Did you know? Google searches for business using Google business profiles with phrases “where to buy” and “near me” have increased by 200% in the last five years. Moreover, having and maintaining a decent online business profile yields immense benefits for a business regardless of its size and service.
However, the process of reaping these benefits is not as easy as simply creating a business profile on Google and abandoning it. It is essential to improve business profile on Google to increase engagement, attract more visitors and retain customers.
Confused where to begin from? You have arrived at the right blog post! This blog is a comprehensive guide offering expert tips for optimizing your Google business profile in 2024.
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Be Specific:
Google business profile optimization begins from being specific about your business’ name and the services you offer. Accurate representation of your brand’s offerings determines how the business appears in Google’s search results.
Thoroughly check the name and spelling of your business and avoid making the mistake of adding your services alongside the brand name. For instance; if your business is that of digital marketing don’t write the name as “ABC Consultancy Digital Marketing”.
Additionally, be particular in the business category that you are choosing and keep updating the same if your business evolves. You can choose multiple secondary categories to improve the visibility of your products and services, but they must be specific.
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Link Contact Information, Website, and Social Media:
The key to optimizing your Google business profile lies in getting the basics right. Remember to mention your contact information like email id and phone number in the profile to facilitate communication. While you have the option of hiding the phone number, doing so would prove to be an obstacle to converting leads into customers.
Additionally, link your business website to the GMB. In today’s contemporary world, consumers go through the online presence of a business before taking any step. Hence, a creative and interactive website and its link to your business profile will significantly improve your chances of customer conversion and increase the traffic.
And the most important part of linking contact information is to link the social media profiles of your business be it Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Social media profiles showcase legitimacy and are proof of the fact that you are actively investing toward growing your brand.
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Address And Areas of Service:
The third most important step to optimize your Google business profile in 2024 is to make sure your business address is updated and accurate. Double check the area, postal code, street name and add a landmark to make your office easier to locate.
According to Safari Digital’s SEO statistics, 86% of consumers use Google Maps to find local businesses. Hence, if you have more than one location, you can create multiple profiles for every location which will result in maximized local search visibility. However, you cannot use the same method if you have a single office as it can result in your account getting suspended.
Additionally, specify the geographic localities that your business caters to including towns, regions, cities, and even neighborhoods.
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Add Images:
While impeccable services and products are secondary and make for a consumer experience at a later stage, authentic images are what draw customers to your google profile and attract more visitors to your business. Never use images from third party websites like Getty or Pinterest to mislead the target audience and invest in a professional photoshoot of either your office or the products you sell. Make sure you use relevant descriptions and keywords to optimize the images for the business’ local area.
Moreover, encouraging satisfied consumers to upload an image from their end will also add to your Google business profile’s credibility.
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Try Responding to All Reviews:
Embracing all kinds of reviews is not only good for business but for your Google profile as well. According to Bright Local, 98% of people read reviews for local businesses. Responding to most if not all reviews instills faith and confidence in the potential customers eyeing your services, that you would serve them well and would help in increase google business profile traffic.
Replying to good reviews can be monotonous yet positive-sounding like: Thank you for taking out some valuable time to give us a review. We are thrilled to hear about your positive experience with us and look forward to serving you again.
On the other hand, using phrases like “we can’t help it”, “don’t lie”, or “your review doesn’t make sense” is not appreciated when dealing with negative reviews. Instead you can say: We are sorry to hear about your negative experience and appreciate your honesty in bringing it to our attention. Please connect with us directly so we can serve you better and address your concern.
The Bottom Line-
All in all, these 5 simple steps are your online business profile help and guide for 2024. Our team of expert digital marketers hone immense experience and expertise to help you not only develop but also retain consumer-attracting business profiles on Google. Get in touch with Webteasor’s proficient team right away and our SEO experts will assist you in increase google business profile traffic and improve online engagement.