Today, it’s not so much of a question whether a business needs an online presence, but rather exactly what kind of presence it needs. For some, it makes sense to be active on Instagram alongside their website to find their target audience, for others Facebook is more rewarding (or just more enjoyable and therefore easier to stick to posting regularly), there are TikTok success stories, but there is one platform that is useful for everyone. And that is Google Business Profile.
When I say Google Business Profile, not everyone knows what I’m talking about. What if I say Google Maps? You can get on there by registering with a company profile.
What exactly is a Google Business Profile?
Apart from being that “little block there on the rightside with the map and photo” on the search result pages, in terms of its function I can best compare it to a retro phone book with the most powerful performance boosters. If the phone book is me, when I was in the sixth grade and the boys pushed me into the water before I could tell them I couldn’t swim but I didn’t drown yet, then Google Business Profile is comparable to Michael Phelps. In his heyday. You know, when the rumor was that he must be a UFO. Or a dolphin.
So it’s much more than just a business directory or a phone book or a nice red dot on a map, because in addition to listing contact details, it also gives you the opportunity to:
- visually display yourself on the map, with all your contact details
- upload photos of your shop/products/routes to get to you
- share your services
- your opening hours (this is handy for customers and convenient for you, as they won't call you when you're closed)
- you can easily update information (for example, if you go on holiday; set temporary opening hours for something; share periodic promotions, etc.)
- collect feedback from your customers and clients, which you can read to reach potential customers
- be found through Google search even if your website is not yet ready (did you know that Google's search bots don't scan your social media pages, but they do scan the information you put on your own Google Business Profile?)
- and, most importantly, you'll know exactly how your customers are finding your company through statistics
No matter what kind of business you have, an online presence is increasingly important to get found – whether it’s through search engines, sharing on social media or personal recommendations, online presence is important.
What are the downsides of not having a business profile?
Imagine you’re new to the area and you’re hungry, you don’t have any food at home and it would be nice to get out of the house anyway and have a burger. You do a quick search to see if there’s a burger place nearby. There isn’t. You look at the map, there’s nothing but a not very trustworthy takeaway. So you go to the convenience store you’ve discovered is open two blocks from you, grab a sandwich. Then on your way home from work the next day, you pass one and notice that there’s a burger joint in the next street. And yet, the day before, you almost had to eat a dry fry-up just because they didn’t register themselves on Google Maps.
Don’t be the business that disappoints anyone like that! Be easy to find!
Google is the most used search engine in the world – and if everyone is searching there anyway, it wouldn’t be stupid to register in the business directory it creates, would it?
Yet, even in 2023, almost half of local businesses will still be doing business without a Google Business Profile. That means two things:
- if you're one of the half that hasn't registered, now's the time, register now!
- And if you're one of the half who have already registered, it's time to improve your Google Business Profile interface so that it's not just a profile, but actually helps you reach more customers
Who is ideal to use Google Business Profile?
Essentially, anyone who wants their business to appear in a prominent place in the search results – because while it’s important to do search engine optimization for your website, it’s quite a task to appear on the first page of a search engine for a specific topic. On the other hand, if someone searches for “hamburger [your neighborhood]”, you have a much better chance of appearing either on the map or as one of the three businesses highlighted below the map than you do with a single blog post or sub-page.
DID YOU KNOW? You can “hunt down” not only searches where the place is named in the search, but also searches that are only for a specific thing, as Google will look at where the searcher is and recommend people who are nearby for greater success.
It is particularly important for those who serve customers within a certain physical area and therefore need to be local, such as location-based shops, restaurants, gyms, etc.
Alternatively, it is almost essential for those who provide a service where they go out of their way to serve customers at an off-site location, but within a certain area – for example, electricians, masseurs who go out to their homes or locksmiths who go out at weekends.
Have you ever Googled “emergency locksmith?” – well, the most important thing in such cases is the presence of a Google Business Profile. No one will spend days or weeks searching, asking friends if they can recommend someone, scrolling through the list of professional names and the 56th page of search engines to find the right one. You need help fast!
If you provide a service where people often search for “… near you” or “… in x city”, you MUST register!
Here are some businesses for whom Google provides this very powerful (and free) tool to make it even easier for them to get new customers:
- dentists
- private practices
- restaurants, cafés, ice-cream parlors, corner pubs and trendy bars
- accommodation providers
- beauty salons, wax saloons, gyms
- dog schools, vets and animal shelters
- any business or shop with a physical outlet (pharmacy, health food shop, toy shop, laptop shop, car repair shop or even a hobby shop)
- plumbers, industrial alpinists, roofers or electricians, i.e. any service provider who “goes out” to repair, install, save from leaks/rat infestations in a particular area
You can set up a Google Business Profile yourself, you don’t need anything more than a gmail address, and you can set up the most basic information (or leave it to a professional who will do it faster and you will most certainly not miss anything):
- business name, contact details and description, i.e. a short introduction
- opening hours (you can change the opening hours by the day, you can even set a temporary break during holidays, or Google will email you before a holiday to ask if you want to change the opening hours and you can change them with just a few clicks)
- list of products or services
- photos, videos
- blog posts (not short story length, but you can do better than an IG post)
You don’t have to set all of this up, but the more information you provide, the more trustworthy your business will be in the eyes of the public. Search engine optimization also includes improving and constantly updating your Google Business Profile. For small local businesses, this is perhaps even more important than optimizing your website.
Make sure that you always provide accurate information, that the address and any contact details you provide match what they find on the website (Google compares these and uses them to decide whether you are trustworthy and consistent and can send enquiries to you), and upload some photos at the start that inspire confidence!
If you want to spice up your profile a bit, update it regularly (relax, you don’t need to do it as often as you do with Instagram or Facebook, just one update a week), for example:
- create posts (you can also repurpose your social media posts or blog posts with a bit of a makeover)
- regularly ask your customers for feedback
- if you get questions, always answer them (Google likes to see that you respond quickly to customers)
- always update your opening hours if something changes
Well, that’s the first dose of the most important things to know about Google Business Profile. If you want help with setting up your profile, just e-mail me and I’ll help you with the decision if it’s really for you and if yes, which one of my services would be the most beneficial for you.
