Optimize the GMB list: –
- Optimize Google business profile for better search visibility on related queries by nearby inspired customers.
- Google Business Profile is a free feature provided by Google that helps business owners manage their online presence in search engines and its growing utility portfolio, including Google Maps.
- Experienced SEO professionals use Google business profiles to apply a location-based strategy.
- Creating a Google Business Profile is the first step to local search success.
- GBP has a great impact on brands that want local exposure.
- A feature like Google’s Native Search emphasizes the need for GBP for new and established businesses.
Google Business Profiles provide a list of nearby businesses and much information needed to find a specific business:
- Business address.
- Business hours.
- Category.
- Reviews.
Google’s Knowledge Graph also uses verified Google business profile information.
It helps to create its database details about businesses and related companies related to specific searches.
- After creating the profile, the Google Maps location will be created.
- It syncs with traditional Google search for ease of access and ease of search.
- It definitely helps to get the clear majority of organic searches from Google with 80% of the global search engine market share.
- It also shows GBP and effective local SEO value.
- Extreme business leverage on Google and third-party platforms that use the Google Maps API to generate location information for users.
- Google business profiles complement the brand’s existing website (s) by providing public recognition and presence with a profile on Google.
- Information about the business provided by Google Business Profiles can be found in Google Search and Google Maps.
- Any third-party platform that uses the Google Maps API also displays Google business profiles, regardless of which device is being used for searching.
- Google My Business, Google Places for Business and the Google+ Pages Dashboard are the best ways to manage business information.
- These are automatically upgraded to Google’s Universal Platform, Google Business Profiles.
- Obtaining and executing a Google business profile involves conducting a Google search to make sure the business does not already exist.
- Use Google’s Platform Search feature to locate the business in GBP.
- Be sure to find the best relevant category for the business.
- There are many variations to choose from, but there must be at least one that provides the best and most accurate summary of the business.
- This is valuable information as many businesses operate as service area businesses and do not require/allow customers.
- In these cases, the specific location of the business will not be shown on Google Maps.
- The business is still shown in its service area for relevant searches.
- Add contact information for the business, including the contact phone number and the current website URL.
For businesses where people can go during business hours, the next business address must be added.
Tips to optimize profile:
1. Enter complete data for the profile:
Local search results are favourable for the most relevant results for searches.
Businesses that provide the most detailed and accurate information are easily provided in the search.
Make sure the profile tells what the business does, where it is located and how it can access the goods and/or services that the business offers.
2. Add keywords:
Like traditional website SEO, Google uses a variety of codes to provide search results.
It is very useful to include important keywords and search phrases in the business profile, especially since the business website is listed directly in GBP.
Use these in the business description and post a local post to the audience each time.
3. Keep track of business management times:
It is important to keep working hours, but it is also important to update them whenever they change.
Google offers the ability to customize hours for holidays and other special events.
It should always be updated to keep the site accurate and users happy.
GBP offers more flexibility and messaging in hours for potential customers.
4. Add photos:
Photos help business profiles perform better than most business owners and marketers expect.
Businesses with photos on their profiles receive 40% more requests for driving directions on Google Maps and 30% more click-throughs for their websites than businesses without photos.
5. Manage & Respond to Customer Reviews:
Interacting with them by responding to customer reviews explains how the business values its customers and the feedback they give in relation to it.
Positive reviews can have a positive effect on potential customers when researching a business.
They also increase business visibility in search results.
Encourage customers to leave feedback by creating a clickable link to write reviews for the business.
6. Send a message to customers:
This can sometimes be inconvenient, but messages to and from customers are only available through the Google Business Profile app.
To do so, tap Customers, and then Messages, and then turn on the App.
Once enabled, customers can send a message to businesses through their business profiles with the message button that appears.
Messages have customized automatic responses to welcome customers to incoming messages.
For maximum performance and visibility via GBP, keeping the message response time to within 24 hours is crucial.
Customers do not want to wait for answers and often the fastest answer is the difference between customers and non-customers.
7. Use local posts:
Publish offers, events, products and services directly to Google Search and Maps through posts on Google Business Profiles.
Businesses can also influence their knowledge panel breakouts with a direct view of their businesses and the people who represent them.
Here are some tips provided by Google to make the most of local posts:
- Make sure every post is high-quality with no spelling errors, broken letters, or obscene or useless information.
- They should be respectful and objectionable.
- The best posts will have visuals and links, but links should always be to trusted sites.
- Links that lead to malware, viruses, phishing or pornography are not allowed.
- Posts from businesses operating on controlled goods and services are allowed to use posts but cannot post content related to their own products.
These industries typically include:
- Adult services.
- Alcohol and tobacco.
- Pharmaceutical products and entertainment drugs.
- Health and medical equipment.
- Gambling-related services.
- Fireworks.
- Weapons.
- Financial services.
These posts are and will be displayed on Google so they should be kept as PG.
8. Stay connected during COVID-19:
This year has given us a lot of surprises.
The largest is COVID-19 and its abandonment in its wake (and will continue to be abandoned).
If stores operate differently than usual due to COVID-19 restrictions, directives or security guidelines, businesses may update their profiles in GBP to provide more accurate information to customers.
Recently added features make it easy to communicate with current and potential customers during an epidemic.
In addition to customizable working hours and local posts, the business can:
- The Mark Store is temporarily closed.
- Manage delivery options.
- Add healthy and safety features.
9. Use special features:
New features of GBP allow black-owned and women-led businesses to be highlighted on their profile.
These also allow for other features such as outdoor seating.
If the business is related to health care, additional features may be available, including:
- Let customers know if the business offers online care.
- Provide a direct way for customers to schedule and receive online care.
- Edit gender info.
The features available on the list depend on their basic category.
10. Use Product Catalog:
For merchants who have products to display, GBP’s Product Editor allows them to do so.
Most business types are qualified to showcase products, as long as they are small and medium-sized businesses; And some business columns.
Large businesses should use local inventory advertising to showcase their products.
Providing information about products, including price, details and photos, allows customers to get a better idea of the products they offer and to interact more with businesses.
These product details also allow to better understand Google Business.
Photos & Videos for Google Business Profiles:
The most important part of the images for GBP is clearly the logo.
There will be no more revealing or more influential films.
Google recommends that businesses use their logo to help customers identify the business with the square image.
Types of digital assets to be added to GBP:
Image:
The cover photo should display the brand page’s personality.
The cover photo is the large photo displayed at the top of the brand’s business profile, which is always cropped to fit the 16: 9 aspect ratio.
Interior photos:
It helps customers better understand the store experience in the business.
It allows business managers to share the look and feel of the business interior, so get good feedback!
It allows potential customers to get a visual idea of the store, its layout and any potential limitations it may have.
Video:
Videos are one of the most popular media forums on the web.
Additional photos:
- Types of photos are used to identify business features that customers consider when making purchasing decisions.
- These photos may contain other simple photos that summarize the business and what it can do for its customers.
They may be:
- Goods and/or services provided by the business.
- Working with business staff and/or assisting customers.
- The exterior of the business and available parking.
All photos must follow Google’s best practices:
Format: JPG or PNG
Size: between 10 KB and 5 MB
Minimum resolution: 720 px long, 720 px wide
Quality: The photo should be in focus and well lit and no changes or filters should be used too much.
The image should reflect reality.
Google also offers the opportunity for a virtual tour, which further enhances brand profile visibility.
It can also get traffic to the business with a 360-degree interactive experience.
Monitoring Google Business Profile Insights:
Google has made tremendous progress with the analytical data available for Google business profiles.
Google offers businesses a different way of understanding how customers deal with business profiles, including:
How customers find the profile:
This insight section shows how customers find “direct” searches.
These sections have the following labels in bulk insight reports:
- Total searches.
- Live searches.
- Discovery searches.
Where to find customers on Google:
This section shows how many customers have been found through Google search or Google Maps.
In addition to listing in search and listing on Maps, see the number of views the profile has received from each product over the selected time period.
According to Google, “views” are like “impressions” on other analytics platforms.
To see how many people found a particular product on a particular day, place the cursor in the appropriate section of the graph on the day of interest.
These sections have the following labels in bulk insight reports:
- Total views.
- Search views.
- Maps views.
Customer actions:
This section shows what customers have done after finding the profile on Google.
Types of actions taken by customers on the profile:
- Visit the website.
- Request directions.
- Call.
- View photos.
Labels are available as reports in this reporting section:
- Total actions.
- Website activities.
- Directional actions.
- Phone call activities.
- Direction requests.
This part of the insight uses the map to show where the people requesting business directions are.
The business location is marked on the map and is the most common place where individuals request directions to the business.
It also breaks down the total number of direction requests by the city or surrounding area.
Phone calls:
This section is about when and how often customers call for business through their profile on Google.
At the top of the section, Total Calls provide the total number of phone calls for the selected time frame.
The graph provides the ability to view trends by phone calls during the day or day of the week.
Photos:
GBP allows examining how often photos of a business are viewed with a photo view graph and photo size graph.
There are also lines on the graphs to compare business photo data with photo data for other businesses.
This reporting component section includes bulk insights for:
- Total owner photos.
- Owner photo views.
- Total customer photos.
- Customer photo views.