Did you know that Google is the number one most visited website? Billions of users search for local products and services on Google every single day. If you want to attract more local customers, it’s crucial that you make your business as visible as possible online.
Google Business Profile is a free listing that allows you to provide information about your business that stays consistent across Google Search and Google Maps. Optimizing that information and keeping it up to date also brings higher search rankings and more local hits.
Here’s how to claim and optimize your Google Business Profile and start growing your local business.
What Is a Google Business Profile?
Formerly known as Google My Business, a Google Business Profile is the box of information that pops up when you search for local services or a specific business. It appears at the top of mobile results (to the right in desktop search results) and is attached to a pin on Google Maps.
The listing includes the following information about each business:
- Name
- Hours
- Address
- Website
- Phone number
- Description
- Reviews
- Photos
In most cases, Google will automatically create a listing for a new business based on the information it gathers online. However, you do not have any control over what the listing says until you claim it. The information Google provides is very basic, and it could be outdated if you’ve changed your location, phone number, or name.
Why Should You Claim Your Google Business Profile?
Claiming your Google Business Profile allows you to edit all of the information in your listing. You can update old information, add missing information, upload photos, write a detailed description, and more. Enhancing your listing gives Google a better idea of what your business offers, which leads to higher rankings in Search and Maps results.
An optimized listing also gives potential customers everything they need to know about your business. They can access detailed, accurate information in a matter of seconds, which is especially important for mobile searches, since 63% of Google search traffic comes from mobile devices. They can also read customer reviews, find out your hours of operation, get directions to your location, or give you a call by tapping your phone number.Â
How to Claim and Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile is free and simple—just follow these steps:
- Find out if your business already has a profile by searching for it on the Google Business Profile Manager.
- Follow the prompts to claim your existing listing, or to create a new profile if you don’t have one yet.
- Provide basic information about your business, including your name, address, website, and phone number.
- Choose one or two relevant and specific categories (such as cosmetic dentist, emergency veterinarian service, estate planning attorney, auto parts manufacturer, etc.).
- Verify your business—Google will send you instructions in the mail, which can take up to five business days.
- After verifying your profile, make sure to add a brief, detailed description with relevant keywords, high quality photos, your hours of operation, and contact information. These details will help improve your SEO and search rankings.Â
- Keep your profile updated with the latest information to ensure that potential customers can always contact your business with ease.
- Read and respond to reviews promptly and politely to show your customers that you value their feedback.
Professional SEO Services
Claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile is just one aspect of a successful SEO strategy. The experts at New Wine Digital can help your business soar to the top of Google search results with a comprehensive SEO strategy. We can improve your Google Business profile, create optimized content for your website, and more. Call us at 480-516-1819 today to start improving your online marketing strategy.
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (6/28/2023). Photo by Firmbee.com on Unsplash