Pop quiz! Pull up Google and search your business’s name.
What comes up?
Don’t click any links yet. Did an info card with your business’s information pop up? Do you see your address, hours of operation, and phone number? Are there any photos or reviews? Is there a call-to-action button to get directions or visit your website?
If you answered “no” to any of those, you might have a problem.
That info card is your Google Business Profile, one of the most important tools you have in your digital marketing toolbox—and we’re going to look at some of the incredible things it can do for your business.
What is a Google Business Profile?
A Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) is a free tool offered to business owners to help manage your online presence through Google Search and Google Maps.
By verifying and editing your profile, you can help customers find you and tell them the story of your business. Your listing includes important information about your business like your operating hours, location, contact information, and website.
SOURCE: GOOGLE.COM/BUSINESS
Here are 3 of things you can do once your Google Business Profile is set up—all you need to do is verify your information to take advantage of this free tool.
1. Help prospective customers find you faster and easier.
Prospective customers don’t leaf through the Yellow Pages anymore to find businesses. They use Google. When a prospect searches “X business near me,” you want to be one of the top results.
Your Google Business Profile significantly impacts your local SEO ranking. When someone searches for a product or service you offer in your area, having a complete and optimized Google Business Profile could be the difference between appearing at the top of the search results or being buried beneath your competitors.
Google selects businesses to display in the “Local 3-Pack” based on their relevance to the search and their proximity to the user. By having up-to-date and comprehensive information on your profile, you increase the likelihood of being in that coveted top-three.
SOURCE: GOOGLE.COM
Prospects in your area are already making search queries for businesses like yours. Every day you don’t set up your Google Business Profile is a day you’re losing potential customers to the competition.
2. Make a great first impression.
Your Google Business Profile is one of the first points of contact you’ll have with most customers. It gives them an immediate impression of your business and what they can expect.
It’s like going in for a job interview or a first date. You need to start with your best foot forward to make the customer experience stellar from the beginning.
A great Google Business Profile includes high-quality photos, a direct link to your website, a personalized business description, and glowing customer reviews. It builds trust with your customer and sets a positive tone for your relationship before they even step foot in your business.
On the other hand, an unclaimed, unfinished profile may appear neglected and untrustworthy.
Your Google Business Profile is an extension of your brand. Make sure it reflects your brand’s values and the experience you want your customers to have with your business.
3. Reduce confusion with accurate information.
Is there anything more disappointing than driving to a business only to discover it’s closed, even though the website said it was open? Or maybe you try to call, and you find out the phone number listed hasn’t been used for years?
You can avoid miscommunications like that by keeping your Google Business Profile up-to-date.
Verify your address, business hours, website, and phone number. Update your profile with special holiday hours or temporary closures. It may not seem like a big deal, but not updating your profile could cost you a customer for life.
One of our favorite Donald Miller quotes at Sigl is “if you confuse, you lose.” Customers will take the path of least resistance. If you make it harder for them to contact you or walk through your door, they’ll take their business elsewhere.
Don’t lose customers over something as easily avoidable as a miscommunication, and keep your profile updated with your contact information and hours.
Need a hand setting up your Google Business Profile? Schedule a call—we’d love to help! We’ll help you connect with new customers and make a great first impression through Google, so you can take your brand’s digital presence from functional to exceptional!