How to Maximize Your Google Business Profile to Dominate Local Search

How to Make the Most of Your Google Business Profile

A fully optimized Google Business Profile enhances your enterprise’s visibility in local search results and on Google Maps. It also makes it easier for capacity clients to discover and engage with your corporation.

Maintaining an optimized profile requires consistent updates. This includes incorporating your business hours, addressing COVID-19 concerns, and highlighting new products or services. It also means managing reviews and questions promptly.

Optimize Your Name  

Imagine your institution’s GBP (formerly Google Business Profile or GMB) as an online reception area—a virtual welcome for customers who search for your services. Ensure your name is listed accurately and consistently across online platforms.

A well-optimized Business Profile sends signals to Google that your business is trustworthy, active, and relevant. It can also help potential customers close the loop by booking appointments directly from your listing. Check out these before-and-after examples to see the power of a fully optimized profile.

Optimize Your Address  

A fully optimized GBP allows you to provide users with the information they need to make decisions quickly, such as your operating hours and products. It also makes your company visible in search results on Google and Google Maps.

Your profile can be updated anytime, and with tools like Birdeye, you can update your information across multiple platforms from a single dashboard. This ensures that your information is always accurate and up to date.

Optimize Your Business Description  

When people search for you on Google, the information on your Business Profile influences whether they’ll choose you. Include a compelling business description that explains why you’re the best choice for their needs and what makes your company unique.

Google’s algorithm uses your business description to determine relevance for search queries. Use your 750-character limit to tell a story that entices people to visit, call, or book with you. Keep it focused and avoid stale promotional language.

Optimize Your Website  

A well-optimized website works for your business 24 hours a day, finding new customers interested in your offer. Maintaining a site requires constant attention and work to ensure it remains up-to-date, easy for visitors to navigate, and relevant to searchers.

Your Google Business Profile allows you to highlight your most popular services. This feature is great for restaurants, locksmiths, and other service providers that want to showcase their services compellingly. You can also use the Questions & Answers section to highlight customer reviews, establishing trust with potential customers.

Optimize Your Photos  

Having many high-quality photos on your GBP can help you rank higher for image-enriched results. For example, when searching for a bakery in your area, Google could display a photo from your GBP if it matches the search intent.

You can also use the “posts” section on your GBP to make announcements, promote offers/promotions or events, and share updates with consumers. This sends positive ranking signals to Google and can increase engagement with your profile. This is especially important for local businesses.

Optimize Your Reviews  

Your Google Business Profile lets you showcase your customers’ opinions and experiences. Consumers trust these reviews as much as personal recommendations, so it’s important to encourage happy customers to leave feedback for your business.

The attributes section of a GBP lets users describe unique features and services your company offers. For example, a coffee shop can use the attribute “Wi-Fi Available” to indicate that it offers free internet access to its customers.

Ensure your Google Business Profile is optimized by regularly examining and updating its information. Adding new high-quality photos, updating service options, and requesting customer reviews are all powerful ways to boost your local ranking.

Optimize Your Attributes  

Whether it’s your phone number, address, hours of operation or business description, you have complete creative control over your GBP. This makes the profile one of your most important marketing assets.

When someone searches for a local service provider, Google looks at the information on a GBP to determine which businesses best fit the searcher’s intent. A well-optimized Business Profile increases your chances of ranking higher in local searches.

A GBP also acts as a bulletin board of sorts. You can post key business information like unexpected closures or temporary business hours — and share customer reviews, which is a powerful form of social proof.

Optimize Your Posts  

Using the “posts” feature of your Google Business Profile to share offers, events, and more will help you stand out from competitors and drive traffic to your website. Similarly, regularly monitoring and responding to questions posted to your Google Q&A section is another way to instill confidence in potential customers.

Attributes are unique features of your business that distinguish you from others. For example, a bakery might add attributes such as takeout or outdoor seating. Adding these to your GBP will allow you to rank for user queries that include these keywords.

Optimize Your Messaging  

Google Business Profile offers many features that enhance local visibility, increase customer engagement, and empower businesses to deliver on their marketing promises. For example, the Q&A feature allows browsers to ask questions about your business, and previous customers can then leave answers.

Attributes, which are available to select businesses, provide additional information to users like whether a restaurant has outdoor seating or if a locksmith is available in under 45 minutes. It’s important to optimize these attributes to drive relevant traffic and capture new customers.

Optimize Your Location  

When people search for local products, services, or businesses, Google often displays Business Profile results on Search and Maps. Building, managing, and optimizing your Business Profile is an essential component of your online presence and digital marketing strategy.

Insights on your Business Profile provide valuable information about how customers interact with your business. You can view data like your Profile views, engagement and clicks to get a better understanding of your customer base.

Adding your service area allows you to promote the areas that you’re able to travel for appointments or deliveries. This helps reduce the lead time from consideration to booking, which improves your sales conversions.