Google Business Profile (GBP) is a free tool offered by Google that allows local businesses to create a listing and manage their online presence across Google’s various platforms, including search, maps, and reviews. With over 5 billion searches made on Google every day, having a GBP listing can significantly increase a business’s visibility and accessibility to potential customers.
In today’s world, it’s essential for businesses to have a strong online presence, and GBP provides an easy way for them to do so. With just a few clicks, businesses can create a comprehensive listing that includes their address, hours of operation, phone number, website, photos, and more. Additionally, businesses can use GBP to manage their customer reviews, respond to customer inquiries, and post updates about their products or services.
Overall, GBP is a powerful tool that can help businesses of all sizes improve their online visibility, increase their website traffic, and ultimately, drive more sales. In the following sections, we’ll discuss the factors that affect local search rankings, how to optimize your GBP listing, and the various tools and strategies that can help you get the most out of this powerful platform.
Google Setup Instructions for GBP – Device Specific
Setting up a Google Business Profile
- On your computer, sign in to your Google Account, or create one.
- If you create a new Google Account, sign up with your business email domain.
- Go to create a profile.
- Enter the name of your business. You may also be able to select your business from the list of suggested businesses as you type.
- If you get a message that someone else has already verified the business, request ownership of the Business Profile.
- Search for your business category.
- Click Next.
- Choose whether you have a location customers can visit.
- For businesses with a storefront staffed during business hours: Click Yes.
- You may be asked to enter your business address or position a marker on a map for the location of your businesses. When finished, click Next.
- For businesses that don’t have a storefront staffed during business hours: Click No.
- For businesses with a storefront staffed during business hours: Click Yes.
- Enter the service area of your business.
- You can set your service area based on the cities, postal codes, or other areas that you serve. You can add up to 20 service areas.
- Tip: We recommend you do not extend the boundaries of your overall area farther than 2 hours driving time from where your business is based. For some businesses, it may be appropriate to have a larger service area.
- Enter a phone number and website URL.
- Click Next.
- You also have the option to create a website based on your information.
- Tip: We recommend entering the individual phone number or store page for each location, rather than a remote call center.
- Click Finish.
- Select a verification option.
- Tip: We recommend reviewing your information before you request verification.
- To verify now: At the top, find the red banner and click Verify now.
- To verify later: Click Verify later >> Later.
- If you’re not authorized to manage the Business Profile for the chain: Find the person in your organization who’s authorized and continue the process.
- Tip: We recommend reviewing your information before you request verification.
Factors that Affect Local Search Rankings
When it comes to local search rankings, there are several factors that Google takes into account to determine which businesses to show at the top of the search results. Here are some of the most important factors that can affect your GBP ranking:
Presence of Google Business Profile Listing
Having a Google Business Profile (GBP) listing is critical for local search rankings. When someone searches for a product or service in their local area, Google’s algorithm looks for businesses that have a GBP listing. If you don’t have a listing, you won’t even be considered for the top spots in local search results. Having a complete and accurate GBP listing is also essential, as it provides Google with the necessary information to understand what your business does and where it is located.
Keywords used in Google Reviews
Google reviews can impact your ranking in local search results, so it’s essential to encourage your customers to leave reviews that include relevant keywords. When someone searches for a product or service in their local area, Google’s algorithm looks for businesses that have relevant keywords in their reviews. By encouraging your customers to leave reviews with relevant keywords, you can increase your chances of showing up in local search results.
Positive online reviews
The number and quality of your online reviews can also affect your local search rankings. Businesses with a high number of positive reviews tend to rank higher in local search results. This is because Google wants to provide users with the best possible experience and will prioritize businesses that have a good reputation online.
NAP consistency
NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone number, and having consistent and accurate NAP information across all your online listings is critical for local search rankings. Google uses NAP information to verify that your business is legitimate and to ensure that it is displaying accurate information to users. If your NAP information is inconsistent across different online listings, Google may view your business as less trustworthy, which can negatively impact your local search rankings.
Number of check-ins at a physical location
Check-ins on Google can signal to Google that your business is popular and relevant in your local area, which can positively impact your local search rankings. Encouraging your customers to check in when they visit your business can help increase the number of check-ins you receive and improve your local search rankings.
Keywords used in GBP profile
Make sure to include relevant keywords in your GBP profile to increase your chances of showing up in local search results. When someone searches for a product or service in their local area, Google’s algorithm looks for businesses that have relevant keywords in their GBP profile. By including relevant keywords in your profile, you can increase your chances of showing up in local search results.
Number of shares on social media platforms, otherwise known as social signals
The number of shares your business receives on social media can also impact your local search rankings. When your business is shared on social media, it signals to Google that your business is popular and relevant in your local area. This can help improve your local search rankings and drive more traffic to your business.
The location from where the user is searching
Google tends to favor businesses that are close to the user searching, so it’s essential to have accurate location information on your GBP listing. This includes your business address, hours of operation, and other location-specific information. By providing accurate location information, you can increase your chances of showing up in local search results for users in your local area.
Google map star rating for the business
The overall rating of your business on Google Maps can also impact your local search rankings. Businesses with higher star ratings tend to rank higher in local search results. This is because Google wants to provide users with the best possible experience and will prioritize businesses that have a good reputation online. Encouraging your customers to leave reviews can help improve your star rating and increase your chances of showing up in local search results.
By paying attention to these factors, you can improve your chances of ranking higher in local search results and attracting more customers to your business. In the following sections, we’ll discuss how to optimize your GBP listing to improve your local search rankings even further.
Checking the Accuracy of Your Listing Information
Checking the accuracy of your listing information is crucial for ensuring that your business appears correctly in local search results. There are several important pieces of information that you should check to ensure that your Google Business Profile listing is accurate.
Firstly, you should check your NAP (name, address, phone number) consistency. Make sure that your NAP information is consistent across all of your online profiles, including your website, social media profiles, and other directory listings. This will help prevent Google from mis-indexing your business.
Secondly, check that your business hours are correct and match what is on your business website. This is important because if Google sees different hours on your website and your Google Business Profile listing, it could negatively impact your local search rankings.
Thirdly, ensure that your business is listed in the proper business categories. The primary category has the biggest impact on your local search rankings, so it’s important to choose the most appropriate one. Also, make sure that your products and services are correctly promoted on your listing. Google may choose things that you don’t want to rank your business for, so be sure to check and adjust them as needed.
By checking and ensuring the accuracy of your listing information, you can improve your business’s visibility in local search results and attract more potential customers.
In Part 2 of this article we’ll cover the following:
Knowing Which Keywords to Target
Checking Your Google Map Rankings
How to Continue to Optimize Your GBP Listing for Better Rankings