How many times do you use Google or Chrome a day? How many times a day are your potential customers using these browsers? The most important question for your business is whether you are currently making the most of your Google Business Profile listing (which is free).

It’s easier to keep things updated that you see all the time. Websites, brochures and social media are reviewed more frequently, but Google Business Profiles are often overlooked (or even forgotten). They’re the more visual listing appearing to the right of the search results when a customer browses a company’s name.

By way of a test, check what comes up on Google when a potential new customer searches for you. How current is your Google Business Profile listing? Is it as impressive and up-to-date with information as your website?

Making your Google Business Profile work hard for you

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Here are 10 tips to ensure your free listing on Google performs well for you. In particular, it should encourage more new customers to click through and find out more about your company on its website, or call you direct.

Getting set up

You can set up and access your profile via the My Business area of your Google account. If you don’t have an account already, this is where you can sign up. It has lots of useful information to help you get started — see here.

To set up the account, you’ll need some key details about the business. Remember to add your social media links, too, as people will often look for you there.

Be visual

Great pictures that tell your business ‘story’ on your Google Business Profile are powerful. They shouldn’t be just standard pictures of your premises or your logo. Be more creative and appealing by including pictures of your team, your products, positive activities your company gets involved in, your team and customers in action, etc. Be warm, welcoming, and engaging in your images’ themes.

Regularly update

Once you’ve set everything up, ensure someone is responsible for regularly checking and refreshing the listing. You can create extra impact if your listing adapts to play to seasonality or specific customer interests and search phrases that are relevant to you.

Check that published phone numbers are being answered at all times (or have a voicemail facility checked regularly) and that other contact details are correct.

Make the most of posts

Google also lets you add posts to your listing, as you would with your social media channels. Do make the most of these. You can use them to promote offers, events, news, etc. Some examples here would be if you’re hosting an event or special offer for new customers. You can add this to your profile so that people can see the information and then head to your website to get more details or sign up.

Sharing posts is another way to reach out to potential customers. If you’ve launched a new product or the team has grown due to recent successes, tell people about it. Collectively, posts demonstrate that you’re active and your business is successful, which will appeal to people

Answer questions

Another great tactic is to answer frequently asked questions on your listing, too. This will help customers by giving them information for their queries and encouraging them to find out more. It makes you look more attentive, customer-focused, and proactive – all helpful in making you stand out from the competition.

Don’t forget your opening times

We all know that standard opening hours change, whether that’s due to bank holidays, staff away days etc. Do keep the opening times area of your Google Business Profile listing current. Nothing is worse than someone thinking you’re open and ringing or turning up only to find the doors closed!

Your opening times will also help to manage expectations when customers might hear back from you. If they encounter radio silence in response to an enquiry, they’ll go to one of your more responsive competitors.

The power of reviews

Encouraging happy customers to post reviews to your Google Listing is so important.  Research has shown that 89% of customers won’t take action until they read reviews, and 15% of users don’t trust businesses without reviews.

Fortunately, Google provides a helpful link for you to send to customers, making the process very quick and easy for them. Managers of the profile can copy the review link from the ‘get more reviews’ button in the admin area. This will direct customers to a review screen specific to your business and save them time.

To proactively attract positive reviews, share this link as text or a QR code:

• With your staff so they can encourage happy customers to review
• In post-purchase communications and thank-you’s
• In product packaging
• In newsletters and bulletins
• In  the areas of your premises where customers frequent

There are also more tips in our article, Generating positive customer reviews and recommendations

Showcase your products and services

You can now add images and a description of your main products and/or services. This information allows your business to be found easily when people search Google. Provide the links to these specific pages on your website so that those interested can continue exploring more there.

Book an appointment

If you would like people to book a call with your business directly, you can now add a link to your booking system. This allows people to take the next step quickly and easily while your company is fresh in their minds.

Check your progress along the way

Remember to make the most of Google’s stats and insights. You will typically receive monthly updates about your Google Business Profile’s performance, and you can also cross-check those statistics in your Google Analytics (GA4) if you have it set up for your website.

Look for what searches are bringing people to you, your most/least popular pages, and how your posts are performing. Work to replicate success and address the gaps in any weak areas.

Summary

Your listing via the My Business area of your Google account is a great free tool that helps raise awareness of your business and its offerings. As people are keen to source suppliers local to them or for a specific requirement, it can help you punch above your weight and stand out from bigger competitors.

Spending even a short amount improving the information on your listing can help you attract new visitors to your website, call you or find you in order to visit. Make things easy for them, and you’ll reap the benefits.

For more advice on marketing your business, contact us or tel. 01483 429111.