffic on the internet. It is essential to start using Google as an inbound marketing engine for your business.

Google Maps is also widely used to find and research local businesses, and a Google Business Profile is required to have a listing on Google Maps. Therefore, when people look for a local business on Google Maps, they will be able to find the business information in a Google Business Profile.

In general, having a complete and optimized Google Business Profile will increase the chances of being found by potential customers and can also help to improve a business’s online visibility.

Couple an optimized GBP with a comprehensive local SEO strategy and you are guaranteed to see results.

does google business profile have an impact on seo?

Having a complete and accurate Google Business Profile is a MUST for SEO. Everything revolves around your Google Business Profile and company website. An optimized GBP can help a business to improve its visibility in local search results, making it more likely that potential customers will find the business when searching for products or services in the area. This is because Google uses the information from a business’s profile to determine its relevance to a search query and to show it in local search results.

Final Thoughts

In summary, a Google Business Profile is a valuable tool for businesses to improve their online presence and attract more customers, but it should be used in conjunction with a website and comprehensive digital marketing strategy.

If you have any questions or would like a second opinion, do not hesitate to contact Motus today. We will do the research and then generate results.