Google Business Profile
Maximise your local search volume
Google Business Profile
Maximise your local search volume
What is a Google Business Profile?
A Google Business Profile is a free listing provided by Google. It allows your business to show in local search results and is integrated with Google Maps, making it easier for customers to find you.
Every successful business knows that an effective online presence is essential to reach potential customers. Moreover, a Google Business Profile is one tool that can boost your digital visibility. With a Google Business Profile, you can control your business’s appearance on Google Search and Maps. It is where people will find your contact information, website, hours of operation, and more.
Hence, by optimising your Google Business Profile, you increase your chances of showing up in local search results. It means more traffic to your website and more customers walking through your door. A professional and detailed Google Business Profile is necessary for any business looking to increase its online visibility.
The Main Factors That Influence Rankings On Google Maps
The ranking on Google Maps is influenced by several key factors that Google uses to determine the most relevant and useful results for users. These factors include:
1. Relevance
- Business Information: How well a business listing matches the user’s search query. Ensure that your Google Business Profile (GBP) profile is complete and includes detailed descriptions, categories, services, and keywords related to your business.
- Keywords in Reviews: Reviews that include relevant keywords (such as products or services you offer) can help signal relevance to Google.
2. Proximity
- User’s Location: Google prioritizes businesses that are geographically close to the user at the time of the search. Even if a business has more reviews or better ratings, a closer competitor may rank higher for a nearby user.
- Service Area: If your business services a broader area, make sure your service area is accurately defined in your GBP listing.
3. Prominence
- Online Presence: Prominence is based on how well-known or popular a business is online. It takes into account factors like:
- Number of Reviews: Businesses with more reviews (especially high-quality reviews) tend to rank higher.
- Overall Ratings: A high average star rating is beneficial.
- Mentions Across the Web: Being mentioned in reputable websites, directories, or local news can boost your prominence.
- Backlinks: Links to your business website from high-authority sites can increase prominence.
- Local Citations: Listings in online directories like Yelp, TripAdvisor, or local business directories also contribute to prominence.
4. Review Quality and Quantity
- Review Volume: A higher number of reviews generally leads to better rankings, but quality is just as important as quantity.
- Star Rating: Businesses with consistently high ratings (4-5 stars) are more likely to rank higher.
- Recency of Reviews: Fresh, recent reviews show that your business is active and relevant, which can positively impact rankings.
- Review Responses: Regularly responding to reviews (both positive and negative) shows engagement and may boost visibility.
5. Google Business Profile (GBP) Optimization
- Complete Profile: Having a fully optimized and detailed GBP profile is essential. Include up-to-date information such as:
– Business name
– Address
– Phone number (NAP consistency across all listings)
– Business hours
– Website URL
– Categories and services
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- Photos and Videos: Regularly adding photos, videos, and posts about your business can improve engagement and rankings.
- Attributes: Add relevant business attributes (like “Wheelchair Accessible,” “Outdoor Seating,” etc.) to improve relevance.
6. Engagement and User Activity
- Customer Actions: The number of users interacting with your listing (clicks, calls, requests for directions) is a positive ranking signal.
- Posting Regular Updates: Keeping your profile active with posts (e.g., promotions, new products/services, events) helps increase engagement.
- Local Guides and User Contributions: Reviews and updates from Google’s Local Guides may carry more weight and help improve your ranking.
7. NAP Consistency (Name, Address, Phone Number)
- Ensure that your business’s name, address, and phone number are consistent across all online platforms (GBP, website, social media, directories). Inconsistent information can harm your ranking.
8. Website and SEO
- Website Optimization: A well-optimized website that links to your GBP profile helps improve your ranking. Ensure your website has relevant keywords and fast loading speeds.
- Mobile Friendliness: As more users search on mobile devices, having a mobile-optimized website can positively impact your ranking.
- Local SEO: Ensure your website is optimized for local SEO, including local keywords, content, and schema markup.
9. User Behaviour
- Click-Through Rates (CTR): The number of clicks your listing receives from Google Maps and Search influences its ranking.
- Driving Directions Requests: Frequent requests for driving directions to your business signal user interest and can boost your ranking.
- Calls from Listing: More phone calls made directly from your GBP listing can improve its ranking.
By focusing on these factors and optimizing your GBP profile, website, and local SEO strategy, you can improve your rankings on Google Maps.
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We will help you get the most from your Google Business Profile
What Are The Benefits Of A Google Business Profile?
When people are searching for a product or service, Google considers all the relevant local business profiles and shows a selection within the Maps. With the increase in mobile searches, your business profile is a fast way to be found. Therefore, allowing customers to access your website, call you, get directions to your business, and read reviews. All from one easy access point.
If you use all the features of the Business Profile, Google will favour you in the results.
How Do We Help You?
If you don’t have a Google Business Profile, we will create one for you and verify it by Google. Whether it’s a new listing or you already have one, we can update it. We add as much information as possible, using all the relevant features.
Some listings can be challenging to verify, or duplicates occur. We can help you if you’ve been caught in that process and you’re frustrated with the difficulty of it all.
If you don’t have time to manage your listing, we can also look after that for you. In consultation with you, we can write regular, relevant posts, which will improve the relevance of your listing. This keeps Google happy.
Verify Problematic Profiles
Let us take over the process if you’ve been trying to verify your profile and run out of patience. Yet, we’ve been able to help many others when the process has become too complicated.
Create New Profiles
The creation and verification of your profile is the first step to growing your online presence with Google.
Update Existing Profiles
If your profile has been active for a while and you’ve never done anything with it, we can update it and ensure it uses all the features. Thus, this will give you a better chance to show in the search results.
Managing Profiles
For our clients who understand the significance of their profile, we manage it on an ongoing basis. Nonetheless, we ensure all the features are used to their advantage and any new features get added quickly. Yet, we write regular posts and update photos to keep the profile fresh and on Google’s radar.
Tell us about your business
Indeed, our team is ready to work with you and help you grow your business by improving your online presence.