As a business, you want to make sure your profile is optimized on Google so that it appears higher on results pages and gets more customers to view your profile and website. There are numerous ways to do so, and they all work hand-in-hand to help you achieve the best results. Learn how to optimize your Google Business Profile using these simple methods below.
Ensure Your Profile Is Complete And Updated
Would you want to dine at a restaurant or go shopping in a clothing store when the store is half complete? Probably not. The same goes for your Google Business Profile. A customer is not going to want to visit your website or make purchases if your profile is half complete. So, when creating or modifying your profile, ensure that you are filling out all fields with accurate and updated information. Google acts as a matchmaker between a business and customers. However, Google can only create that match with the information that you give them in your profile. If your Google Business Profile is complete and accurate, then Google will be able to match you with more customers.
Choose the Right Categories and Attributes
When you set up your Google Business Profile, you are prompted to select categories and attributes that best fit your business. These categories and attributes can help your profile appear on more potential customers’ results pages when they search for products or services related to your business. Business categories are broader, such as “American Restaurant”, “Bar & Grill”, “Ice Cream Shop”, and more. On the other hand, attributes are much more specific and help further describe your brand, such as “Wheelchair Accessible”, “Free Parking”, “Pets Welcome”, “Takeout and Delivery”, etc. You can view the full list of attributes Google has created here. However, be careful not to select too many categories and attributes, as it can make your profile look cluttered.
Verify your Business’ Location
If your business is a restaurant in Pennsylvania, your Google Business Profile is obviously not going to appear on a results page of a person who lives in Florida and is searching for restaurants near them. Google Business Profile is built on local search. So, you’ll want to verify your address through Google’s verification process. There are different methods of verifying, but Google makes it simple to do so. If you are having some trouble, go back and read through our getting started section for more detailed instructions.
*Link to going back to earlier section in blog*
Having your location verified on your profile is a great way to get more potential customers to view your profile. When users search “restaurants near me”, their location compared to your business’ verified location on your profile can drastically improve results and clicks.
Include Keywords
Including keywords in your Google Business Profile is a great way to optimize and improve your ranking on Google searches. You’ll want to include the most common terms that most people use to describe your business. You can include these in your business description, categories, and attributes. However, you will want to do this with caution. Adding too many keywords in unnatural ways can actually hurt your ranking. Ensure that the keywords you use are relevant to your business and are incorporated in natural ways within your profile.
Optimizing your Google Business Profile is an excellent start. However, consumers also turn to Google reviews to help with their purchase decisions. While you can’t just create Google Reviews for your own business, there are methods to help encourage your customers to write them.
