Google Business Profile Basics in 2024

0:00 What You’ll Learn

This right here is the secret to getting found in search. It’s a free tool, and I’m going to show you how to use it. I’m Kel, an SEO who helps small local businesses grow, build trust, and get found online without splurging on ads.

Before we get into it, go ahead and like, subscribe, and hit the bell notifications. Thank you!

Welcome to the Google Business Profile Optimization Overview. Whether you’re a small business, a woman-owned business, an entrepreneur, or a busy entrepreneur, this review is tailored just for you. I’ll be sharing my screen throughout so you can see exactly what I’m talking about. You can set up your Google Business Profile or figure out how to optimize it if you’ve already set it up. We can walk through this together so you can learn some information.

01:00 What is a Google Business Profile?

First things first, what is a Google Business Profile? It’s a free tool on Google that lets you manage how your business appears on Google Search and on Maps. Think of it as your business’s digital storefront that people can see as they’re navigating the internet, searching for the products and services that your business offers. Just like with a physical storefront, customers can window shop, browsing through all your information to decide whether or not they’ll shop with you.

I got this mic and I literally don’t know how to act. I keep checking, like, does it sound good? It sounds good? Okay, we’re back to the Google Business Profile. Before you run and create a Google Business Profile, be aware that there is an eligibility checklist.

01:51 Eligibility Criteria

Let’s talk about which businesses are eligible for a Google Business Profile. Take a look at the next slide, review it, and pause to make sure that your business is eligible. I also want to show you a list of ineligible businesses, so check that out as well.

As I mentioned in one of my previous videos, even if your business doesn’t have a physical location, it may still qualify as a service-based business or a hybrid business. A service area business provides services but doesn’t necessarily provide them at a specific location, like a dog walker, real estate agent, or consultant. An example of a hybrid-based business would be a business that has a physical location but also provides services offsite, like roadside assistance.

I’ve experienced that living in Houston with all kinds of debris on the road. One time I drove over a mattress, a whole other situation, but I had to call a tow truck. They were able to come out to me and tow my car away. That’s an example of a hybrid-based business. Did I see the mattress? Yes, but it was too late for me to swerve. Do you swerve and hit somebody next to you, or do you just keep driving? I didn’t want to injure anybody else, so I figured I could drive over it. My little car could not, so I had to call a hybrid-based business.

3:33 Creating and Claiming Your Profile

Alright, claiming it, creating it, and keeping it cute. If you have an established business, especially one with a physical location, there may already be a Google Business Profile for you. Sometimes Google will automatically create one based on location data, but it won’t have all your detailed information. You can go through the same steps as someone creating a brand-new Google Business Profile to claim an existing profile that you don’t have ownership of.

To get started, go to google.com/business, click “Manage now,” and sign in with your Google account. If you don’t have one, go ahead and make one; it’s quick and easy to create. Enter your business name, address, and select your business category. Use accurate information because this is how customers will find you, and you don’t want to be deceitful. Google will pull your profile for false, inaccurate, or inconsistent information, so keep it accurate. Congratulations, you have created your profile.

05:08 Optimizing Your Profile

The next step is to optimize your Google Business Profile. Fill out as much information as possible and ensure it’s accurate. Don’t falsify any information; be honest for your customers, as it’s a reflection of your business and brand. Include attributes unique to you and your brand, such as Black-owned business, woman-owned business, or veteran-owned business. This helps build connection with your potential customers.

Adding photos and videos is important. As I mentioned in a previous video, pictures are worth a thousand words and videos drive sales. Make sure you add engaging media to your Google Business Profile. Add high-quality photos of your services, business, products, and physical location if you have one. Show behind-the-scenes footage, a day in the life, and sneak peeks into your business. Authentic and engaging content can set you apart.

06:32 Engaging with Customers

Speaking of engagement. It’s so important to engage with customers when they leave you a review. Encourage your customers and clients to leave reviews, especially satisfied ones. If they have verbally communicated their satisfaction, send them a link to your Google Business Profile and ask for a review. Reviews are referrals in disguise. They provide insight into what people think about your business.

Respond to all reviews, even the negative ones. Provide a professional response and offer a way to resolve the situation. Show future customers that you have great customer service and care about the people who do business with you. Don’t just respond to one-star reviews; engage with all reviews to show appreciation and build connection. This improves your online reputation.

09:33 Posting Updates

Let’s talk about updating your Google Business Profile. Now that you’ve created it, you may think there’s nothing else to do unless your business information changes. Wrong! Another way to keep your profile up to date is by providing updates. Share special offers, new products, events, or any important news. Regular updates signal to Google that your business is active, which can improve your search ranking.

10:23 Insights and Performance Tracking

One of my favorites is performance and reporting. The performance tab shows you how customers interacted with your profile. Use these insights to figure out what works and what may need improvement. Metrics like how many people called you, looked for directions, or visited your website are valuable. Take inventory of the keywords that triggered your profile to appear in Google search. These are the queries Google associates with your business, so use them more on your website to further the association.

11:30 Live Demo

Actually, there were some things I wanted to show you that I didn’t in the original video. Here I am the next day, in a different shirt, editing, and I realized I should show you what your profile looks like on the front end after your edits are approved and published. I created a mockup search results page to give you a realistic view of a Google Business Profile using a fictitious business.

This profile was triggered by a search query. There’s a business name, Google reviews, the business category, a website, directions, photos, a map of the location, and an address. For restaurants, you can add a menu.

Popular times are also shown, which are anonymized and aggregated data from users who have opted into Google Location History. It’s not something a business owner can manually add or edit. This data is from people who have physically visited the location, and Google uses that information to populate this section of the profile.

But it only uploads it when there’s enough data. So, if there were only about ten people, it’s not going to upload it. You’d have to get a good amount of data for that to show.

Moving on to reviews, in this fictitious profile, these are some Google reviews that you see here. On the back end, you can actually reply to these reviews. So again, as I mentioned, whether they’re positive, negative, inaccurate, or spot-on, you just want to go in and show people that you see them, that you appreciate them, and that you are invested in customer service.

So, of course, this is my search result. What’s that right there? Oh, that’s really nice. Okay, I like the search engine—very cool, got some good people on here.

Then, also at the very bottom, whenever you create that detailed description, it will be included here. So make it very descriptive. Include your target audience, details about the business, when the business was established, showcase your skills, highlight your uniqueness, and tell the world what makes you different.

Lastly, at the very bottom, we have profiles. So all the social media profiles you added will be right there at the bottom, so people can connect with you in a different place.

16:01 Conclusion

That’s a good start. There are several more things that you can do, but at least you have the basics. I know I gave you enough to get started. Remember, this is an important opportunity for you to showcase your business to your service area and really the world. Keep your profile up to date and engage with your customers. Solicit authentic reviews often and let the referrals roll in. Your business deserves to shine, and this is a powerful way to do it.

I want to see those profiles. If you’ve created one based on this tutorial, let me know. Share it in the comments so I can look at it, review it, get your views up, and just see how well you’re doing. If there’s any other questions that you have, let me know in the comments. If there’s more that you want me to talk about, if there’s something that you have questions with, let me know in the comments below and I will definitely answer those.

Thank you for watching. Until next time, wishing you all the best and hoping that when they search, you’re found.