Think a Google Business Profile is just for brick-and-mortar businesses? Think again! Businesses across industries are expanding their reach and increasing organic traffic by optimizing their Google Business Profile.
In this blog, Eric Solomon will explain how to set up your profile and optimize it to generate more organic traffic for your business.
What You’ll Learn:
- Set Up Your Google Business Profile
- Claim or Create a Business Listing
- Optimize Your Google Business Profile
- Advanced Google Business Profile Optimization Tips
- FAQs About Google Business Profile
My Expert Opinion on Google Business Profiles
Google Business Profile is an exceptional tool every business and brand should use. Not only is it crucial for enhancing search visibility, but it also helps form a connection between the business and its audience.
I’ve seen firsthand how it can significantly improve a brand’s online presence, increase its awareness, and drive organic traffic their way.
Action Item: Review your Google Business Profile and note where you can optimize it to improve your brand awareness and drive organic traffic in your direction.
Set Up Your Google Business Profile
The first step to discovering how to increase Google Business Profile traffic is correctly setting it up. Here are four easy-to-follow steps to establish a strong foundation for success.
Create a Google Business Account
Creating or claiming your profile starts with setting up a Google Business account.
Claim or Create a Business Listing
You can create or claim your business listing through Google Maps once you set up your Google Business account.
Verify Your Business
To protect businesses on Google Business Profile, you must verify your business.
You can do this through a phone call, text, email, video recording, live video call, or requesting a code through the mail. To learn how to contact Google about your Business profile, click here.
Enter Your Business Information
Once you have claimed your profile, it’s time to get to work! Add all your important business information, such as your address, phone number, email address, website, and hours.
Pro Tip: Make sure your NAP (name, address, phone number) is consistent across all of your digital marketing platforms, including your website, social media, and local business listings. This will help improve your SEO and make it easier for consumers to find you.
Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Once you’ve claimed your profile, it’s time to build it out so that more people can find and engage with your listing. Let’s look into what you can do to improve your Google Business Profile optimization.
Add Photos
A great thing about Google Business Profile is that it allows you to add photos to your listing. This is the perfect way to showcase your work so that your audience knows what to expect when reaching out to secure your services.
If you are a restaurant, post pictures of your delicious menu items and relaxing atmosphere. If you are an electrician, post pictures of your work, equipment, or team members. At the very least, you should include your logo and location so people can publicly identify your business.
Manage Reviews
Another way to grow a Google Business Profile audience is to solicit and manage your business’s reviews.
This will give you excellent insight into how to improve your business and provide potential customers with the social proof they need to decide to move forward.
Use Google Posts
Similarly to a social media platform, Google Posts allows you to share news, updates, and other information with your audience.
Use this space to post upcoming deals, events, and highlights. It will help improve your SEO and provide the perfect opportunity to invite your audience to interact with your business!
Optimize Q&A Section
Enabling the Q&A section of your Google Business Profile will help potential customers find answers to their most common questions. It also allows you to engage with your audience and shows that your business is committed to transparency and responsiveness.
Track Performance with Insights
Just like any other type of content marketing, it’s important to track your Google Business Profile’s performance. This will help you see where you are succeeding and what areas to improve to grow your Google Business Profile audience.
The dashboard allows you to keep track of calls, bookings, website clicks, directions, and more. It will also show you how many searches your profile appeared in and how many people viewed it.
Advanced Google Business Profile Optimization Tips
Once you have the basics down, you can turn your attention to more advanced optimization techniques to generate organic visits for Google Business Profiles.
Local SEO Integration
Google Business Profile is one of the best ways to improve your local SEO. As mentioned above, make sure that your NAP is consistent across your entire online presence.
You can also work on securing high-value backlinks and citations with other businesses and Google Business Profiles. You can also work those citations and backlinks throughout your own content.
Don’t forget to optimize your business descriptions and posts with “near me” keywords to improve the chances of securing a top spot in the SERP. For example, if you are a San Diego coffee spot, be sure to include keywords like “San Diego coffee shop,” “coffee shop near San Diego,” and “local coffee shop in San Diego” in your Google Business Profile content.
Multi-Location
The platform can be a huge support to multi-location businesses as long as you set it up correctly.
Multi-location businesses should always use unique and separate profiles. This will help capture local traffic and direct it to the correct location for your business.
It also allows each location to post its own location-specific specials, events, and content. This will help boost engagement around each location instead of directing all engagement to a higher, less personal level.
No matter how many locations you have, remaining consistent is key. If you have a Google Business Profile for one location, be sure to have one for all of them. Have each location use brand-specific hashtags, content, graphics, and logos to make it easy for customers to identify that you’re all one company.
FAQs About Google Business Profile
1. How do I generate organic visits for my Google Business Profile?
The best way to generate organic traffic is to optimize your profile through posting consistent, quality, and relevant content. The more attention you give your profile, the better.
2. How can I grow my Google Business Profile audience?
Stay engaged! Post timely content like photos, events, and promotions. Soliciting and responding to FAQs and reviews will also help show your audience that you are engaged and committed to building a relationship with them which is key for customer retention.
3. How can I attract more visitors to my Google Business Profile?
Optimizing your profile with the correct keywords, as well as updated information and photos, will help attract more visitors.
Google Business Profile Optimization With Ignite Visibility
Whether you need to increase Google Business Profile traffic for an existing profile or are starting from scratch, Ignite Visibility is here to help. We have worked with businesses across industries expand their reach, improve their online presence, and generate more organic traffic.
We specialize in:
- Creating and optimizing Google Business Profile accounts
- Crafting local SEO strategies to reach customers in your target service area
- Developing high-quality content to share on your profile
- And more
Ready to improve your local SEO with an optimized Google Business Profile? Reach out to us today!
