When it comes to Google business profiles, the sad reality is this:
Many small business owners rush through setting it up, and never bother to revisit it. But they miss several critical things about local business pages on Google:
a. Those pages show up before any other search results when conducting a search on Google. If you aren’t there…
b. Just spending a little more time and effort on it can have a huge impact on its search visibility and customer trust.
c. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist – or a web designer or coder – to make the most of your business. You just have to pay attention to the details.
There are many things you can do to your business’ Google profile to make it stand out, both in terms of search and in terms of how viewers perceive your business.
Why do small details matter on your Google business profile?
a. Google wants to show your business to potential customers or clients. But in order to do that, Google needs to know that you will in fact be able to serve them. The terms that your potential customers may search for, need to be included in the text on your profile – and not just in the overview. More about that later.
b. The more details you provide on your business profile, and the more accurate and up-to-date that information is, the easier it is for potential customers to trust you.
c. Small improvements, often deemed insignificant, can actually increase views, visits and inquiries. A missing word or two here, or a slightly different phrasing there can have a notable impact.
Small details matter to both Google and your prospects.
15 Overlooked Google business profile settings and actions to address:
1. Complete your business description:
It has a maximum length of 750 characters. note that only the first 250 characters are visible without someone needing to click “more” to see the rest. While Google takes all 750 characters into account, you need to state (a) what you do and (b) your Unique Selling Proposition or your Value Proposition in the first 250 characters, spaces included.
While the space is limited, it is critical to help Google and potential buyers to understand what you have to offer. Keep it simple and crystal clear.
2. Add secondary business categories:
Google offers 4,000 business categories to choose from. You can choose one primary, and 9 more secondary categories.
These categories are taken into account (by Google) when choosing which profiles to display for any individual search.
Add categories – if possible – that closely match what you offer, and prioritize that which people are most likely to search for.
3. Enable messaging:
Potential customers or clients used to be able to send messages to you directly from your business’ profile. While the function has been removed, you can set it up to have messages sent to you via WhatsApp or text messages.
It reduces friction – purely because it is right there, and simple to use. Less friction = more inquiries.
Make a point of it to check your messages regularly to prevent losing customers to competitors.
4. Use the section for products or services:
Aside from allowing you to list the products/product types that you offer for prospects to view, it also helps Google understand what you offer, and who to show your profile to.
Using the search terms that potential buyers are likely to use when searching for solutions or products such as yours, add your main services/products with short descriptions.
5. Add real photos – not stock photos – regularly:
Google business profiles with a good number of photos tend to attract more attention. real pictures also make it easier for potential buyers to trust you.
Ads photos of your business, your team, and popular products or completed work.
Try to add additional photos monthly, even if it is just a few at a time.
6. Set your hours, also “special hours”:
Aside from setting up your normal hours, you can set your hours for specific dates around specific holiday dates.
Update your hours (or even whether you will be open or not) before any public holiday. Even if you choose to remain closed, it may prevent people from being frustrated after they turn up to a closed door.
Ideally, try to set the hours or (“closed” status) two weeks or so in advance.
Side note: You can add hours for multiple different dates. However, after each date has come and gone, you may want to either remove it, or change the date to correspond to the day and/or date for the upcoming year’s holiday in question.
7. Add a link for bookings or appointments:
If you offer services, and/or need to visit potential clients to offer quotes, you can add a link to your favorite booking service or appointment scheduler. You can even just link it to your website’s contact page or a Google form.
It makes it easy for potential clients to take action, without having to jump through hoops.
8. Use the Q&A section proactively:
Originally, the Q&A section on Google business profiles was set up to allow potential customers or clients to ask you questions.
However, you can also “seed” it with commonly asked questions, and provide honest, detailed answers. Make it your own “FAQ” section, which can also help you to be more visible in the search results.
However, this section primarily allows you to address common concerns in advance, increasing the likelihood of the person reading it reaching out to you.
9. Respond to every review:
Every review, good or bad, is just publicly visible customer feedback.
On the one hand it tells you what you got right and what you need to improve.
On the other hand, responding politely to every negative review also shows you owning up to your mistakes (where applicable). This goes a long way towards building trust with potential clients or customers.
It also shows that you are professional in the face of criticism.
10. Add business attributes:
These are small details about your business which may seem insignificant to you, but not to your prospects.
For instance:
Do you have parking space available?
Is your premises wheelchair-accessible?
Do you allow for online appointments or orders?
Is your restaurant child-friendly?
This information helps customers with specific needs or requirements to make informed decisions – and can land you more buyers if you can accommodate any specific needs from specific customer groups.
Select all attributes that apply.
11. Define your service area:
This setting allows you to set the locations you serve, and/or the areas from which people often drive to buy from you.
You may set up to 20 service areas on your Google business profile. Again, think about what people are most likely to search for on Google when they need your help or your products.
12. Add your opening date:
At the start this might not help much, but over time, you will find that people find it easier to trust established businesses. Add the year in which you founded your business.
It signals experience and credibility.
13. Use Google posts:
You can add short updates on your Google Business profile. You can post about offers, news, or upcoming events which you host or partake in.
Posts on your business profile shows activity and engagement, and it shows visitors that your information is likely to be up to date.
14. Monitor your performance insights:
Google business profiles offer data about visitors and their behavior. It shows you how people react with your business, and how they find you.
View your data once per month, and, based on what you see, make any necessary changes.
15. Keep your contact details accurate:
Your phone number, physical address and website address are listed on your business’ profile. Incorrect details can cause people to think that (a) you are not trustworthy, or worse (b) that you may have closed down.
Check your information on a regular basis, and ensure every piece of information can guide people to you.
Common mistakes to avoid:
a. Setting it up once, and then forgetting about it.
b. Leaving sections incomplete.
c. Ignoring customer reviews, especially if there are bad ones.
d. Failing to update outdated information.
e. Using low quality photos.
f. Using low-quality photos
In conclusion:
Improving the visibility of your Google business profile doesn’t require expensive marketing.
Review your profile step by step, and adjust as needed. Small changes add up soon, and minor changes can lead to notably improved results.
From time to time, go through your business profile again, and see if anything has changed since it was set or uploaded.