10 Expert Tips for Optimizing Your Google My Business Profile

Google Business profile for local SEO

Google is all about trust signals to determine which local businesses best match searchers’ needs. Do you have a local business? And not yet a GMB profile, it’s time to create one here!

‍

‍

Tip 1: Company info up-to-date and complete

Google My Business allows you to connect your business to Google Maps, which effectively brings it up in category search results, as this platform functions as an online business directory.

Make sure your company’s information is current and complete. When optimizing your business on Google My Business, you may come across business profiles that have not yet been claimed.

When you see this, make sure each location is opening it’s own business profile in Google My Business via this link. Basically, you need to check all the listing of your business on Google Search or Google Maps. 

Type your company name into Google maps and do a search for your specific market/niche. If your company name appears, Google has automatically created a profile…. 

‍

Why should you change your company listing on Google?

Google has become a bit smarter over time, but unintentional merging of information still happens.

Roadmap

1. Log in to your Google account (preferably the company account) and launch the setup on the Google My Business platform.
2. Enter the name of your company. Does it come up as a suggestion? Then it already exists. Click on your company name or choose ‘Create a company with this name’.
3. Then continue through all the steps and fill them out as completely as possible
4. The last step asks for verification. For most businesses, this will be ‘Send by post’ and you will typically receive a postcard containing the verification code, within one to two weeks. In some cases, verification by phone call, text message, email or Google Search Console is possible. These methods are obviously a lot faster, but unfortunately not available to everyone
5. After receiving the postcard, you can log in again through your Google account on Google My Business. After the login is complete, you will see a link in the Dashboard to verify the business listing.
   

Congratulations! You have set up your Google My Business page!

‍

Google My Business  is your best digital asset

There are numerous options that you can do with Google my Business, all designed to make your business easier to find.

What we are going to cover:

• Pinpointing the exact location of your business 
• Keeping opening hours up to date
• Make a good first impression on potential customers
• Manage reviews
• Highlighting events and actions 
• Address questions that your target group has

An important advantage of Google My Business: it allows you to use a lot of space in the search results.

Tip 2: Customize Google my business

When optimising your business on Google My Business, you may come across business profiles that have not yet been claimed. 

If you see that, make sure that each location opens its own business profile in Google My Business using this link.

Basically, you should check all the mentions of your business on Google Search or Google Maps. 

Type company name in Google maps and do a search for your specific market/niche. If your company name appears, Google has automatically created a profile for you. 

Why should you change your company listing on Google?

Google has become a bit smarter over time, but unintentional merging of information still happens.

Roadmap

1. Log in to your Google account (preferably the company account) and launch the setup on the Google My Business platform.
2. Enter the name of your company. Does it show up as a suggestion? Then it already exists. Click on your company name or choose ‘Create a company with this name’.
3. Then continue through all the steps and fill them out as completely as possible
4. The last step asks for verification. For most businesses, this will be ‘Send by post’ and you will typically receive a postcard containing the verification code, within one to two weeks. In some cases, verification by phone call, text message, email or Google Search Console is possible. These methods are obviously a lot faster, but unfortunately not available to everyone
5. After receiving the postcard, you can log in again via your Google account at Google My Business. After logging in, you will find a link in your Dashboard to verify your business listing.

Tip 3: Adjust Google opening hours

Make sure that this information is correct and of course updated if there are changes in the opening hours, soon someone will be at the fixed door. 

Step-by-step plan:

1. Log in to your Google My Business account
2. Go to the menu and click on Edit profile
3. Click ‘Add Hours’ next to ‘Add Hours’ or the current hours set on your profile.
4. Turn on the icon for each day of the week that your business is open
5. Besides the day your business is open, you can set the opening hours by clicking ‘Will open at’ 

In addition to the day your business is open, set the closing time by clicking ‘Close at’. Click ‘Save’ to save the changes.

‍

Credibility must be built and maintained

Building a business is done through visibility and credibility. And that takes time. Google My Business now includes a label that can be used To mark the opening date of your business under the “info” option in the Google My Business dashboard.

‍

‍

Tip 4: Photos that attract attention

Google is all about signals of trust. Adding photos to your Google My Business profile can go a long way toward helping you rank consistently in local searches. Manage photos or videos for your business profile

• Interior and exterior shots of the building
• Frequently visited areas of your business
• Your products and services
• Employees your customers can interact with in your business

‍

Tip 5: Download Google My Business app

Giving your team more features and Insights with the free Google my business app, a great tool. All about the Google My Business app.

1. Customise company information
2. Managing multiple business locations
3. Real-time notifications of new reviews
4. Insights
5. Posting of posts

Tip 6: Connect appointment making

Customers can make their own appointments. Thus, they need less motivation and thus will convert more often and faster. Less friction is more conversion.

To enable online bookings through Google:

1. On your computer, log in to Company Profile Manager. If you have several locations, open the one you want to manage.
2. Click Appointments in the menu. If you do not see this tab, there are no appointments available for your business category or region.

‍

If you get stuck here, send me an email and we’ll fix the less interesting and complicated stuff together. As a digital marketer, I check Google reviews to find out and test in real-time whether companies are actively responding to consumer inquiries. 

Tip 7: Google Reviews

Reviews one of the most important elements to differentiate yourself as a business, this is because it can strongly influence someone’s buying behavior. Understandably, because people care a lot about what others think so that they themselves do not have to pay for a disappointing service.

This is because people find it more important that everyone else likes it rather than experiencing it for themselves. So make sure your customers get an invitation to write a review, you can always ask them in person.

Tip 8: Negative reviews

If a negative review suddenly appears, don’t panic. At all times, make sure you respond to this in detail and provide enough information. This is very important because these are the reviews that are read first and not the positive reviews with 5 stars.

If new potential customers see that you are responding well to this, they will be reassured and more likely to take action.

Tip 9: Don’t ignore review

If you don’t want to receive reviews then you’re out of luck, as Google only wants to empower consumers. Refusing to claim a Google My Business profile because of poor reviews is pointless – no matter what, Google will create a profile for you. The reviews will be there, the information and photos of your business will be publicly visible. Without claiming the company profile, you cannot manage and ensure the accuracy of the information.

Responding to Google reviews makes your business appear proactive. Choosing not to respond to a review at all makes customers and other readers believe that your business does not care about user opinions.

Schedule a free Google ads consultation

Tip 10: Turn on Chat

Perhaps one of our favorite and most effective features of Google My Business. We pride ourselves on being available to customers on any platform they choose. Through the app you can communicate with potential customers very easily, this puts you in the perfect position to bring them in as customers.

Direct questions can be answered immediately and there are no more points to stop them buying your product or service. It is also very easy to post messages and upload pictures of your business.

You can’t quite work it out on the “help” pages. Do you want to speak to a real person via e-mail or live chat? Just send us a message. You can schedule a free consultation at your convenience.

‍