Home - Local SEO - Google My Business: How to Drive More Traffic and Sales
Google My Business, now known as Google Business Profile, enables business owners to connect with customers through Google Search and Google Maps. By keeping your Business Profile updated, you can enhance your online visibility, build trust with customer reviews, and have greater control over your business information. This blog is all about understanding Google Business Profile and its importance in enhancing the visibility of your business online. You will also learn about setting up a Google My Business account from scratch and how to avoid your account from getting suspended.
Google Business Profile (GBP) is a tool that gives you the power to shape how your business is presented on Google Search, Google Maps, and Google Shopping. By leveraging this tool, you can easily connect with your customers, publish real-time business updates, showcase your products or services, and much more.
Maintaining a Google Business Profile has three key benefits that can help you grow your business.
To increase your visibility on Google, you may have noticed the “local pack” or “map pack” at the top of search engine results when searching for a business. It displays a map and a list of businesses related to your search. The local pack is triggered by location-specific queries, such as “restaurants near me” or search terms that indicate a specific location. It displays Google Maps results and relevant business information.
Businesses with well-optimized Google Business Profiles are likelier to appear in these local pack results. Mobile searches containing phrases like “where to buy” and “near me” have grown tremendously recently. These are known as “discovery searches,” where users search for a particular category rather than a specific brand.
For example, if a user searches for your business with a term like “SEO Company in Jaipur,” your business is more likely to show up as a location-based result if your Business Profile is well-optimized.
Customer reviews are crucial to building credibility for your business online. Around 98% of users read online reviews before purchasing or visiting a local business.
When you add a business to Google Maps, the star rating next to your business name (ranging from 1 to 5) reflects your overall customer reviews. The more positive reviews you will receive, the higher your star rating will be, which can attract more potential customers to your business.
Google Business Profile Reviews offer valuable feedback about your business and can provide insights into areas where you can improve. When you respond to reviews, it can help foster a sense of trust with your customers. According to Google, having a mix of positive and negative reviews can be considered more credible and trustworthy. By responding to all types of reviews, you can develop a sense of feeling among your customers that you care for them and are committed to delivering high-quality service. This can help build credibility with both your current and future customers.
For instance, if the customers like SEO services from a reputable company, they will write positive feedback about the company. This will help in building trust with the customers.
Your Google Business Profile allows you to share important information with your customers, such as your business hours, contact information, and list of services.
In addition to this, you can also update your customers about any temporary changes to your business. For example, you can list holiday hours or indicate if your business is temporarily closed or fully reopened. This can help keep your customers informed and avoid any confusion or frustration.
Now that you have understood the benefits or importance of a Google Business Profile, a question arises: how to create a Google page for business free?
Want to see your Google My Business Listings? We can help you create or promote Google local listing for your business.
Suppose you are new to your business and want to set up your business profile on Google. In that case, W3Era is your perfect choice as we create your Google Business Profile and optimize it for better business visibility. Here is the step-by-step guide to creating a Google Business Profile from scratch.
The first step to creating your Google Business Profile is to add your business to Google Maps. To do this, you can navigate to Google Maps and open the menu by clicking the toggle button on the top left corner of the page. An option “Add your business” will be visible on the Menu list.
The next step is to create your Google business account. If your business account has already been created, you can sign in to Google My Business. However, on the contrary, if your account has not been created, then a new account needs to be created by following some steps.
Clicking on the “Create account” button and selecting “To manage my business” from the drop-down menu allows you to create a new account specifically for your business.
The next step is to fill out your personal information, such as your name and preferred username, and click the “Next” button. Google will then ask you to verify your identity with a phone number. After completing this step, you will be asked for more details before being directed to the terms and conditions page. After reading the terms and conditions, click the “Agree” button to set up your Google business account.
You must fill out your business name to set up your Google Business Profile. Then Google will display a list of existing businesses in its database. When you see your business on the list, you must learn how to claim it. However, if your business does not appear on the list, you need to write your business name as it is. If you add unnecessary keywords to your business name, this may result in the suspension of your account. As a result, your account will not be visible on Google’s search engine.
In this section, you will see three options that apply to your business. All three options are described in detail below.
You can select on “Online Retail” option if your customers can purchase your products through your website. After selecting your business type, select the “Next” button.
You can click on the “Local Store” option enabling customers to visit your business physically, and then click on the “Next” button.
You can choose “Service Business” if you visit customers and then serve your services to them. Then, click the “Next” option to proceed to the next step.
If you have selected this option, then you will be directed to the next sections that are listed below:
If you selected this option, you need to fill out some information as mentioned below.
If you selected this option, you need to fill out some information as described below.
Before moving on to the next section, if you still have doubts regarding the business type, you can check out our video for a more comprehensive guide. ⬇
In this step, you can drag and zoom the map and spot the exact location where your business is situated. Then, click on the “Next” button.
After choosing your business location, you can add your phone number to be visible on your business profile. Your contact information is crucial, as searchers will use it to get in touch with you. Due to this, you need to ensure that the information or data you provide is accurate and up-to-date. However, this section is optional.
After creating your Google listing for free, Google will ask if you want to receive updates and recommendations. If you opt-in for the latest updates, you will remain informed about the latest practices from Google.
This step is imperative as verifying your free business listing on Google makes your Business Profile searchable. You can verify your business listing by phone, which Google will call or text you with a verification code. After verifying your contact number, you will be directed to the next section, “Customize Profile”.
In this section, you could add additional information about your business to create a customized profile for your business.
After verifying your contact information on the phone, your business details will be visible to your esteemed customers.
By following the steps mentioned above, our expert professionals will create an appealing and accurate Google Business Profile for your business to be listed on Google. This helps in the growth of your business through improved online presence.
Google’s business profile is an effective marketing channel that will help enhance the local search visibility of online businesses on Google’s local business listing. When you run a local business, you need to leverage the power of your business profile with the help of Google My Business Optimization services. If you plan to create a Google business profile, then W3Era is the leading provider in creating your business profile on Google.
If your business relies on your Google Business Page or Profile to attract customers, then careful consideration must be taken to set up a free business page on Google. There are 5 costly mistakes that every digital marketing agency needs to avoid to protect Google’s business profile.
Identifying the common mistake you have made while setting up your Google business profile, you can find the answer to the question, “Why was my Google business profile suspended?”
Google has mentioned which addresses are being used by businesses to create business profiles on Google. If you violate these rules, this can lead to the suspension of your Google business profile. All the addresses like P.O. boxes, UPS boxes, and virtual office or co-working space addresses come under the address violations rule and are generally not allowed unless a co-working space meets certain criteria. It is imperative to abide by these guidelines to prevent your business profile from being suspended.
One common address violation rule is using a home address that does not have permanent signage or a physical location for customers to visit. Service-based businesses that operate from home but visit customers for work are not allowed to list their addresses on their Google business profiles. This is a common mistake many business owners make, and violating this rule can lead to suspension.
Editing critical information on your Google Business Profile, such as your business name, address, phone number, or categories, can result in suspension. Google categorizes such changes in Google’s business profile to suspend any suspicious activity and may flag them for review. Google has kept a close eye on profiles for suspicious activity and may impose penalties for violating their guidelines, including suspension. To avoid any issues, you must ensure that any changes you make to your profile comply with Google’s guidelines. Regularly reviewing and updating your profile with accurate and relevant information can boost your business’s visibility and credibility on Google.
Adding extra keywords to your Google Business Profile’s name, known as keyword stuffing, can lead to its suspension on Google. This occurs when businesses attempt to manipulate their search ranking by adding irrelevant keywords to their business name. Google strictly prohibits this tactic and considers it a violation of its guidelines. To avoid suspension, businesses should use their name in their Google business profile. While keyword stuffing may provide short-term gains, it can damage a business’s reputation in the long run and make it challenging to recover from a suspension.
Sharing the same phone number or address between two businesses can suspend your Google Business Profile. However, this rule excludes office buildings, malls, or car dealerships with separate service and car repair businesses. The guideline primarily aims to prevent home-based businesses from creating multiple profiles at the same address or a single business from creating more than one profile at the exact location. Ensuring each business has a distinct phone number and address is crucial to avoid suspension.
Your Google Business Profile can be suspended if someone reports a violation to Google. The “Suggest an Edit” link on Google Business Profiles allows anyone to suggest changes to fix any violations; if these are true, it can lead to the suspension of your profile. Due to this, you need to ensure that your profile follows all guidelines to avoid getting reported and potentially suspended.
W3Era offers our esteemed customers the best Google business profile management services and helps them reach the maximum customer base in the market. Our expert professionals can set up a Google business profile keeping in mind all the guidelines of Google, and boost the online presence of your business. This marks Google’s business profile to online firms active and visible to potential customers, ensuring local businesses’ growth and success.
When your Google Business Profile has been created, it does not rank on top of the SERPs. To become visible in the top position, you will require affordable SEO services from the leading digital marketing company, W3Era. In addition to this, you will also need web development and PPC services to optimize your website for better visibility.
Yes, Google My Business is an entirely free tool offered by Google that allows you to manage your online presence across Google’s platforms, including Google Search and Google Maps.
To access Google Business Profile, you must create an account. You can do this by visiting the Google My Business website and following the prompts to create a new account or sign in with your existing Google account.
Currently, there are no plans for Google Business to go away. The platform has become increasingly important for small businesses to manage their online presence and drive more traffic and sales.
Absolutely! It is a powerful tool that can help you increase your online visibility, connect with potential customers, and drive more traffic and sales to your website or physical location.
You must create a Google Business account and verify your business information to get your business on Google. This involves submitting your business name, address, phone number, and other relevant details and verifying your business ownership through a verification process. Once your business is verified, it will appear in Google Search and Maps.
Daily Search Marketing tidbits for savvy pros.
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