How to Setup Your Google Business Profile to Help Your Business

Tips for Your Google Business Profile Setup

Google Business Profiles for Local Small Businesses 

Google’s huge market share makes it the unrivaled choice of customers seeking a product or service vendor. So, it’s clear that your local small business is most likely to be found via Google Search and Maps. Once your business appears, the next step is to convert visitors into new customers. 

That’s where Google Business Profiles comes in … a free tool for you to take charge of the way your local business is featured to searchers. It is Google’s effort to differentiate small businesses with one location from those with multiple sites. Objective: attract more customers. 

Your Google Business Profile proves to be invaluable for eligible local businesses to connect with customers, post updates, list your products and services, accept online orders, and more. 

Will your local business qualify? Yes … if your business has a physical location that customers can visit, or provides staff that travel to customers’ locations, you can create a Business Profile on Google. 

Note: Brands, organizations, artists, and other online-only businesses aren't eligible. 

Later in this piece, we’ll address how to build your profile, or fine-tune an existing one. For now, we’ll focus on content that searchers want to see. Deliver what they judge as valuable to further differentiate your local business from your competitors. 

Valuable Content is Key 

Remember … searchers are not only seeking solutions for their product/service needs. They want quality information … the more the better to help with their decision-making. Maximize your visitor results. Manage your Business Profile with the following content category checklist: 

• Characterize your local business with a consistent image of signage, stationery and other branding. 
• Ensure your address and area served is accurate and precise. 
• Be concise in describing the primary key core offerings of your local business. 
• Publish only one profile for your local business to avoid searcher-confusion when viewing how your information displays on Google Maps and Search. 

Now, let’s drill down with more specifics of the content to consider including in your Business Profile. Not all will apply to your local business, but you’ll have a good idea of the kind of information searchers seek … and reward you by conversion to customers. 

• Include Essential Info: phone number, operating hours, access for disabled, etc. 
• Demonstrate Your Visible Differentiators: photos of your venue and serving customers with prominent view of your logo. 
• Spotlight the Human-side of Your Local Business: community service, veteran-owned, SWaM certified, black-owned, serving ethnic oriented products/food, etc. 
• Frequently & Broadly Publish Posts, Special Offers & Events: Stay visible with customers & prospects. 
• Prompt Customers to Spread the Word About Your Business: Remind customers to leave reviews. Provide a link to do so quickly and easily. Respond promptly to every review to build trust as a local business committed to customer satisfaction. 
• Send & Receive Direct Messages: You can create automated responses or pause messaging at any time. 
• Post a Comprehensive List of FAQs: Save your visitors time by providing the answers to common questions. An added plus is to allow customers to answer questions as well. 
• Highlight Your Product/Service Offerings: Help customers do business with you easily with knowledge of what you do and how you do it … product inventory, ordering, booking, quotes, etc. Let customers know what you sell as soon as they find you online. 
• Encourage Delivery & Pickup Service: Meet your customers in their “comfort zone” … delivery, pickup, on-site reservations. Note: Restaurants … be sure to feature your menu! 
• Learn How Searchers Find Your Business Online: Discover what keywords people search to find you and include them in your Profile text as a critical link to connect with potential customers. 
• Create Synergy … Integrate Google Business Profile Marketing into Your Local SEO Campaigns: Local SEO optimizes your business’s web presence for increased visibility in local organic search engine results. 

Note: As you may have noticed, yes …Google Business Profiles are typically quite lengthy. 

Conclusions & Next Steps 

You may be toying with the idea to make your Google Business Profile a DIY project. If you move forward with that initiative, you will need a Google account and can create one here. Next, review the Guidelines for representing your business on Google. Finally, create a single local business profile by starting here to get listed. 

We hope this helps! Looking for more resources for your Google Business Profile? We can help! Check out the following additional pages of information.