Google continues to dominate the search engine market. One of the reasons Google Business Profile (GBP) is essential for any company looking to generate highly qualified leads today is their over 90% market share.
Google Business Profile -previously Google My Business (GMB)- was created to connect businesses with local customers in response to the growing demand for a more technologically advanced directory.
As a result, you’re losing a lot of money if your company doesn’t have a properly set up and optimized GBP. Before discussing the advantages an optimized GBP can provide for your company, let’s define it first.
Google Business Profile: What is it?
With a GBP, you can add your company’s address to Google Maps and local search results. You can highlight crucial details about your company, such as the hours of operation, contact information, or a URL for your website.
Google recently unveiled a new feature enabling you to post articles or upcoming events links. More on that in a moment.
Even though the Google Business listing is free, all local and international businesses should view it as essential. Even if your company only operates online and has no physical location, you should still consider creating a GBP page.
How to Optimize Your Google Business Profile?
The next step is to ensure that your GBP page is optimized and contains all the necessary business information after you’ve created and claimed one for your company. You should try to provide as much information as possible in your business description and GBP listing.
By highlighting your unique selling propositions and what other businesses cannot, you can make your company stand out from the competition. After conducting their search and discovering your company in the search results, users will click on it to access additional information, such as contact information and driving instructions.
Search engine usage is evolving, and people expect information to be available immediately. If you haven’t provided a precise business address, it won’t be simple for people to locate you physically.
If your establishment is difficult to find, customers will go to one that is. That’s all there is to it. This is the online environment in which businesses must now compete, so make sure your company is utilizing online search methods and avoid letting them impede your company’s profiles and capacity to draw in new clients.
Also Read: Why My Business Is Not Showing on Google
The Essential Benefits of Google Business Profile
- Simple and Free
No matter how useful a product is, its potential won’t be realized if it’s excessively expensive, unusable, and challenging to use.
Since this effective tool is free and simple to use, any company can use it to promote their product or service. In a matter of hours, you can create and verify your profile.
There are actually tools that can instantly verify you. Additionally, you can use Google’s tools to analyze performance and discover new strategies to raise your company’s ranking. Local businesses can easily promote their goods and services online thanks to GBP’s increased visibility and increased likelihood of appearing in search results.
It can make it easier for potential clients to find and get in touch with you. You can use it as a free tool to enhance your online presence, connect with your clients, and raise sales for your company.
- Visibility
You can show up in Maps and Google Local Pack Listings with Google Business Profile. Any Google user will see the Google Local Pack (or Google 3-Pack) as soon as they enter their search term because it occupies a significant portion of page one of Google search results.
Users can quickly see the information they need, thanks to it. A search engine results page (SERP) called the Google Local Pack lists the locations associated with your search.
It also includes a ton of other crucial details that any potential client might need to know, such as the establishment’s star rating, its address on a map, and a phone number they can call if they have any questions or wish to make a quick reservation.
Both the clientele and the business find it to be a useful feature.
Validation, updating, and optimization of your online information through GBP can be helpful if you’re trying to connect with your target audience, which in this case would be the people living in your service area. The caliber of your GBP listing is another thing to which you should pay close attention.
You should proofread your work using a grammar checker. A careless typo would severely damage your company’s credibility.
- Advertising and Organic Traffic
In essence, a GBP is a quick and cost-free Google advertisement. With the help of GBP, you can gain customized visibility. Enhancing your profile takes less time than starting a fruitful sponsored search campaign.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use Google Ads or your website to boost your SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Both are efficient marketing strategies and a service we offer to many of our clients that are both worthwhile investments of your time and money.
But GBP is an additional marketing tool that is less expensive and more rapid than paid search advertising. You’ll start getting calls and website traffic once you list your company.
Moreover, potential customers will be able to locate and visit your offline store using Google Maps.
- Credibility with Reviews
Your GBP is more like a customized page where clients can leave ratings, reviews, and images of their interactions with you. Since happy customers can spread the word about their positive experiences, this is advantageous.
It can, however, also be a location where unsatisfied customers upload images of their negative experiences and leave negative reviews. After reading reviews, customers are 72% more likely to take action.
The majority of people read online reviews before going to your store or buying a product. To maintain a balance and keep your GBP ratings in the positive range, you must consistently monitor your reviews and respond to them.
Establish a time or task for someone to respond to each favorable and unfavorable review each week. On average, companies that respond to reviews at least 25% of the time make 35% more money.
Whether it’s a positive or negative review, customers want brands to respond to them. If you fail to respond to those reviews, particularly the negative ones, potential customers will be less inclined to buy from you. If they do business with you, they’ll start to wonder if their worries will be handled online or offline.
- Customer Engagement
On your local Google rankings, a Google Business profile matters a lot. Not only does it aid in product promotion, but it also strengthens your market research efforts. You will have access to information that will help you understand your target market and how to interact with them.
Views let you know how many people have looked at your company’s profile, posts, offers, and photos. The strategy can be shaped in light of this, ensuring successful campaigns. You’ll be able to tell if your efforts are succeeding and attracting the desired attention or failing miserably and costing you money.
You can see how your audience responds to your post content by accessing your GBP. The posts they enjoy and the comments they leave on those posts will be visible to you.
By doing so, you’ll be able to identify the kinds of marketing materials that are effective for your company and what to promote more in the future.
You’ll also be able to see how frequently people have clicked on the link to your website. Knowing these numbers and quantifying the data can help you create a more effective conversion-boosting strategy.
You can view a list of the users who are following your business and their profiles using a feature on your GBP. You will be able to see information about them, including their age, gender, and country of origin. These are all excellent pieces of knowledge that can help you learn more about your clients.
You’ll receive a thorough report that enables you to discover and comprehend how clients find your establishment. It reveals the terms people used when looking for your listing and how they searched. Knowing customers’ search terms to find your company online can significantly improve your SEO efforts.
- Trust with Customers
Today, one of the biggest challenges for customers is gaining enough sense of trust in a company to make a purchase.
One of the simplest things you can do as a business owner to assist with that is to give them your location in GBP.
In fact, consumers are almost three times more likely to consider brands that appear on Google to be trustworthy. This is largely because the GBP verification process is known to be legitimate.
Since it is well known that companies must follow specific procedures to appear for a local search, users can have confidence in Google.
- Local SEO Awareness
If you provide goods or services in particular areas, you should make sure that potential customers can easily find your contact information.
Therefore, setting up a GBP can be among the most efficient ways to connect with potential clients. Google will show you a specific set of Google Maps results because they can see that you’re looking for a nearby physical store in your neighborhood.
This enables you to quickly find a store with excellent reviews, practical opening hours, and close to your house.
Then, you’ll have access to Directions via Google Maps and their website to learn more. Optimizing your GBP can ensure your company shows up when potential customers look for the products or services you offer in your neighborhood.
Whether someone uses the Google search bar or Google Maps to conduct a search, your company will be listed at the top of the results.
- Competition
In a consumer’s initial scan of search results, your GBP description allows you to stand out from your rivals through a brief content snippet. Users can quickly determine if your company is what they’re looking for with the help of the displayed brief description.
A strong GBP description provides a quick overview of your company, incorporates pertinent keywords, and illustrates something distinctive or genuine to help you demonstrate your value.
Conclusion
Now, you are already aware of Google Business Profile’s numerous advantages. A GBP account can be created quickly and needs little upkeep once it is active. You might also find a marketing partner to assist you with GBP if you’re pressed for time.
In either case, we are aware that GBP is a crucial component of your marketing strategy rather than a nice-to-have.
With answer boxes, related queries, and even results showing up in the suggestion drop-down menu, Google’s search results are getting increasingly comprehensive. GBP offers local businesses an increasing number of advantages. Set up your profile right away to start earning them!
FAQ
Is Google Business Profile worth it?
Yes, GBP can be incredibly helpful for companies looking to boost their visibility and attract more clients. It is a fantastic platform for companies to advertise their goods and services while also providing information to customers.
Why is Google Business Profile important for SEO?
Businesses may benefit from increased local SEO rankings, as a result of which they may attract more online clients.
Why is a Google Business Listing necessary?
This is because online research is the primary source for 97% of users’ local business information.
How can I get more people to search for my company on Google?
Use relevant keywords to your products and services to optimize your content. Request feedback from your clients! In order to rank businesses in local search results, Google takes into account customer reviews.
Are there disadvantages to Google Business Profile?
There are some flaws with GBP. The lack of many options for customization is the biggest drawback. Customizing your profile page and business presence in GBP is somewhat limited. This can be a significant barrier for companies trying to establish a distinctive, standout presence on the platform.
Sources:
https://www.semrush.com/blog/google-my-business/
https://www.brightlocal.com/learn/google-business-profile/
https://www.hudsonintegrated.com/blog/benefits-of-google-business-profile-5296