Are you a local business owner struggling to reach your target audience?
Or maybe your business is looking to expand and get more leads?
Having a strong online presence is now more essential than ever.
The key is to cover all your online bases, such as your website and social media.
Another extremely important area to cover is Google Business Profile.
According to Google, when you complete your profile:
- Customers are 2.7 times more likely to consider a business reputable if they find a complete Business Profile on Google Search and Maps.
- Customers are 70% more likely to visit and 50% more likely to consider purchasing from businesses with a complete Business Profile.
What is Google Business Profile?
If you're a local business owner, you may have heard of Google Business Profile.
But what is it, and how can it benefit your business?
A Google Business Profile is a free online listing that appears in Google's search results and maps.
It provides essential information about your business, including your address, phone number, website, business hours, and customer reviews.
Think of it as an online version of a traditional business listing in the Yellow Pages, but with more functionality and reach.
To create your Google Business Profile listing you need to set up your Google Business Profile account for your business.
Once your profile is live, it will appear in Google's search results and maps.
This makes it much easier for potential customers to find your business online.
Better Online Visibility for Local Businesses
Having a Google Business Profile can significantly improve your online visibility.
When potential customers search for businesses like yours on Google, they have the potential to see your profile in the search results.
This can make it easier for them to find your business and learn more about what you offer.
Having a Google Business Profile can increase your chances of appearing in Google's local map pack.
The map pack is the top three listings that appear in search results for local queries.
This is the most highly coveted real estate for local businesses on the local search results page.
By optimising your profile with relevant keywords and information, you can increase your chances of showing up in the local pack.
This can lead to more clicks, calls, and visits to your business.
But it's not just about appearing in the search results.
Having a Google Business Profile also provides your business with a digital storefront that potential customers can visit to learn more about your business.
Your profile includes important information like your address, phone number, website, business hours, and customer reviews.
By providing accurate and complete information, you can improve your chances of converting potential customers into paying customers.
Another advantage of having a Google Business Profile is that it can help you stand out from the competition.
There are so many businesses competing for attention online.
So having a strong online presence can be the difference between success and failure.
Having a Google Business Profile is now an essential tool for local businesses in order to compete with their competition.
You should optimise your profile with high-quality images, descriptions, and customer reviews.
An optimised Google Business Profile can differentiate your business from the competition and make a lasting impression on potential customers.
Improved Search Engine Rankings with Google Business Profile
One of the most significant benefits of having a Google Business Profile is that it can improve your search engine rankings.
Google's algorithms use various signals to determine the relevance and quality of a business's website.
Having a complete and accurate Google Business Profile is one of these signals.
When you create a Google Business Profile, you provide Google with valuable information about your business.
This includes your address, phone number, website, business hours, and customer reviews.
This information helps Google understand your business better and index it correctly.
This can lead to higher search engine rankings.
Having a Google Business Profile can also improve your local SEO ranking.
This makes it easier for potential customers to find your business online.
Increased Credibility with Customer Reviews and Ratings
Having a Google Business Profile is an excellent opportunity for businesses to showcase their credibility and trustworthiness.
Customer reviews are one of the most powerful ways of doing this.
The ability to display customer reviews and ratings on your profile can have a huge impact on your business's reputation positively.
In fact, a study by BrightLocal found that as many as 46% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation from a friend or family member.
These reviews provide valuable insights into what customers think about your business and the quality of your service.
By encouraging customers to leave reviews and ratings on your profile, you can increase your chances of attracting new customers.
Need more Google reviews for your business?
Follow our in-depth guide on how to get more Google reviews.
According to Google, businesses with high ratings are far more likely to be chosen by customers than those with low ratings.
Therefore, having a high rating on your Google Business Profile is crucial for attracting new customers and standing out from the competition.
Customer reviews and ratings can also provide valuable feedback about your business.
Customers may mention specific aspects of your business that they liked or disliked.
This can help you identify areas for improvement in your business.
Responding to customer reviews is also an essential part of managing your online reputation.
You should address any concerns or issues raised by customers.
This demonstrates that you care about their experience and are willing to go the extra mile to ensure their satisfaction.
This can lead to increased customer loyalty and positive word-of-mouth recommendations.
Free Advertising with Google Business Profile
A Google Business Profile is essentially a free digital storefront for your business that can reach a vast audience of potential customers.
When potential customers search for businesses like yours on Google, your profile may appear in their search results.
This is free exposure for your business to potential customers.
What’s more, is that these customers are actively searching for businesses like yours.
So you need to make sure that your free advert stands out from the crowd.
Google Business Profile provides a great opportunity for businesses to showcase their own brand and personality.
By adding high-quality photos and videos to your profile, you can give potential customers a glimpse of what it's like to do business with you.
This can help you differentiate your business from the competition and create a lasting impression on potential customers.
Additionally, Google Business Profile provides a great opportunity for businesses to highlight their offerings and promotions.
By adding special offers, events, or even your menu to your profile, you can entice potential customers to choose your business over the competition.
But Google Business Profile isn't only about advertising your business to potential customers.
It's also an excellent way to keep your existing customers informed and engaged.
It allows you to post updates, photos, and other relevant information to your profile.
This is an effective way to keep your customers up-to-date on your latest offerings and promotions, and even respond to their questions and feedback.
Effective Communication with Potential Customers
Google Business Profile offers a clear and concise way for local businesses to communicate effectively with potential customers.
This is done by providing all the necessary information about your business.
This includes your address, phone number, website, business hours, and customer reviews.
This means that potential customers can easily find out the key information about your business that they need such as:
If your business is open on a certain day
The products or services you offer
Your contact details
Google Business Profile also has a messaging feature that allows customers to contact you directly through the platform.
You want to give potential customers as many ways as possible to get in touch with your business.
So using Google Business Profiles message feature provides an easy and effective way for customers to ask questions or make inquiries about your business.
You should aim to respond promptly and professionally to these messages.
By doing this, you can quickly help the customer out with their question or query which demonstrates your commitment to customer service.
It also builds trust and rapport with potential customers, making them more likely to turn into paying customers.
Google Business Profile also has a Q&A feature.
This enables customers to ask questions about your business and receive answers from you or other customers.
This is a great way to provide additional information about your business and address common questions or concerns that potential customers may have.
You can also create FAQ’s questions yourself and answer them.
This is a lesser-known tactic, but it’s excellent if you find you keep getting asked the same particular question over and over.
Measuring Your Success
When you optimise your Google Business Profile and attract more customers, it's important to measure your success.
You need to know what areas are performing well, and what areas to improve.
Google Business Profile analytics provides data that can help you track your profile's performance and identify areas for improvement.
You can find this data by clicking on the ‘Performance’ icon in your Google Business Profile account.
Through Google Business Profile analytics, you can see how customers are finding and interacting with your business information.
You can track the number of views and clicks on your profile as well as see the search terms that people are using to find your business.
This information offers valuable insights into your customer behaviour.
Analysing these insights can then help you optimise your profile accordingly.
Conclusion
So you should now see the huge benefits of Google Business Profile for your business.
It’s an absolute no-brainer.
At Ovii, our Belfast based digital agency, we understand the importance of having an optimised Google Business Profile for local businesses.
You see having a business profile is essential.
But with the right strategy, you can get your business ranking high in local searches all across your town or city.
Think of the impact this can have on the number of leads for your business!
If you want to learn more about how to optimise your Google Business Profile so that your business ranks in the coveted map pack, get in touch with us today.
