Tips To Make Your Google Business Profile Stand Out From The Crowd

If you’re a business owner, then you know the value of showing up online in front of more potential customers who want what you offer! Approximately 97% of people start their search for products or services online, so having a strong presence and strategy to increase your ranking is essential.

One of the key ways to improve your online visibility is to establish a Google Business Profile. This free resource from Google is a fantastic tool that helps business owners boost their online visibility across multiple platforms (including Google Maps). While having a Google Business Profile is the first step, optimizing your listing is the best way to stand out from the crowd (and get more incoming phone calls)!

What Is A Google Business Profile?

A Google Business Profile is a listing that includes vital business information, such as name, address, and phone number (NAP). While anyone can add a business, the owner can manage it after creating an account (and going through a verification process). This step is essential because it gives you the ability to begin optimizing your Google Business Profile and reaching more people!

Building A Google Business Profile That Stands Out

From claiming your business profile to adding every last detail, we’ll walk you through the steps necessary to go from invisible to fully optimized!

How to Claim And Verify Your Google Business Profile

If you search for your business online and find a profile, not to worry! As the business owner, you can claim a listing even if it was added by someone else (there are also steps you can follow if someone has already claimed it). If you don’t see your business listed, start by adding the basic information, such as official business name, category, location, and contact information. 

Whether claiming an existing listing or creating a new one, you’ll need to verify that you are the rightful owner. This step can take a few business days as some options require a physical postcard that is mailed with a pin number you use to complete the verification process.

Once your profile is claimed and verified, you can use Google Business Profile Manager to explore the additional options available that will help take your profile from basic to best!

Add Keywords To Your Listing

When it comes to local SEO, search engines serve the most relevant information available. That’s why adding keywords to your listing is the first step to help you boost your profile. You can (and should) add relevant keywords and search terms in your business description. You can also include these keywords in future posts you share with your local audience!

Not sure what keywords make sense for your business? Go back to the beginning to identify strategic keywords that are relevant to your potential customers before adding them here. Work with a qualified SEO marketing agency if you need support or access to data that will help you know exactly what to add to reach more people.

Update Your Business Hours

There is nothing more frustrating to your potential customers than finding wrong or inaccurate data on a listing. Showing up to a business that says it’s open when it’s not is one surefire way to turn off a potential customer. The same is true for Google! Search engines require accurate information that helps establish trust that you’re a reliable, credible source. 

Fill out your business hours completely, and be sure to update them when anything changes – such as unexpected closures, holiday hours, and more. 

Include Photos On Your Profile

Want a quick way to stand out from the Google Business Profile crowd? Add photos! Profiles with photos perform better (up to 40% better) and receive more interest from visitors than profiles that are just the facts. People are drawn to visuals, from your logo to featured images, so don’t skip this essential step.

Every business can add photos, not just those that sell products or goods. If you offer a professional service, you can add photos of your team, business location, and more. Get creative and think about what you’d want to know about a business before choosing it over the competition!

Ask For Reviews

Capture those happy client moments by building a systematic approach to reviews and testimonials. Utilize a direct link and simple request to make leaving positive reviews easy for your customers. Almost 80% of consumers report looking at reviews, so give them great things to read when they do!

Don’t forget to respond to each review personally (even if they’re bad). A response signals that you care about your customers and appreciate that they chose your business – plus, it’s a great way to stand out from the crowd!

Turn on Messaging

Customers can easily message your business through the Google Business app (once the feature is enabled). This messaging feature is a great way to be easily accessible and make asking questions or inquiring about your services easy for potential customers.

Not sure that you’ll be available 24/7? That’s ok! You can create auto-responses to ensure a quick reply even when you’re away, then respond with a personalized message when ready.

Add Business Posts

Like your website, your Google Business Profile can be routinely updated to highlight services, events, news, specials, and more. Develop a plan to add valuable content to your profile that is relevant and attractive to potential customers. 

Not sure what to add? You can feature a service each month, a special or event, or even relevant news about your business. Whatever you share, be sure to create high-quality content that includes proper keywords, grammar, and language. Include photos to take that basic post to a full-on feature!

Add Attributes

Google Business Profiles include options to add special (and relevant) attributes to your listing. Look through the choices and select anything that applies. 

Is your business minority or veteran-owned? Do you offer online appointments? Is your space accessible? These are just a few options you can (and should) include on your profile to provide the most information possible – and make potential customers feel more comfortable choosing you.

Use The Management Tools Available

Insights are incredibly important to help you understand where customers are coming from and what actions they’re taking once they find your profile. Use this information to help you continue to manage and optimize your profile over time. Do they visit your website? Are they scrolling through photos? Do they click the option for directions?

Using Insights and analytics is a great way to help you understand how to stand out from the crowd – now and in the future!

Frequently Asked Questions

We’ve covered some of the best ways to build a Google Business Profile that will stand out from the crowd, but keep reading for answers to additional questions.

Don’t see the questions or answers you need? Contact our team at www.bullseyeinternetmarketing.com – we’re here to help!

How do I make my Google Business Profile stand out?

The best way to make your Google Business Profile stand out is to utilize all the options provided. Don’t just enter your business name, address, and phone number (NAP), and consider your profile done. There are so many additional items you can add – that, when done well – will help you stand out from the crowd (which means customers will be drawn to you more often)!

The first step you can take after adding your contact details is to add relevant keywords. Search engines rely on relevant information to serve results which is why you should add applicable keywords on your profile and in your business description. You can continue adding keywords in future posts and updates you create for your local audience. 

Another way to stand out is to update your business hours (and keep them current). If a potential customer is considering contacting you, you want to make it easy for them to reach you (and stop by if your business has a physical location). Add your regular hours to your profile, and be sure to update them for any unexpected closings, holidays, and more.

Photos on your profile are a proven way to garner more attention. Share images of products (if applicable), your team, and your business location. You can share examples of your work and anything else that shows you are a qualified, experienced business. Profiles with great photos perform up to 40% better than those without, so don’t skip this step.

While you need the help of customers for this next recommendation, it’s an important one to help highlight your profile. Ask for customer reviews. Reviews and testimonials help potential customers decide to choose you, especially when they are positive and talk about how great your company is to work with. Don’t forget to reply to each review (even if they’re not so positive), because your response tells consumers you value their feedback!

Turn on messaging to prompt visitors to reach out immediately (we all love instant feedback when considering a product or service). If you’re not going to be able to reply immediately, utilize auto responses. 

You can grow your profile over time when you add posts that feature your services, products, special events, and more. Focus on relevant, quality content that your customers (and potential customers) will benefit from – and don’t forget to include those relevant keywords for search engine optimization.

Lastly, add attributes that apply to your business and use management tools to optimize your listing today and into the future!

What makes a good Google Business Profile?

A good Google Business Profile starts with the basics (such as business name, address, and phone number) but doesn’t stop there. If you want a good profile, you should take the following steps to complete the available options fully. These options include adding relevant keywords that make your profile more easily found by search engines. You can add keywords to your business description and future posts. 

Keep going and add your business hours so customers can contact you more easily. Speaking of contact, you should also consider turning on the messaging feature so potential customers can use an instant option to make contact. If you’re not available 24/7, you can set up auto-replies within the feature. 

Next, add photos that help visually communicate what you do and who you are. Profiles with photos perform up to 40% better than those without any images. You should also have a plan to ask for reviews from existing customers, as these (like photos) can help boost your credibility and build trust from potential customers.

To learn more, read our full article above or contact the BullsEye Internet Marketing team at www.bullseyeinternetmarketing.com.

How do I make my Google Business Profile look professional?

The best way to make your Google Business Profile look professional is to follow the steps we’ve outlined above (which include fully optimizing your listing with a business description, strategic keywords, business hours, photos, reviews, attributes, messaging, and more). 

Beyond those steps, be sure that everything you share on your profile is top-quality. Review content for grammatical errors before posting, and use high-quality photography for any images. Potential customers should see that you care about what you do and put your best foot forward – even on your Google Business Profile!

How do I get my Google business to the top?

You need a strategic SEO plan to get your Google business to the top of search results. Using the steps we’ve outlined above to fully optimize your Google My Business listing is a good place to start, but a comprehensive SEO approach is the best way to get to that coveted first-spot ranking. 

If you want to read more on building a winning SEO strategy or to talk with the experts at BullsEye Internet Marketing team, visit www.bullseyeinternetmarketing.com.

Is Google Business Profile the same as Google My Business? 

Essentially, yes. Google Business Profile replaced Google My Business in 2022, but the functionality (and importance for your business) is the same.

When did GMB change to Google Business Profile?

Google renamed Google My Business (or GMB) to Google Business Profile in 2022. The functionality (and importance) for businesses is the same.

Is GMB going away?

Yes. In 2022, Google My Business was renamed to Google Business Profile. Existing GMB listings transferred to the new Google Business Profile along with the functionality and value they offered for businesses.

What does GMB mean in Google?

GMB stood for Google My Business and had the same functionality and importance as today’s Google Business Profile. Google renamed GMB to the new Google Business Profile in 2022.

What does a Google Business Profile do?

A Google Business Profile is a free listing from Google that helps business owners increase visibility on multiple platforms (including Google Maps). 

A Google Business Profile includes business information (such as name, address, and phone number) and extensive options to add keywords, categories, business descriptions, photos, reviews, attributes, and more. When fully completed, a Google Business Profile can become a great SEO tool and act as marketing to potential customers that are looking for what you offer. 

What is the difference between Google My Business and Google Business Profile?

The answer is not too much. Before Google Business Profile, there was Google My Business. Google renamed Google My Business (or GMB) to Google Business Profile in 2022, but the functionality of the listings (and importance) are the same. 

Is Google Business Profile free?

Yes! A Google Business Profile is completely free and a great way to build your online presence – and get in front of more potential customers.