Did you know that Google is the world’s most visited website and currently holds more than 92% of the search engine market share? Google created Google Business Profiles (formerly known as Google My Business) to assist businesses of all sizes that deal directly with customers in attracting new customers. Your Google Business Profile is a super powerful free tool, you just have to optimize it for your business. We’ll go over a few quick and easy ways to get the most out of it.
Google currently determines local search ranking on three factors:
Relevance – How well your Google Business Profile matches a search
Distance – How far your location is from the search or searcher
Prominence – How well-known your business is (based on factors like links, number of reviews, review score, how often you update your profile and SEO)
Let’s start with Relevance and how you can make your profile more relevant to your customers. Updating your profile with correct and up to date information such as logo, address, phone number, website, messaging preferences and hours. Adding and expanding on the services that you offer will assist in customers identifying your company as well. Instead of just putting Pressure Washing as your sole service, expand on that with services like Power Washing, Pressure Cleaning, Roof Cleaning, Concrete Cleaning, Siding Cleaning, etc. By applying these service terms, you’re helping clients find you by becoming more searchable.
Our next point will be distance and how far you are from customers that are searching for you. Verified business locations are more likely to show in local search results across Google products like Maps and the Search function. Verifying your location also helps with improving your score for the distance ranking factor. You’ll need to verify your location(s) if you have not already done so. If you skipped this step in the past, you can request a verification postcard directly in your profile at https://business.google.com
There are multiple ways you can help boost your prominence on Google.From photos to engagement along with updating your information regularly, Google plays better with businesses that actively utilize their platform.
With Snappy Post Marketing’s services, we automatically post Monday through Friday on your Google Business Profile, which greatly boosts your presence. Google also recommends adding real images and videos to your profile, this includes photos and videos of your team, your vehicles, your office and your personal work. According to Google, businesses with photos receive more requests and clicks through their websites than those without.
Encouraging past customers to review your Google Business Profile is easy. We recommend sharing your review request link with your customer along with a before and after photo that they can easily upload to their review. This will increase visibility and trust with new customers and helps to improve your Google ranking. We always recommend responding professionally to all reviews in a voice that represents your brand. If responding to a negative review, always be honest and offer an apology when warranted. You can have 100 5-star reviews and 1 negative review and people will search out that negative to see how the business handled it on their end. You always want to respond calmly and professionally, even when emotions are high.
So while many only think of Google to be associated with the paid Google Ads, it’s important to remember that Google does assist small businesses by providing the free Google Business Profile, you just have to put the work in to make it work for you.
