A free tool called Google Business Profile (GBP) gives you control over how your company or brand appears on Google Search, Google Maps, and Google Shopping.
You can communicate with clients, share company news, list goods and services, and more by using this application.
Here's what GBP looks like.
You can still have an account even if you don't have a shop as long as you interact with customers.
For instance, if you're a plumber, you might only encounter customers at their residences. However, a Google Business Profile is still an option.
Google Business Profiles are cost-free.
Creating and maintaining a Google Business Profile are also both completely free.
And you can benefit much from it without spending a dime.
The following are the three key advantages of keeping a Google Business Profile:
Let's examine each in greater depth.
You've probably seen the map and list of businesses that can display at the top of the search results when you look for a business on Google. The "local pack" or "map pack" is what this is.
This is how it appears:
For geographically precise inquiries (or search phrases that imply location, like "restaurants near me"), the local pack is displayed. Both business data and Google Maps results are included.
Business with optimized Google Business Profiles is considerably more likely to show up in these results.
In recent years, mobile searches for terms like "where to buy" and "near me" have surged by over 200%.
We refer to these as "discovery searches." Users are searching more broadly for a category than for a specific brand.
Therefore, if your business is well-optimized (we'll cover more optimization techniques later), it is more likely to appear as a geolocated result if a user searches for a general word like "restaurant" and is physically close to your location.
Like this:
98% of consumers read reviews of nearby companies online.
The 1- to 5-star rating next to company names on Google Maps reflects an accumulation of reviews.
Reviews offer insightful feedback on your company. You can respond to reviews, which may help you gain your customer's trust.
But customers don't anticipate flawless evaluations in whole. A mix of favorable and unfavorable ratings, according to Google, is actually more reliable.
Building trust and credibility with your present and potential customers by responding to reviews, both positive and negative, is a terrific strategy.
Through your Google Business Profile, you may advertise your company's contact details, services, and more.
Additionally, you can inform your clients of ad hoc modifications. You might list holiday hours or indicate whether your company is temporarily closed or completely open.
Skip the following steps and move on to the next section if your business profile already exists and you only need to claim it. If not, you must start over from scratch - follow along:
To begin, go to Google Maps and click the button in the top left corner of the page to display the menu.
Find the "Add your business" button on the menu.
Simply sign into your account if you already have a business account to skip this section.
Follow the instructions to set up a new account if you don't already have one.
To administer my business, use the drop-down option after clicking the "Create account" button.
Then, enter your details (such as your name and desired username) and press the "Next" button.
After that, you'll need to provide a phone number to prove your identification.
Google typically asks for more details and after that, will redirect you to their terms and conditions page.
On the terms and conditions page, click the "Agree" button to begin creating your profile.
It's time to create your business profile right now. Selecting your company's name and category comes first.
Write out your company name first. Google will provide a list of active businesses in its database as you enter.
If your company is listed, move on to the following section to find out how to claim it. If not, type your company name in its entirety.
Your company name should be typed exactly as is. (Avoid stuffing your business name with keywords; doing so could result in Google suspending your account. Later, you'll update your Business Description with pertinent keywords.)
Start typing your business category after that, then pick one from the list:
Your business category informs Google of the nature of your company, enhancing searchability.
You can easily add new categories or change your business category later.
Then, if you have a physical location, add a location. Although adding a location is typically optional, some company categories, such as "Restaurant," require it.
To skip this step if you don't have a storefront, select "no".
Google will request the address of your location if you select "yes." Make sure to input an exact location because Google Maps will display your address to searchers.
In order to provide you with a list of possible duplicate results, Google also uses your address.
You can go to the next step to find out how to claim your business if one of the duplicate entries is yours. Choose "None of these" if not.
Depending on whether or not you added a company address, this step will seem different.
This step is not required if a business address was added. If you offer deliveries or both home and business visits, Google will question you.
Select "Yes" to let searchers know what areas are accessible to you.
To move on to the following step, select "No."
You cannot skip this step if you didn't provide a company address. Just pick one of Google's suggested areas or begin entering the name of the region you serve.
Next, include your phone number and, if applicable, the URL of your website.
Your provided contact information will be used by searchers to locate and get in touch with you, so double check that it is accurate.
Now, Google will offer you to choose if you want to receive updates and recommendations for your GBP. To hear about best practices directly from Google, we advise selecting "yes".
Until you authenticate your Business Profile, it won't be searchable. Therefore, even if you have the choice to omit business verification at initial setup, you'll eventually need to verify your listing.
Five methods exist to validate your listing:
Through phone: Your verification code will be sent to you through automated Google call or text.
Via email: Your verification code will be sent to you through email.
Via postcard: Your verification code will be sent to you via postcard at the address you provided when you registered.
By video recording. Make a video that demonstrates your location, your company's assets, and your authority as the manager of the enterprise.
By live video call. On a live call with a support agent, show the same proof as the video footage.
Whether or not you've added a location affects your verification options. You must send a postcard to confirm your business if you have a physical presence.
You will need to log into your account using the five-digit code found on the postcard.
For verification purposes, you must include your home address if your company doesn't have a physical location.
You then have the option of getting a call, a text message, or one of the "Other alternatives."
If none of the business verification options that are currently available to you are successful, you can get in touch with the Google Business Profile team through their support center.
Depending on the business category you selected, Google will ask you to submit further details about your company and opt in to pertinent services after the verification phase.
You may define your hours, enable messaging, list particular services you do, and more.
We advise you to complete as much as you can. After all, details like company hours and images will make it easier for potential clients to contact you.
Here are the extra steps you can take to provide more details or choose to use additional services:
You can define the services you provide by choosing particular business categories.
For instance, marketing firms can offer "Telemarketing" as a service or design a special one like "SEO."
The operational days and hours of your business must then be included.
Choose each of the seven days that your store is open. Set the "Open" setting's opening and closing timings for each day.
From your Google My Business listing, users can use a service provided by Google to send you a message. If you often check your Google business account, we advise against disabling it.
To achieve this, turn on the "Accept Messages" option on the "Add Messaging" page.
Your prospective clients will still be able to contact you using the contact details you've supplied, even if you block messaging through Google.
You are allowed 750 characters by Google to briefly describe your company.
Their rules state that the following should be in your business description:
Run your business description through a grammar and spelling checker like Grammarly after you've written it. Due to mistakes in your company name or profile, Google may suspend Google Business Profiles.
You should also stay away from the following in your business description:
Publish pictures of your company to show clients what it looks like inside, what products you sell, and other details.
Depending on the category of your business, you can submit particular photographs. Restaurants, for instance, can include images of their menu and particular delicacies.
When you include photos in your profile, clients will find your company to be more appealing.
Without running commercials or attempting to sell anything, it provides customers a true impression of what your company is like and may even increase your reach.
Later, we'll discuss further advice about GBP images.
You can also configure Google Ads. But it's not necessary, and it won't affect how frequently your company appears in the unpaid organic search results.
Google automatically creates and updates information on businesses. Therefore, there may already be an unmanaged, unconfirmed listing of your company in Google's database.
Simply claim your listing and add it to your dashboard to complete the process.
By claiming your listing, you'll be able to make announcements, maintain the accuracy of your company information, and reply to comments and inquiries from clients.
Here are four simple methods to accomplish it:
Go to Google Maps and type in the name of your company.
If you can't discover your company in Maps, it's likely that the listing doesn't exist. In that situation, starting from scratch is required. (For a detailed explanation, refer to the previous section.)
Once you've located your company in Google Maps, check for the "Own this business?" or "Claim this business" links.
If you are unable to locate one of those buttons, one of two things has probably occurred:
You'll see a "Manage now" button on the following page. Press the button if you're certain the listing belongs to your company.
Click "I own or manage another business" to add a new entry if you realize the company is not yours.
By verifying your company, you may show Google that you actually run the business listing you're attempting to claim.
After you confirm ownership, Google will only permit you to manage your listing, i.e., reply to reviews or change information.
Again, you can use a live call, recorded call, email, postcard, or phone to confirm your listing.
You will be able to manage the business listing through your GBP Manager dashboard once you have confirmed that it is, in fact, yours.
Your existing business listing is likely already being controlled by another account if you can't see the "Claim this Business" option on it.
Here are the three steps to reclaiming the profile:
Search for your business on the Create page.
An existing listings drop-down menu from the Google database ought to appear. Choose the company listing you want to reclaim.
Google will check that another email address is the owner of the listing you want to claim.
If the email address belongs to you, sign into it to see the listing. Check out Google's Account Recovery tutorial if you've forgotten your log-in credentials for that email address.
Click the "Request Access" button if the email address is not yours.
After that, Google will ask you to provide some personal information, such as your name, phone number, the level of access you need, and your connection to the company.
Your request will be sent to the account holder who is in charge of managing your listing once you click submit. After that, they have three days to either approve your request or deny it.
If you don't hear from them, you might have been given the go-ahead to take control of your own profile. Look for the option to claim your business on your GBP Manager dashboard.
Seven days after you take over ownership of a firm, Google will provide you full management access to the new listing.
It's time to optimize your listing now that you've created or claimed it. Here are continuing actions you can take to keep your Google Business Profile optimized.
The most crucial data in your Google My Business profile is your NAP. Name, address, and phone number are represented by it.
Consistency in your NAP makes it easier for customers to recognize and locate your company. To prevent confusion, it's essential to maintain this information's consistency across all of your company's online representations.
Start by checking that everything in your business account is accurate.
Go to the "Info" page and confirm the accuracy of your company's name, address, and phone number.
Many SEOs also employ a technique known as call tracking, which entails employing various phone numbers that forward to your company's phone number. You can determine which channel the call originated from by doing this.
Here's a tip for using call tracking without harming NAP consistency:
Return to your Google My Business profile's "Info" tab and click the phone number field.
Add your usual company phone number as a "extra phone" number and your call tracking number as the "main phone" option.
You may keep your main phone line active while maintaining NAP consistency by adding it as an extra number.
You can include details about your company's history, goods, and services in your business descriptions.
Google advises using your business description to give useful details about your goods and services, as well as the goals and background of your company.
Instead of stuffing your description with as many keywords as you can, concentrate on delivering a relevant description.
Here are some more Google suggestions on what to leave out of your business description:
Read the complete list of recommendations for how to represent your company on Google for more details.
The moment has come to add some photographs to your Business Description in order to make yourself stand out.
Set your cover photo, which should be your company's emblem, as well as your profile picture first. Additionally, you can add more professional images to your Google My Business listing.
Exterior images, interior photos, product shots, pictures of your employees at work, and pictures of common spaces are a few examples of the kind of business photos you might include.
Here are GBP's recommended photo sizes:
Share deals, occasions, things to do, and services with Google Search and Maps directly through Google Posts. They are located in the "From the Owner" section toward the bottom of the business profile.
They appear as follows:
Posts may contain text, images, or video. You can create the following sorts of Google Posts:
This is how you make a post:
You must add a link after selecting the sort of button you like. When users click the button, they will be directed here.
Make adjustments as required.
Your post will be shown in GBP.
Make sure to add top-notch photos and update frequently in order to get the most out of your Google Posts.
Unless you select an "Event" post and specify a longer time range, posts are valid for seven days. There is no advantage to having more than two live posts at once, though, as only a few are accessible at once.
Ensure that your writing is succinct and to the point. Although there is a limit of 1,500 words, the preview only displays roughly 75–100 characters.
As a result, it's necessary to include any important information first. Events, offers, or business updates are a few examples.
Utilize Google Business Planner's Product Editor to highlight a well curated selection of products right on your company listing.
Your users can click on individual products to view more information if you create collections with at least three products and complete the required fields.
As such:
Small to medium-sized firms and sole proprietors in the majority of industries can use the Product Editor. On the other side, restaurants can make advantage of the Popular Dishes option.
How to add a product is as follows:
As one of the first results customers will see when they Google your company name, keeping an eye on your reviews is essential. Therefore, how consumers perceive your company, and its reputation is greatly influenced by Google reviews.
You can check your reviews manually if you'd prefer to do so by logging into your GBP account.
Offering rewards in exchange for customer reviews is against Google's rules and conditions.
However, you can prompt them to do so by including a link in emails, on receipts, or at the end of a chat session.
Log into GBP and look for the "Get more reviews" section directly in the Home tab to find the link for your customers to post reviews.
then select the "Share review form" button present there.
Your review form link will open in a new window. Copy it and send it to your clients.
By adding the responses to frequently asked questions directly to your profile, you can give crucial information up front. Customers can ask questions as well.
Here is an example of a customer question:
Make sure to respond to any inquiries from your clients. This will not only give your clients more recent information about your company, but it may also help establish your credibility and reputation.
Start by conducting a Google Maps search for your company to uncover those queries.
Choose your store, then navigate to the "Questions & answers" area of your GBP by scrolling down.
Select "More questions" from the menu.
In the "Others are asking" area at the top of the page, you'll find a carousel of unanswered queries, followed by a list of responses.
By selecting the "Answer this question" or "See all answers" buttons located at the bottom of each question box, you can respond to inquiries.
Post the proper response if you come across any out-of-date or wrong replies. Then, to report the incorrect response, click on the three dots next to the answer.
You can post your own queries as well. Think of this as a FAQ page.
Imagine you own a restaurant. Most clients are probably curious about your delivery policy. Ask the inquiry yourself using your personal account rather than waiting for a client to do so.
Log into your personal Google account and then use Maps to look for your company.
Post your query in the "Questions and answers" area of your GBP.
Change to your business account and respond to the query.
It's crucial to keep track of questions you receive because Google users can answer queries publicly as well. By doing this, you may prevent users from giving inaccurate answers to professional inquiries.
A good technique to highlight special features of your company is by using characteristics (or highlights).
Examples include "Women-led," "LGBTQ friendly," and "Accepts new patients."
On a live listing, attributes appear as follows:
Select the "Info" tab on your business profile, then scroll down to the "From the business" area to add attributes.
To edit, click the pencil symbol in the top-right corner of the box:
Depending on the type of business you are, different choices can be available.
Here are some possible restaurant characteristic choices:
Click "Apply" after making any business-related selections.
Your updates may not be published for up to three days.
To operate a Google Business Profile, a physical address isn't always required.
Businesses that go to their clients are also eligible, in addition to those with actual storefronts.
For instance, although most plumbers don't have a physical office or storefront, they can nevertheless manage a Google My Business Page.
When creating your account, you must enter your address, but you are not required to make it publicly visible.
In other words, you can manage a business profile if you interact with clients face-to-face.
Online-only corporations, rental or for-sale properties, and lead generating firms are a few examples of unsuitable businesses.
You probably don't want to make your address known if you work from home and visit your clients for the services you offer. (The requirement that all eateries use an address is the exception.)
Log in and use the "Info" page to hide your address from the public view on your GBP.
You probably don't want to make your address known if you work from home and visit your clients for the services you offer. (The requirement that all eateries use an address is the exception.)
Log in and use the "Info" page to hide your address from the public view on your GBP.
Locate your address and select it by clicking the pencil symbol.
The "clear address" button will appear in a pop-up window at the bottom. Feel free to click it.
A prompt informing you that your address will no longer be displayed but that clients in your vicinity can still find you will appear as soon as you click "clear address."
To save your settings, click "Apply" in the pop-bottom up's right corner.
Google will use the service area you specified to determine who your profile is relevant to after you remove your address to determine this. To ensure that your business is still found by potential clients, double-check that your service areas are accurate.
Go back to the "Info" tab to find your service area. The "Service areas" setting is located immediately below your address.
When you click the pencil, a pop-up box will appear where you can edit or add to your current service regions.
To save your settings, click "Apply" in the pop-bottom up's right corner.
Google will use the service area you specified to determine who your profile is relevant to after you remove your address to determine this. To ensure that your business is still found by potential clients, double-check that your service areas are accurate.
Go back to the "Info" tab to find your service area. The "Service areas" setting is located immediately below your address.
When you click the pencil, a pop-up box will appear where you can edit or add to your current service regions.
You can add service areas by entering the streets, cities, and states that you serve in the pop-up window. By clicking the "x" next to existing locations, you can easily delete existing service regions.
You may list multiple locations from a single account if you are the manager of more than one GBP-eligible business.
These "Business Groups" offer a secure solution for several users to share administrative capabilities (which is helpful for agencies working on many accounts).
Here's how you grant an organization, colleague, or management access to a collection of places:
If you need to add a lot of locations, you can import a list or add each location individually.
Log into your Google Business Profile first to alter the listing's address.
Then take these actions:
Look for the red "Set marker location" button that displays above the map of your city on the right if Google is unable to locate the address. Simply select "Set marker placement."
You can move the red pin to the exact center of your location on a map that will then emerge.
Note: You can move the pin to make it easier for customers to discover your storefront if it is situated in a hard-to-find area, such as the middle of a mall.
When finished, press "apply." A Google My Business Page may need a few days to examine the edit before it is made public.
Picking a business category that is as closely related to your firm as you can is recommended practice. In this manner, Google and your clients can both understand what you do.
There are nearly 4,000 GBP categories available right now. However, you might discover that the ideal category for your company is still lacking.
Choose a slightly wider possible category if you can't locate the precise category you're looking for.
Let's imagine, for illustration, that you run a package-forwarding business like Kwikshipper. That category is not available in GBP.
Select the marginally more inclusive "Shipping and Mailing Service" category instead. It's an excellent choice because it's a little less specific yet still pertinent.
Within your Google Business Profile account, labels let you categorize various listings. Using labels will help you quickly find the listing you're looking for if your account contains multiple listings.
Please take note that these are purely organizational in nature and have no bearing on how well your listings perform.
You may decide to label your listings by region (for example, "East Coast" and "West Coast") if you are in charge of handling GBP listings for a national company.
Each label can only be 50 characters long and you can apply up to 10 labels per location. The "Advanced Information'" part of the "Info" tab contains the possibility to add labels: