Maximising Google Business Profile for Increased Clientele in 2023
To reap the full benefits of your Google Business Profile (previously Google My Business), it’s crucial to optimise it effectively. Here are some simple and efficient ways to do just that.
Google, as the world’s most frequently visited website, accounts for more than 92% of the search engine market share. Developing a Google Business Profile is a critical strategy to attract new customers to your business via Google search and Maps.
Understanding Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business)
Google Business Profile is a complimentary business listing offered by Google. This listing allows you to include details and images of your business, like your location, services, and goods.
Creating this cost-free profile is a fantastic method to enhance your visibility across Google’s platforms. The information from your Google Business Profile can appear in Google Search, Google Maps, and Google Shopping.
Google Business Profile is exclusively available to businesses that interact with clients. This includes businesses with physical premises (such as a cafe or shop) and businesses that provide services by engaging with customers at other locations (like consultants or plumbers).
If you operate an online-only business, you’ll need to utilise other Google tools such as Google Ads and Google Analytics.
Why you should have a Google My Business account
Get discovered on Google (and Google Maps)
Whether you’re seeking footfall or online traffic, Google is the ultimate reference for searches. A Google Business Profile ensures that people find your business when they’re searching for products and services similar to yours within their local area.
Your Google My Business listing reveals to searchers where and how to visit your business. A Google Business Profile also enhances your local SEO. Specifically, a listing for a local business is more likely to appear when people search for a nearby business using Google Maps.
Manage your online business information
Your Google My Business profile empowers you to control and update your contact details, business hours, and other crucial information as required.
You can publish updates to communicate that you’ve expanded services, temporarily closed, or fully reopened (an incredibly useful feature during crises like COVID-19). Google Business Profiles have strong local SEO, so the information you share will rank above third-party sites that might have outdated details.
Establish Trust Through Reviews and the Launch 123 Reviews Platform
Reviews are a fundamental element of social proof and an effective way to build trust and credibility. They provide a clear line of sight for potential customers, giving them valuable insights about your business from those who have already engaged with your products or services. Google’s combined star rating and space for detailed reviews allows customers to share as much or as little information about their experience with your business as they prefer. All of this helps prospective customers make informed decisions about which businesses to visit and which products to purchase.
However, managing these reviews and capitalizing on the power they hold can be a daunting task. This is where our unique solution, the Launch 123 Reviews Platform, comes into play.
With Launch 123, you can easily invite your customers to review your business via customizable email, SMS, or on-site via a QR code that can be printed and displayed in store. This initiates a continuous flow of fresh, positive feedback from satisfied customers. What’s more, you can choose specific platforms where you wish to increase the number of positive reviews, tailoring your online reputation strategy to meet your unique business needs.
When it comes to managing negative feedback, our platform provides a dedicated system to capture dissatisfied customers. This keeps potentially damaging feedback private and gives you an opportunity to address the issues, thereby safeguarding your brand’s image.
The concept of receiving reviews on a public platform like Google might seem intimidating, especially since you can’t select which Google My Business reviews to share. While you can reply to all reviews, which we’ll explain later, it can be somewhat comforting to know that Google finds a mixture of positive and negative reviews to be more trustworthy than page after page of glowing endorsements. However, with the added support of Launch 123 Reviews Platform, you’re better equipped to manage your online reputation and strategically enhance the positivity surrounding your brand.
Steps to set up a Google Business Profile
Step 1: Sign in to Google Business Profile Manager
If you’re already logged into a Google account, you’re automatically logged into Google Business Profile Manager. Otherwise, enter your standard Google account login details or create a new Google account.
Step 2: Add your business
Enter your business name. If it doesn’t appear in the drop-down menu, click Add your business to Google. Then select the relevant category for your business and click Next.
Step 3: Enter your location
If you have a physical location customers can visit, select Yes. Then add your business address. You may also be asked to position a marker for the location on a map. If your business doesn’t have a location customers can visit but offers face-to-face services or deliveries, you can list your service areas. Then click Next.
If you didn’t enter a physical address, Google will ask you to specify the region you’re based in. Choose from the drop-down menu and click Next.
Step 4: Fill in your contact information
Enter your business phone number and website address so customers can reach you. If you prefer not to be reached by phone, you don’t have to provide a phone number.
When your info is complete, click Next.
Step 5: Verify your business
Enter your actual physical address, not a PO Box. This information is only used to verify your business and is not displayed on your Google Business Profile or shared with the public.
Enter your address and click Next. You’ll be offered the applicable options for verifying your account. Physical businesses will need to receive a postcard by mail to verify their location. Service-area businesses can be verified through an email address.
Once you receive your five-digit code, enter it on the next screen (or visit https://business.google.com/) and click Verify or Verify business. You’ll get a confirmation screen showing you’re verified. On that screen, click Next.
Step 6: Customise your profile
Enter your business hours, messaging preferences, business description, and photos. (We’ll delve into the details of how to optimise your profile content in the next section of this post.)
When you’re ready, click Continue. You’ll find yourself in the Business Profile Manager dashboard.
From here, you can manage your business profile, view insights, manage reviews and messages, and create Google ads.
Ways to enhance your Google My Business profile
Google determines local search ranking based on three factors:
Relevance: How well your Google My Business listing matches a search
Distance: How far your location is from the search or searcher
Prominence: How well-known your business is (based on factors like links, number of reviews, review score, and SEO)
Here are some steps you can take to maximise your score for all three factors.
Complete all elements of your profile
Customers are 2.7 times more likely to consider your business reputable if you have a complete Google Business Profile. They’re also 70% more likely to actually visit your location.
Google specifically states that “businesses with complete and accurate information are easier to match with the right searches.” This improves your score for relevance These tools help you promote your business online and offline and encourage reviews, photos, and follows.
In conclusion, a Google Business Profile is an essential part of your online business strategy. Whether you have a physical business or offer services at customer locations, it’s a great way to improve visibility, credibility, and ultimately, profitability. So take some time to set up and optimize your Google Business Profile today.
Your customers (and your bottom line) will thank you.
In light of the above, we are pleased to inform you that Launch 123 has partnered with Google to offer a unique, free service to create and set up these Google Business Profiles. Understanding the significance and utility of these profiles, we’ve streamlined the process for you. By working directly with Google, we can bypass the usual four-week wait time that is often required for verification. Instead, we provide instant verification and setup, allowing your business to appear on Google’s services faster and begin attracting new customers almost immediately.
This is a service we are proud to offer to all businesses, regardless of whether you are an existing client or not. Our mission is to support and empower small businesses, and we believe that this tool is essential for your digital presence and overall success. By offering this service, we aim to help you improve visibility, attract more customers, and ultimately, increase your bottom line.
At Launch 123, we firmly believe in the power of small businesses, and we’re committed to providing you with the tools and services you
