Setting up an account in Google Business Profile (earlier called as Google Business Profile) is crucial for any business to have its own indispensable channel for generating leads. The effectiveness of Google Business Profile comes from how Google has impacted the way consumers select, search, and buy products or services. They have disrupted the entire buying behavior of consumers from every corner of the world. Moreover, there is strong data to back such claims as well.
Over 79% of consumers state that they have become more comfortable with their new digital lifestyle. They are unlikely to get back to their old methods of buying. Hence the trend of consumers planning ahead before they shop is here to stay. This has resulted in a steady decline in the offline buying behavior of people where they would typically go out and visit multiple stores, check for their products, compare prices, and then finally make a purchase.
Due to the dramatic shift in buying behavior, Google searches for “local near me” will grow globally by over 100% by 2022. With countries reopening their economy with social distancing restrictions, it is time for businesses to buckle up their local SEO strategies as customers start on their online buying journey on Google.
Hence, if you seek to leverage your Google Business Profile to generate leads, it is time for you to optimize your listings now more than ever. So, let’s dive right into it.
Provide Accurate NAP Information
One of the basic ways of getting your lead generation up is by providing accurate NAP information to your buyers. Your NAP will include your business’ name, address, and the phone number.
Incorrect, inconsistent, or outdated contact information of your company will inconvenience the customer searching for it. And in today’s world, even minor inconveniences can make you lose a lot of customers in a blank.
At first, you might think that filling-in accurate NAP information is a fundamental and straightforward step that you will not forget while making your GBP listing. For instance, many consumers have reported having a negative experience due to incorrect NAP information present online.
Select Appropriate Business Category
The primary GBP category of your business is the primary factor that influences your local SEO. Hence choosing the most appropriate or relevant primary category and the additional ones is crucial to ensure that your business shows up during local searches.
The categories of Google Business Profile show both prospective and current customers the type of product or service you offer. For instance, if you are a realtor who does appraisals, you can choose both real estate appraiser and real estate agency categories.
By choosing the right categories in Google Business Profile, you will increase your business’s rank on Google searches. That is, if you have an urgent healthcare facility, it will show up during “urgent care’ and “urgent care near me” searches on Google when you put them as primary categories.
Regular GBP Reports Monitoring
GBP Insights report includes valuable information that can help you get your business listing noticed. For example, analyze the queries that help consumers to find your business. Use more exact or similar terms on your websites and within the GBP posts to increase relevance to a particular topic.
Besides that, you should also look for customer actions in the report. The number of visits or calls within a specific period would indicate whether your listing is optimized or not. You can also hire a SEO agency for analyzing the reports of your GBP listing.
Upload pictures on your profile
The greater the number of pictures on your GBP listing, the more chances you can get new customers. According to Google, businesses with photos get over 35% more click-throughs and 42% more address direction requests from potential consumers. Consumers are more likely to notice a business with pictures of their stores, office, products, or services.
Report Competitor Spam
One of the biggest challenges that businesses, especially small businesses, face when they try to maximize the exposure of their GBP listing is competitor spam.
You will come across various fake businesses existing in the same category as yours, and you need to report such fake competitors on Google. In other cases, businesses also change their names to include keywords to help with their ranking, and this is also against Google’s rules and should be reported.
Remember that Google relies on local guides and searchers to police and report inactive activities by suggesting edits in details or name changes. Although most businesses imply such edits when required, sometimes some businesses will require persistence, which is when you have to report competitor spam.
Hence you have to research thoroughly and report only truly inaccurate information; otherwise, your account will be penalized.
Consistent Fresh Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are another vital factor that is responsible for the local ranking of your business. Effective review management on the GBP listing will have a substantial positive impact on your local SEO.
You have to generate new reviews regularly as well as manage them throughout their scaling period. Over 89% of buyers read existing customer reviews before they make a purchase, and that is why Google gives more importance to local SEO ranks.
Hence, ask your existing consumers to leave reviews within two weeks of making a purchase. You can also use review management software to automate the review request and management process.
You can have a more positive and recent “customer point of view” on your GBP through regular reviews. This will provide your potential customers with the credibility of the superior experience delivered by your business.
Wrapping Up
You can list your business on Google Business Profile and give information about your services, products, reviews, business operations, and various other content. Using your GBP correctly can raise your business sales and offer unique insights to your potential consumers. You can also use these tips mentioned above to optimize your profile further and make your business stand out in the competition.
