Why Have A Google Business Profile? (& What Can It Do For Your Business?)
When you search for information about a business or service on Google, what do you see? Not long ago, the results would’ve been dominated mostly by basic website listings or a selection of pay-per-click ads vying for your attention. However, search engine results pages (SERPs) have become far more intelligent and user-focused in recent years and are increasingly displaying individual, map-based listings at the very top of the page. These listings are called Google Business Profiles, and your business must have one if it wants to be found online.
What Is A Google Business Profile?
A Google Business Profile – formerly referred to as Google My Business Page – is a free listing that allows you to manage how your business appears across Google’s services. This profile can be shown in both the Maps and Search infrastructure, both in response to searches for your business name as well as broader searches for services relevant to what your business offers.
Regardless of exactly where your Google Business Profile is displayed, it will typically display a range of key information, including your name, services offered and contact details. It’s interactive, too, and customers can leave reviews, ask questions, and send you messages – all without even visiting your website.
Benefits Of Having A Google Business Profile
The most obvious reason why you must have a Google Business Profile is simple: if you’re not on the map, you’re not going to be found. Google isn’t able to perform magic (although it does feel like that sometimes!), and if you haven’t set up a listing yourself, it won’t just suddenly appear. This immediately makes you less visible compared to your competitors, particularly those who are fighting for the same local business as you.
That said, validating that you exist is just the beginning of why you need to get your profile firing properly.
1. Your Audience Makes Decisions On Maps
People don’t want to dig for information, and Google Business Profiles mean that they don’t have to by displaying everything they might need to make a decision in a single pane. Reviews, opening times and images are all visible in one place and, crucially, next to other options too. If you’re not that keen on the look of one business or can’t quite tell if it offers the kind of service you want, it’s dangerously easy to go elsewhere and scroll to the next.
Your audience can also convert directly from your Google Business Profile if you are giving off the right first impression. Functionality in this space is vast and keeps evolving, with options available to let prospective customers call, visit, and even book or order directly from the map listing. This behaviour directly answers the question of why have a Google Business Profile: because it’s where decisions are made. Our Google Business Profile pictured below highlights the range of information you can display to your audience:
2. The Local SEO Impact Is Massive
If you’re wondering why have a Google Business Profile from a local SEO perspective, the answer lies in how Google ranks local businesses in Maps and search results.
When someone searches for a service near them, like ‘plumber near me’ or ‘local solicitors’, Maps results display more often than standard search results. This section of the SERP commands serious attention; in fact, when it does appear, it captures as much as 44% of all clicks, which is vastly more than other channels like paid ads or other organic listings.
Making sure that your profile contains the kind of information that Google likes is therefore key. This means selecting the correct business categories, having the right contact details, and keeping opening times up to date. Driving reviews and user contributions to your profile also signals to Google that you’re active, trustworthy and authentic, and it’s these characteristics that it is looking for when it decides which listings to display first.
3. You Can Use It To Build Trust
As we’ve touched upon above, the information you put into your Google Business Profile is just part of the picture. It also displays contributions made by your customers and clients, such as reviews and questions. It’s this information that new audiences value most highly when deciding if they want to do business with you.
With this in mind, your Google Business Profile can be a valuable tool for trust building and showing that you’re reliable. Of course, the reviews themselves begin to validate your service, but the way you respond to them and any other queries raised on the profile all go a long way towards conveying that your business is open, legitimate, and cares.
How To Set Up A Google Business Profile
Setting up a Google Business Profile and enjoying the benefits it can offer is pretty straightforward. The setup can all be done within an existing Google account (or you can create one for free if you don’t have one associated with your business email address) by navigating to the Google Business section. From there, you’ll have to provide some general information to initially populate the profile, including business name and category.
Before your listing can go live, you will be asked to verify the business. This used to be done via a postcard sent to your physical address, but now it’s also possible to verify via text, email, or by submitting a video to prove your business is located where you say it is.
It’s important that you set up and verify your profile through an email address and Google account you’ll always have access to, like a central admin or enquiries email. Problems can occur if there are any issues with verification, or you need to reverify in the future but can’t get hold of the person it is linked to.
Maintaining A Google Business Profile
Once you’re set up with a Google Business Profile, there are loads of things you can do to maintain your presence effectively. The best results are achieved by maintaining an active presence and posting updates, responding to reviews, and giving things like images and contact details a good refresh every once in a while. This consistency will be rewarded by Google in SEO terms, and your customers will notice it too.
If your business wants to make the most from its Google Business Profile, we can help. At Fuel, our digital marketing experts are able to help with all aspects of setup and maintenance, ensuring that your listing is both present and performing. Most importantly, we can work with you to ensure your efforts are aligned with your wider web and SEO goals and that you get both seen and chosen in all of the right places.
Whether you’re entirely new to the idea of a Google Business Profile or want to make your current SEO efforts work more effectively, please do get in touch with us and we can help you map things out.
