Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is the centerpiece of establishing connectivity for millions of people around the world that use internet services. Despite the service being completely free for businesses, at times there can be a lack of interaction on business profiles despite high internet activity. Here are some tips to leverage your Google Business Profile to get higher Google Local rankings.
After creating your business’ account through Google.com/business and signing in with a Google account, it is important to make sure you fill out all fields of information. Straight away, you can input the name, address, phone number(s), website, and hours of operation information. Sections that might require some extra thought include categories and attributes, specific products and services, and owner-generated questions and answers. Additionally, any posts and reviews received or constructed remain as ongoing elements for your business profile.
In this creation, it is vital to make sure that all your information correlates across the web. For example, by making sure your business’ online name is identical to the one on the actual storefront, you could avoid penalization from Google as any keywords are registered as spam. Consistency is also key in this regard, as you need to make sure that your business name and address match other online listings (which includes the way in which they are spelled).
Crafting a competitive analysis of your biggest competitors can be helpful in identifying aspects of your profile you want to improve upon. Some aspects to keep in mind when observing your competitors’ online presences are their features and products, pricing, target audience, how they market their services, how they differentiate their services, strengths, and weaknesses. The frequency of doing a competitor analysis varies, but most recommendations state at least once every quarter of the year.
Our podcast series, MedShark Insider, provides weekly exploration of the latest practices regarding Search Engine Optimization while providing tools to grow your business. In our latest episode, we sat down with BluShark’s very own Director of Community Engagement, Madi Alger, and delved deep into management practices for companies looking to leverage their Google Business Profile. Alger shares her expertise and guidance in Google’s ever changing facility and gives tips on how constant interaction on all aspects of your GBP, even negative interaction, can help with profile rankings. Check it out today and give us a call for more individualized guidance for your digital marketing needs.