4 reasons you should be using Google Business Profile
**Edit as of August 2022: Google My Business is not a thing anymore. Now it’s called Google Business Profile. So I’ve updated this article, you lucky duck.
Everybody knows that making Google happy is good for business. But lots of business owners don’t know Google provides a super-useful free marketing tool.
Before you spend big bucks on marketing, be sure that you’ve updated your Google Business Profile.
In fact, in a recent (non-scientific Instagram) study, researchers (OK, it was Martha) found that 78% of our (very switched on) followers aren’t using this super-useful tool.
Did I mention it’s free? There is no premium version — every business has access to all of the benefits.
For no money, people.
Here are 4 reasons why you should give a shit about Google Business Profile.
Google Business Profile helps keep your people updated
At the beginning of COVID-19, things were changing all the time. I’m not talking daily. Hourly. It seemed like it went from ‘wash your hands a bit more,’ to ‘leave your house under pain of death’ over the course of a few days.
Google My Business was very handy at that stage. In fact, it’s been handy to business owners throughout the pandemic. The site gives you the option to update your customers about any changes to your business that have happened due to the virus.
It’s super handy in non-pandemic times, too. Any change to your hours, parking, accessibility to your premises or the way that you trade can seriously affect your customers’ experience. Popping the important information on Google My Business will give your clients the best chance of seeing it, so they can plan accordingly.
Google Business Profile reviews give serious street cred
After I complete a project, I’m in the habit of emailing the client with a link to my GBP. I politely ask them for a review (and even give some prompts, because not everyone can waffle on and on and on like I can).
Here’s the key:
I ask them to pop their review straight into my GMB page.
I do this for a couple of reasons:
Google Business Profile reviews are serious social capital. If a prospective client sees that you’ve got lots of 5-star reviews on the platform, it’ll make them feel more confident about your product or service. If you’ve got no reviews at all, that will also make an impression. And it won’t be a great one.
Importantly, the only way to get reviews on Google Business Profile is to ask your clients to load them. You can’t do this on the client’s behalf. So I ask clients to pop reviews straight into the platform, then I use them to my heart’s content in other places! Asking clients to write a review, getting it by email, then asking them to put it in Google Business Profile is a lot of steps. By streamlining the process, it’s less likely to annoy the client, and more likely to reap the benefits of their Google Business Profile review. Winning.
Google Business Profile puts you on the map
Literally. Part of the registration process is claiming your spot on Google Maps. ‘But,’ I hear you say ‘I’ve got an online business and I don’t want people to know where my house is!’ Copy that. You can still choose an area though, and even though you don’t have an address listed, your business will show up on the map.
For a bricks and mortar business, this is even more important. Let’s say you own a gift shop. When users search for a gift shop in your area, it’s critical that your business comes up. And often Google Business Profile results will come up before the organic search results.
Not only that, you can upload photos of the inside and outside of your business, your employees, your products — and all of these things give prospective clients more information about what they’ll experience when they interact with your business.
Google Business Profile is great for SEO
When it comes to local SEO, it doesn’t get any better than Google Business Profile. Particularly in cities, more and more people are using the words ‘near me’ in their search. For example, someone looking for a coffee shop might Google ‘coffee shops near me’. If your listing is posted and optimised, you’ll turn up in local searches.
Google My Business is also linked to the rest of the Google gang (think Ads, Maps, Analytics). Optimising all as many of your Google tools as possible is the best way to make the Google monster happy. And making that monster happy is the best way to turn up in user search results.
Make the most of Google Business Profile
Sure, it might take a bit of time to set up, but it’s easy and fun. And the benefits far outweigh the investment of time up front. You can get your account up and running in about 20 minutes, so why not give it a crack this weekend? Google has tons of resources to help you out, too!
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Martha Barnard-Rae is a Denmark WA-based SEO copywriter. She supports businesses in Denmark, Albany, the Great Southern and beyond with all the wordy things they need to stand out in the best possible way.
Her words live on the websites, blogs, videos, emails, and socials of businesses all over Australia. An accomplished speaker, Martha helps brands, business owners, schools, and Government Departments understand what they need to do to find their voices.
Martha holds an Honours Degree in English and a Master’s Degree in Education — communication truly lights her up. When she’s not crafting delicious words, you’ll find her walking two giant pooches, practicing her ukulele, or wrapped around a cup of tea, planning out her next Instagram reel.
To stay up to date, join the Word Candy crew on Instagram, or connect with Martha on LinkedIn.