How to Optimize Your Google Business Listing: A Step-by-Step Guide

Sep 16, 2021

Optimizing your Google Business Listing (GMB) is a critical part of gmb optimization. Don’t worry, it’s not hard! In fact, the only thing you need to do is add content to your GMB and then claim it on Google Maps. Once you have done that, there are many gmb optimization techniques that will help increase visibility for your business listing in search results. All these gmb optimizations can be done from within the GMB dashboard on Google Maps.

Even though there are 167 billion Google searches each month, a BrightLocal study revealed that the typical Business Profile only receives 1,260 views during the same period (that's 0.00000075 percent!). Even worse, just 59 of those 1,260 views result in actions. That's less than 5%.

The issue is that not nearly enough businesses use the Google My Business platform to its full potential. And that is why we have prepared this essay. We'll go over 13 optimization methods in this guide, including:

Register a business profile
Complete all of your Google My Business account sections.
Keep accurate contact information handy.
Select a primary and secondary category from the drop-down menus.
Make a list of the characteristics that are important to you.
Write a comprehensive “from the business” description.
Every week, publish Google articles
Upload new photos once a week
Make a list of concerns.
Collect and respond to user feedback.
Add your items and/or services to the cart.
To use a messaging system, you must first set one up.
Keep a current profile of your business.

You can use the techniques outlined above to make your Business Profile into the greatest free customer acquisition tool you didn't know existed. Let's get started.

If you have a Google My Business account, the company's information will appear on your profile. If not, your profile may look similar but it won't contain any of this information. Your social media followers should therefore be able to find you without much trouble using just the name and email address they already know about you!

What does a Google Business Profile that has been optimized look like?

Before we get into the techniques, let's make sure we're talking about the same thing when we say "optimized Business Profile". Let's take a look at an example of an incomplete Google Business Profile versus a completed and optimized one to see how they differ.

The Google Business Profile of Carl is a tiny box, whereas Ernie's business profile would be much larger if you scroll down. This isn't all there is to an optimized Google Business Profile, but it does demonstrate how significantly more attractive and engaging one is.

Why is it essential to optimize your Google Business Profile?

Google Business Profile can assist with client selection, but there are several additional benefits to optimizing your Company Profile for successful local marketing.

Increase user engagement

Consumers are increasingly going directly to Google without visiting other websites, which is why. Why? Because the search results pages' content itself fully satisfies their queries, resulting in "zero-click searches." You'll want your Google Business Profile to be optimized for quality engagement and conversions since there may be more individuals interacting with your companies through it than through your website

Improve your local position

The activity and quality of information on your Google Business Profile are also taken into consideration by Google's algorithm for classifying Business Profiles. Sending these signals to Google so that you rank higher in local results is optimizing your Google Business Profile. As a result, more exposure and interaction with your company.

Increase the number of clients you convert

A basic Google Business Profile by itself isn't much use in attracting consumers. They can discover your location and read your reviews if they know to search for your company name. With a well-optimized Business Profile through your Google My Business account, consumers may find you in keyword searches, contact you, visit your website, research your products and services, view/contribute FAQs, request a quotation, make a reservation, and more. You can also use UTMs and Google Analytics to track clicks to your website.

How to Make Your Google Business Profile More Effective

Now that you've learned how to improve your Google Business Profile in order to be discovered in local search, stand out above the competition, and recruit customers online, it's time to get started. Here are 13 strategies for making your Google Business Profile into a 24/7 marketing and lead-generating tool for your small business.

1. Create a Google My Business profile.

It's crucial to understand that a Google Business Profile is not the same as a Google My Business account. The latter is used to gain access to and optimize the former. This means that in order to implement the changes described in this article, you'll need a Google My Business account and then ask Google to connect it with your Google Business Profile. To establish an account, go to Google.com/business and login using your regular Google/Gmail account instead of your personal Gmail (if you have one).

2. Complete each component of the exam.

The quality of your Google Business Profile helps Google rank you higher in local search results and increases the number of actions consumers take after finding your profile. There's a lot to cover, so here are some pointers for determining what's most essential.

To make a good first impression on your audience, you should complete the following sections of your profile as soon as possible:

Name
Address
Phone
Website
Hours

The first five sections of the essay are perhaps the most time-consuming and analytical:

Category and Attributes
Products and services
From the business
Questions and answers (Owner-generated queries)

This is because these parts are still in progress:

Posts
Reviews
Questions and answers (Consumer-generated)

3. Keep track of your contact information carefully.

Follow these 10 easy steps to improve your Google Business Profile's contact information:

Make double sure that your company name is the same as the one displayed on your storefront signage. In other words, just as it appears in reality. Google considers including location name (unless it's your brand) or keywords spam, and you may get penalized.
Check that your company name and address are identical to those of other ads on the internet. When you type "st," for example, it's not just a single mistake. Many of these errors are actually quite easy to fix (and should be fixed). A metric I find myself looking at on a regular basis is how many times my brand has been mentioned in the last 30 days. This does not necessarily indicate that another company was advertising on
Indicate your usual and vacation hours. It also helps you maintain a good reputation by encouraging clients to visit your store and avoiding the risk of a bad review from someone who went out to your business only to discover it was closed.

4. What is your company's mission? Describe it in a few sentences.

The first thing to bear in mind is that the short description that appears just below your company name on your Business Profile is not under your control. This is Google's editorial summary, which it uses to maintain consistency across the system.

There are a variety of free and paid tools available to help you develop your Google Business Profile, but there's one that comes with its own set of bonuses. Consider these three choices if you want to improve the "from the business" aspect of your Google Business Profile:

The most essential information is placed right up front, while the bulk of the text should be used to provide context for readers.
Use content from your "About Us" page or mission statement to create a new look and feel for the page.
Keywords that your target audience would use to locate businesses like yours are a must-have.
Don't include previously stated information in other portions of your profile. Use this area to describe what distinguishes you from the competition and what customers appreciate most about your firm.
Do not include URLs or HTML in your text.

5. Choose a topic.

Choosing a category is critical for improving your Google Business Profile. Here's why:

In Google, choose Ad Density and then select Ad Type. Next, click the Settings link to reveal a drop-down menu for adjusting bid strategies and other important settings. Discover searches account for 84% of Business Profile views on Google, versus just 16% from direct searches (meaning the consumer searched for a product, service, or category term and the business' profile showed up; people who search for a company's name rather than its service are known as discovery searchers). This is especially true for companies whose name does

Add a category-specific feature if it isn't already present. Once you've chosen a category, Google will display category-specific features to make your profile more appealing and beneficial. A menu or a reservation button may be included in restaurant profiles; hotel descriptions can include star ratings; hair salons can declare their competence with thin or curly hair. These facts might assist customers in making a selection.

Google offers a predetermined number of categories, therefore it's critical to pick the right ones. Here's how to improve your Google Business Profile using categories:

Make your requests clear and precise. Choose "Nail Salon" rather than just "Salon" if you're a nail salon. If you operate a restaurant, select something more specific than "Restaurant." When you start to type, a drop-down list of categories will appear; however, to ensure that you find the most precise GMB category for your business, see

Consider creating secondary categories. Many enterprises fall into many categories. Choose a primary category for your key product (for example, "Grocery Store") and then additional categories that apply, such as "Grocery Delivery Service" or "Gourmet Grocery Store."

Don't be wasteful. You want Google to connect you with people who are searching for your service, so pick only categories that match your product or service. Select “Appliance Repair” rather than "Appliance Parts Supplier," for example, if you're an appliance repair shop. Technically, you do provide service parts, but this isn't a

It's also worth noting that, if you modify your category list or add many new entries, Google may request you to validate your company.

This is simply intended to guarantee uniformity across their platform.

6. Encourage students to record information about geographic location, such as state or city.

After you've chosen a category, Google will provide you with a list of characteristics to check off if you want to describe your business in further detail. Attributes are unique features that potential consumers look for, such as "gift shop on-site" or "free Wi-Fi."

The Google My Business platform does not require a different set of terms and conditions than the rest of the internet. However, unlike other businesses, GYBS comes with an online store that enables you to sell your goods directly through Google Shopping Express (GLE). The attributes are not restricted to the Google My Business platform (review sites like Yelp have them

7. To add photos, go to the Library tab.

Your Google My Business account dashboard is the easiest way to upload photos to your business profile. There are three good reasons why you should use this method:

Ensure that the finished product is of the finest quality. Anyone can contribute photographs to your Business Profile, so you'll receive a wide range of options. You may make your profile look its best by adding your own excellent photos.
Play and exercise regularly. Adding new photos to your Google+ profile on a regular basis shows the search engine that you are active with your profile and that it is up-to-date, which improves your ranking.
It's important to have photos in your rankings. Google is making progress in image recognition and now includes photographs in local listings.
Engage your audience and they'll tell their friends. Don't underestimate the power of recommendation algorithms to boost engagement. Customers are 42% more likely to ask for driving directions to a firm with photographs in its Business Profile, according to Google. Furthermore, a BrightLocal study found that companies with more than 100 images receive 520 percent more calls, 2,717 percent more direction requests, and 1,065 percent more website clicks compared to the norm. Whoa

This doesn't imply you should upload a hundred pictures to your Google Business Profile all at once. Follow these suggestions for using photos to improve your Google Business Profile:

Add at least one new image every seven days.
Upload your company logo for the small photo.
Use something that best represents your brand for your cover photo, but doesn't worry about it too much since Google will show different primary photos depending on the search query.
For other general photos, see Google's photo standards for requirements, but make sure to include customer photographs, interior and outside angles, and team shots.
No stock pictures, and no photos with optical effects or branding. Google is attempting to show your company in the real world.
Remove anything irrelevant from the search results and concentrate on high-quality pictures that represent reality (to correspond with image-rich outcomes).

When a searcher searches for the term "coffee shop," Google will pull a specific photo from a Business Profile and display it right away in local results if it matches the query.

To increase your Google presence in your area, geo-tag your photographs and add a description to further demonstrate that you're a notable figure.
Videos are in addition to the photos.
To enhance your Google+ profile, add a 360-degree photo using the Street View app.

8. Get Google reviews and testimonials

What business would you select if you were given a list of firms like the one above? Which one should you choose: the one with four appealing yellow stars or one of the two below with no reviews?

Google understands that consumer buying decisions are influenced by reviews, so this is a significant ranking element in their algorithm. You may also observe how evaluations affect rankings for yourself. The first three local results (also known as the "Local 3-Pack") that appear for most Google queries are those with many reviews and excellent star ratings:

For example, if Google sees a Business Profile on Yelp or another third-party review site that contains the same keywords as your business, it may display a Business Profile in search results.

To further authenticate relevance, Google will encourage certain keywords in your reviews.

Follow these suggestions to distinguish yourself from rivals while optimizing your Google Business Profile with reviews:

Start with your long-standing, loyal consumers to get the ball rolling.
Make it as simple as possible for clients to leave a review by adding a review shortcut link or utilizing Whitespark's shortcut link generator (both are free).
Ask! If you ask, 62 percent of customers will provide a review. Use email, text messaging, social media messages, and face-to-face conversations to do so.
Remind clients that reviews aren't just for your benefit; they may also help other consumers who are experiencing the same problems.
Make a “Reviews” page on your website and provide a link to leave one.
Respond to reviews. This feedback encourages more customers to leave their opinions, informs prospects about your company, and boosts local SEO.

For a more in-depth look at this optimization method, check out this essay on how to increase Google ratings.

Keep in mind that offering discounts, gifts, or money as incentives for reviews is not permitted.

9. Edit your Google Business Profile

You may post about news, discounts, events, and goods on your Google Business Profile in the same way that you would on social media platforms. Updates are made in your Google My Business dashboard and show up near the bottom of your Business Profile under "Updates." They might become more noticeable depending on the search query, though.

Here's how blog articles can help you improve your Google Business Profile:

The number of actions taken by consumers who find your profile increases if you increase the number of connections.

When you update your site on a regular basis, Google sees it as an endorsement of its quality and trustworthiness. In the same manner that adding photos does, frequent updating sends positive ranking signals to Google.

Consumers have a greater intention of searching on search engines than on other posting platforms (such as Facebook and Instagram, where they are leisurely scrolling), so they are more likely to engage with your Google postings.

Your company's profile may be followed by visitors who want to stay informed about everything new on your account.

You may have a hard time finding the ideal SEO services when you're just starting out, but we've got you covered. Make sure to use the proper keywords for each Google My Business category, or your posts may be penalized with lower rankings and unfavorable reviews. When it comes to search engine optimization (SEO), there's no need to go

Here are some guidelines for optimizing your Google Business Profile with postings:

Make frequent updates. Not only because it's essential to Google, but also because certain post kinds have a limit of seven days.
For marketing initiatives with a deadline, use event and offer postings. You may pick a date range and have the stories live for the duration of that timeline.
Include links and CTAs in each post.
As of this update, there is already a COVID-19 post type accessible; we advise that you take advantage of it. to effectively interact with your audience during the epidemic.

10. I'll teach you how to make a blog and answer any queries you may have.

Have you noticed the section for questions and answers on Amazon besides the product description and customer reviews? In Google Business Profiles, Google offers similar functionality.

These are just a few of the many questions that may be asked and answered in order to generate interest among customers for your company. however, this area is particularly crucial to optimize since anybody may ask a question on a company's Google profile, and anybody can answer it. This might result in incorrect information on your profile or, even worse, the There are no quick and easy solutions to this problem, but there are a few things you can do to optimize your Business Profile's Q&A function:

Create alerts. This means that you'll be able to keep track of questions and answers posted to your profile.
Create your own Q&A section by seeding it. Make a list of the most frequently asked queries your company receives. Then respond to and upvote your answer on your own profile. This does not break any Google rules. In fact, it's encouraged by Google.
Keep a lookout for keywords. Taking those keywords and adding them to your questions and answers can help improve your Business Profile's ranking for that term. So, while employing your keyword strategy keep it in mind, use them loosely and organically, and do not keyword stuff.

You can use monitoring and seeding your Q&A area to ensure correct information, highlight your finest features, and minimize typical entry barriers.

According to Google, the majority of your questions have been addressed. Your Q&As will be re-enabled gradually over the next few days as a result of COVID-19.

11. Add items and services to the basket.

Adding new items and services is especially beneficial if your business name does not clarify what you provide. This area also adds information to your profile, which may help it rank for even more specific searches.

In the Additional Information section, including the product's name, description, and price (if applicable). When a customer clicks on a product, its full description will display. Google may also incorporate links to your items from your category page.

12. Set up messaging using the platform's interface.

Send a text message to your phone right from your Google Business Profile with this feature. This is an excellent way for customers to get in touch with you, as over 80% of smartphone users (92 percent for millennials) use their device for local search.

To get started, go to your Google My Business dashboard and select the "Messaging" tab. You may install it using Google Play or the Apple App Store to enable messaging.

To answer the question, you can make changes by going to your Google My Business page and clicking on "Messaging" in the drop-down menu. 2. You may leave a message for visitors to see when they search for your brand name using hashtags or keywords that are related to what you do as a business owner

You don't have to be concerned about displaying your personal phone number, because you'll utilize a different number with Google's Allo software.
Make sure you've got Google My Business alerts set up. Go to settings and select “Customer messages.”

13. Maintain your B2B Company Profile with Google My Business tactics

A Google Business Profile is not a one-time project. It's a local marketing instrument that demands continual attention in order to improve your online presence and maximize your gains. This entails:

Even if it's just a number change, updating data adds significant value.
To be eligible for the contest, you must log in to your Instagram account and publish a photo every week.
It's also important to keep a constant flow of reviews coming in.
Replying to and monitoring customer feedback.
Keeping up with new features so you can make the most of your profile.

Your Google My Business strategy should focus on providing as much high-quality information about your company as possible, not only in your Business Profile but also in the sources that Google relies on to populate it—your website, review site profiles, and social media accounts. We can't possibly know all of the ranking criteria, but we do understand their ultimate objective: to link searchers with the finest business for their requirements by providing comprehensive and reputable information. So concentrate on improving your Google My Business dashboard so that it accurately and completely reflects your company, and you'll reap the benefits.

This should get you off and run with gmb optimization or your Google My Bussiness account. If you need help just follow this link and we can talk about your needs.