What is A Google Business Profile, and How Do I Use it?

Publish Date: January 25, 2023 @ solheimtech.com
David Solheim

David Solheim

Digital Solutions Engineer

Having a Google Business Profile is an important step for any business looking to increase its online presence. By creating a profile, you’ll be able to manage your business information, such as your address, phone number, and hours of operation, across Google services, including Google Maps and Google Search. In this article, we’ll walk you through the steps of creating a Google Business Profile and explain why it’s so important for businesses today.

Creating a Google Business Profile

Step 1: Sign up for a Google My Business account

The first step in creating a Google Business Profile is to sign up for a Google My Business account. If you already have a Google account, such as a Gmail account, you can use that to sign up for My Business. Simply go to google.com/business and click “Get on Google” to begin the process. If you don’t have a Google account, you’ll need to create one before signing up for My Business.

Step 2: Verify your business

Once you’ve signed up for My Business, you’ll need to verify your business. Verifying your business ensures that the information you provide is accurate and that you are the owner or authorized representative of the business. Google will send you a verification code by mail or phone, depending on the verification method you choose. Once you’ve received the code, enter it into the My Business interface to complete the verification process.

Step 3: Add your business information

With your business verified, you can now add information about your business to your profile. Be sure to provide as much information as possible, including your business name, address, phone number, hours of operation, and website. You can also add photos and videos to your profile to help customers get a better sense of what your business is all about.

Step 4: Optimize your profile

Once you’ve added all of your business information, it’s important to optimize your profile for search. This means using keywords and phrases that people might use when searching for businesses like yours. For example, if you run a pizzeria, you might want to include keywords like “pizza,” “pizzeria,” and “Italian food.” Be sure to also include your city and state in your profile, as this will help people find your business when searching for businesses in a specific location.

Step 5: Monitor and update your profile

Once your profile is set up and optimized, it’s important to monitor it regularly and make updates as needed. This includes responding to customer reviews, making sure your business information is accurate and adding new photos and videos. By keeping your profile up-to-date, you can ensure that customers have the most current information about your business and are more likely to choose your business over your competitors.

Below we will go over all of the updates that need to be made to your Google Business Profile to keep it relevant to your business.

Info

This section is for simple business information. This can include name, hours, description, address, and phone number. If any of this data changes, make sure to update this immediately to show Google you’re up-to-date on your business.

Google will often send you reminders to update information like holiday hours or respond to a review. During the pandemic, Google added a space for you to put the precautions you’re taking in your business to keep employees and customers safe. These are all great things to add to ensure you have a relevant and noticeable business.

Photos

Photos are a great way to show off your business and what it offers, these can be added by people that have visited your business or by you, the owner. Today, customers expect to see visuals of what your product is and what it can provide them. Photos are a fantastic way to have potential customers steer your way, everyone loves visuals, this is why a picture is worth a thousand words!

Reviews

Reviews are one of the most useful aspects of your business and can make it or break it when it comes to gaining conversions. This is where people go to eye out your business and see what past clients have said about your product and customer service.

Getting a bad review isn’t rare, people have different opinions and expectations that are oftentimes impractical. Having a bad review is not the end of the world, how you respond to a bad review will show what your business is like and how you react to hard situations. Our article, “How to respond to a one star review” explains how to make your business look professional and committed to your customers’ satisfaction.

Questions

The question module is an awesome place to see frequently asked questions that your customers ask.This makes it very accessible to your customers so they can keep moving through your profile.

These could include:

  • “Are you guys located in the heritage plaza?”
  • “Do you have kids size clothing?”
  • “Are you open this Christmas Eve?”

Having this question and answer column makes it accessible for customers to ask and find questions, without having to call or come in person. Owners of the Google Business are usually the ones to respond online, but they also are able to create questions for customers’ possible input.

Why Should I Make a Google Business Profile?

A Google Business Profile is important for businesses because it helps them increase their online visibility and reach more customers. By creating a profile, you can ensure that your business information is accurate and up-to-date across all Google services, including Google Maps and Google Search. This makes it easier for customers to find your business and learn more about what you have to offer.

Ranking high on Google is difficult to do,  especially when dealing with all of the normal activities that keep your business running. Having a professional to help manage your business is a great way to increase your visibility. Solheim Technologies manages businesses’ websites, social media, technology, SEO, and almost every aspect of your business. Schedule a call to talk about some of your goals for the future!

David Solheim

David Solheim

Digital Solutions Engineer

David has been passionate about technology since he built his first computer at 8 years old. At 14, he built his first website, and in 2012 started Solheim Technologies. Currently serving as CEO, he helps provide digital solutions to clients across the United States.

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