Google Business Profile - The Secret to Local SEO Success

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As a small business owner, you know that SEO is critical to being found online. But what you may not know is that your Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) can be an invaluable tool for local SEO success.

In this post, we'll show you how to create and optimize your business profile so that your business can be found in local search results.

Introduction

Since most customers are looking for local businesses, showing up in local search results is critical for your business. But how can you make sure your business shows up?

The answer is Google Business Profile.

Google Business Profile is a free listing that allows businesses to control how they appear in Google search results. When you claim and confirm your listing, you can add important information about your business, such as hours of operation, website, and even photos.

You can also manage your business' reviews and respond to customer feedback.

Sounds good so far, right? And it is! But there's a catch: it's a hidden gem, and it can be difficult to realize its true potential if you do not know what to do. So read along...

What is local SEO?

Local SEO is the process of optimizing your online presence to rank higher in search results for local search queries.

This is done by enhancing your website, social media profiles, and other online listings such as Google Business Profile for your business name, address, and phone number (local citations). 

Unlike other forms of search engine optimization that focus on modifying your website for global keywords, local SEO is about making your website more visible to people searching for businesses like yours in their area. 

By improving your online presence for local search, you increase your chances of being found by potential customers when they are ready to buy. 

What is a Google Business Profile?

A Google Business Profile is a free powerful online marketing tool that allows companies to enhance their online presence on the world's largest search engine, Google.

It enables businesses to easily manage their information on Google search and maps, ensuring that their customers can find accurate and up-to-date information about their products or services.

The tool also allows businesses to receive and respond to customer questions, which can help to build trust and credibility with potential customers.

For your business, why is it important?

According to Hubspot:

• 46% of all Google searches seek local information.

• 72% of consumers that did a local search visited a store within five miles.

• “Near me” or "close by" type searches grew by more than 900% over two years.

Google Business Profile is a powerful, free, and easy-to-use tool for businesses and organizations.

By reviewing and editing business information and photos, and interacting with customers, businesses can connect with their customers in a meaningful way.

For small businesses, it can be a valuable way to manage and connect with customers while for larger organizations, it can be a powerful tool for increasing brand awareness and customer loyalty.

Other benefits include:

• It can help businesses reach their target audience.

• Listings appear in Google Search and Google Maps, so businesses can control their visibility.

• It allows them to post updates, offer coupons, and more.

• It provides insights into how customers find and interact with businesses.

• It's free to use and setting up a listing is easy.

• You can engage with customers through your business profile.

• It increases foot traffic to your physical shop.

How to create a Google My Profile

A simple and free tool can be created in minutes by businesses and organizations. Follow these steps to create a business account if you don't already have one.

1. Go to Sign into your Gmail account.

2. Sign in to your Google Account, or create one. 

   1. Sign up with your business email domain if you create a new Google Account.

3. Enter the name of your business. Then, click Next. 

   • You may also be able to select your business from the list of suggested businesses as you type. 

   • If you get a message that someone else has already verified the business, request ownership of the Business Profile.

4. Search for and select a business category. Then, click Next. 

5. Choose whether you have a location customers can visit.

   • For businesses with a storefront staffed during business hours: Click Yes.

     • You may be asked to enter your business address or position a marker on a map for the location of your businesses. When finished, click Next.

   • For businesses that do not have a storefront staffed during business hours: Click No.

6. Enter the service area of your business.

   • You can set your service area based on the cities, postal codes, or other areas that you serve.

7. Enter a phone number and website URL. Then, click Next.

   • You also have the option to create a website.

8. Click Finish.

9. Select a verification option.

10. To verify now: At the top, find the red banner and click Verify now.

    • To verify later: Click Verify later  Later.

    • If you’re not authorized to manage the Business Profile for the chain: Find the person in your organization who’s authorized and continue the process.

Read 11 Free SEO Tools To Improve Your Website’s Search Engine Ranking

Tips to optimize your Business Profile 

By perfecting your Google My Business listing, you can improve your visibility in search and attract more customers to your business. 

Here are some tips:

1. Choose the right business category.

2. Enter every detail on your profile.

3. Add photos and videos.

4. Use the right keywords.

5. Publish Google posts regularly.

6. Maintain your Business Profile

7. Respond to all reviews, both positive and negative.

8. Add your products and/or services.

How to get more reviews 

Google Business Profile is a great way to make your business more visible on the internet. One of the best ways to differentiate your business from other businesses is to have many positive reviews.

Reviews show potential customers that your business is reliable and provides good customer service. Getting even more reviews sometimes seems like an arduous task, but it's quite simple.

All you need to do are some of these things:

1. Encourage your satisfied customers to leave a review on your profile page.

2. Respond to negative reviews you receive professionally and helpfully.

3. Create a system for collecting reviews from your customers.

4. Make it easy for your customers to leave reviews by including a link to your Business profile on your website and in your email signature.

5. Encourage your visitors to leave reviews by offering incentives such as discounts or coupons.

6. Make it a company-wide policy to actively seek out and respond to reviews, both positive and negative.

By following these steps, you can quickly and easily improve your company's online presence and reputation.

Why Reviews Matter

If you've ever looked up a local business on Google Maps, you've probably noticed the listings that appear in the search results.

These listings include important information about the business, such as the address, phone number, hours of operation, and user-generated reviews.

Reviews serve as an indicator of the reliability of your business. They show potential customers that you provide good customer service and are trustworthy enough to buy from you again in the future.

This is important because it can increase both your Google ranking (as these reviews feed into Google's search algorithm) and your trustworthiness, leading to an increase in website visitors and potential customers.

They can also help to increase click-through rates and conversion rates.

If you're not already taking advantage of customer reviews now is the time to start.

Encourage your happy customers to leave reviews and monitor your listing regularly to respond to all the reviews.

Managing Your Listing 

A well-managed listing is essential for any business that wants to be visible in search results. Therefore, it is important that your listing is up-to-date and accurate.

After all, your listing will show up when someone searches for your business on Google. Therefore, all the information must be correct.

As we mentioned earlier, you need to submit your entry to get started. Once you have submitted and reviewed your listing, you can manage it and add important information about your business.

Updating and correcting your listing is important to ensure that your business appears in relevant search results.

Conclusion

Google Business Profile is the secret to success in local search engine optimization and a powerful tool to manage your online information, connect with customers and generate leads.

By taking remedial action in your listing, you can improve your visibility in search results and attract more customers to your business.

If you need help getting started or have a problem, contact us here. We are one of the leading SEO companies in Nairobi.

We are an authorized Google Business Profile agency and are happy to help you in any way we can.

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