Substance and Style

Your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is an important part of your online presence. If you have a storefront or other physical location where you can serve walk-in customers or clients, your profile could be very effective at bringing in foot traffic. It’s also a good way to enhance your visibility and boost your local search rankings even if you’re only online. Here’s how to get the most out of your profile:

1. Claim and verify. The first thing you need to do is get control over your profile. Go to google.com/business to start the process. You will be walked through the steps of signing in with your google account, adding your business, and choosing a verification method to confirm your ownership. The verification process can take up to five business days.

2. Fill out profile sections completely. Do your best to not leave any blank spaces. People need to know your name, address, phone number, website, and hours of operation (including holiday hours). Make sure to choose primary and secondary categories that describe your products or services. 

3. Write a business description. Try to make this section engaging and informative. You want to be concise, but you want the reader to have all the information they need. Include whatever is most useful for customers to know about you and highlight whatever sets you apart from the competition. Remember to use the keywords you’re trying to rank for. 

4. Don’t skip the “Attributes and Services” section. Here, you can add important information and more things that set you apart from the competition. Options include: accessibility information, age restrictions, special menu options, languages spoken, LGBTQIA+ friendliness, and service specifics like whether appointments are required and whether free wifi is offered onsite.
   
5. Add good photos. According to Google, profiles with photos have 35% higher click-through rates than those without. Post pictures of products, team, clients, or even community involvement. Update your gallery on a fairly regular basis.
   
6. Encourage and ask for reviews. Email satisfied customers with a direct link to make it easy for them to give you a review. Respond to all your reviews personally if you can (if you have too many to manage, that’s a very good problem to have). Thank the people who leave positive reviews, and address negative reviews professionally and kindly. Try to make right any complaints.
   
7. Use Google Posts. A lot of us don’t think about Google Business posts when we plan our social media calendars, but we should. It’s not as flooded a marketplace as Facebook, Instagram, or even LinkedIn, and it’s the first impression anyone googling us will have of our business. Posting photos, updates, and specific Calls to Action can boost visibility and drive traffic to our websites.
   
8. Enable messaging. Messaging gives existing and potential customers and clients a quick and easy way to get in touch even if they don’t want to click through to your site. It’s a good way to communicate with harder-to-convert prospects. Just make sure that you respond to messages regularly.
   
9. Maintain your profile. Make a note in your calendar to update your profile (and all of your social media profiles) every few months. Make sure all the information is current and still relevant to your business goals.