Your Google Business Profile is the most valuable piece of free real estate you have on the internet. It’s what shows up in Google Maps and the local map pack, and for many businesses it drives more calls and visits than its website. Here’s a step by step way to make your profile perform at its best.
Why Your Google Business Profile is Your #1 Local Asset
For local searches, your profile often is the first (and sometimes only) impression you get to make on searchers. A complete, active, well-reviewed profile wins more clicks; a bare one gets skipped.
Claim & Verify (and Keep It Secure)
If you haven’t claimed your profile, do it first thing and complete verification. Already claimed? Make sure your login is secure, Hijacked listings are a real and problem that gets bigger every passing day. (See our post on how Google listings get hijacked.)
Nail down the Basic Information
Be sure to enter and complete the basic information in your profile.
· Business name: your real-world name (do no keyword stuffing)
· Categories: choose the most accurate primary category, then relevant secondary ones. This strongly affects what you rank for.
· Hours (be sure to include holidays)
· Phone number
· Website address
· Service area (if you travel to customers)
Put In Your Services & Products
List your services and products with descriptions about them. This adds relevant keywords people look for and it helps customers understand what you offer.
Include Photos & Videos
Add high-quality photos of your work, team, location, and products speak louder than words. Make sure you have them and keep adding them. Active profiles with fresh photos perform better than stagnant profiles.
Place Google Posts
Use posts to share offers, updates, and events. They keep your profile active and give customers reasons to act.
Have Q&As and Messaging
“Salt the mine” by asking and answering common questions in the Q&A section. Do not waste
energy on narrow or highly specialized questions that would occur to few people. This is where you want to appeal and help the biggest group of people who know the least. Also, turn on messaging if you will actually respond promptly to incoming messages.
Reviews
Reviews are essential for Google Business Profiles. What other people say about you matters much more than what you say. So, ask for reviews, make it easy for people to leave reviews, and always respond to all reviews left, whether good or bad. (See our guide on getting more Google reviews.)
Use Google Insights to Improve Performance
Google Business Profiles show how people how to find and interact with you for searches, calls, directions, and website clicks. Use this to double down on what’s working.
Let NUM Manage Your Google Buiness Profile
Keeping a profile optimized, actively posting, and responding quickly takes ongoing effort. We manage Google Business Profiles for you, so your business stays visible.
