In this previous blog post we talked about GBP FKA GMB! ... so if you want to know WHY you need to claim your Google My Business (which has transformed into Google Business Profile) click through to read that post!
So, moving on from the WHY you need it, here's your complete guide for optimising your Google Business Profile!
In December 2021, Google announced, “Moving forward, we recommend small businesses manage their profiles directly on Search or Maps. To keep things simple, ‘Google My Business’ is being renamed ‘Google Business Profile,”
(Matt Madrigal announced)
“And in 2022, we’ll retire the Google My Business app so more merchants can take advantage of the upgraded experience on Search and Maps,” he added.
With the rebrand, new features rolled out, too! So, how do SMB's use GBP (FKA GMB!) as part of their online presence strategy?
- All businesses creating their Google Business Profile are able to complete their setup directly on Google Search and Maps.
- You can see from here if your profile is publicly visible.
- From Google search and/or Maps you can also edit the information that people see when they search for your business, like your address, business hours, make posts, respond to reviews, and more.
For small businesses, optimising your GBP is easy peasy! Just type your business name in the Google Search or Google Maps box, and you'll see your usual result, HOWEVER, you can now EDIT your business profile, reply to customer messages, launch promotions, update your hours, and more. You can also claim and verify the ownership of your business from here, too.
Setting up your Google Business Profile is particularly awesome for local SEO.
One of the best Local SEO strategies that any local business can use to rank higher on Google and get local clients, is to claim and optimise their Google Business Profile. However, claiming your Google Business Profile is just the first step – you must;
- Optimise ~ Google Business Profile is full of fabulous tools to help with your findability!
- Regularly check and update your Google Business Profile with new and fresh information.
Keeping your Google Business Profile updated is absolutely vital to your success.
Search Engine Journal share that keeping your Google Business Profile updated is important to your success. According to Ipsos Research, an up-to-date Google Business Profile:
- Gets 7x more clicks.
- Is 70% more likely to attract location visits.
- Is 50% more likely to lead to a purchase.
If you're setting it up for the first time, once your profile is verified, you can edit the information of your business including the address, opening hours, photos, and more.
Another awesome feature is the ability to read messages, you can chat with customers directly on Google Maps! You can now also see and respond to messages right from your Business Profile on Google Search. To add accountability to the process Google is also adding a read-receipt for you and your customers to know when and if the messages have been seen. Cool, huh?!
With Google Business Profile your customers can find you more easily online. Oberlo shares some great 2022 Google search stats;
- 84% of respondents use Google 3+ times a day or more.
- 46% of product searches begin on Google.
- 90% of survey respondents said they were likely to click on the first set of results.
- Organic search produced 23% of all site visits.
- ... and just for interests sake, Facebook was the most searched keyword on Google!
Google will help your business stand out so you can connect with buyers who are looking for your product or service. Setting up your Google Business Profile will make sure YOUR BUSINESS is showing up, right when and where people are searching for you!
More shoppers are increasingly turning to Google to find what they need nearby. It's important you can be easily found online. If you're ready to shine, either go ahead and SET UP your Google Business Profile now, or OPTIMISE what you've already set up. My top tip is to set up a reminder in your calendar to revisit it every 3 months for a refresh and new content!