Few other things will impact your business’ success than having a verified and frequently updated Google Business profile. While it’s self-explanatory why Google would prioritize Google Business listings in SERPs, its usefulness is not limited to being a Google platform. A Google Business Profile is genuinely helpful.
Google Business Profile is the Nexus
Google engineers have refined it to the point where it becomes the nexus of your digital business. You still need a Google Business Profile even if you already have a website. It’s OK if your Google Business Profile and website appear simultaneously and on the same SERP. However, if visibility is one of your significant woes, you need to make sure that your profile is updated regularly.
While a Google Business Profile is not strictly part of a social media network, it still thrives with the same types of content that make social channels teem with activity. Therefore, you must nurture your profile the same way you develop your Facebook Page or Instagram profile. Among essential tasks of the business owner include:
- Verifying the Business Profile.
- Filling up all the necessary parts of the profile.
- Promoting the profile on social media.
- Updating services and product listings.
- Posting new events.
- I am keeping everyone updated regarding new offers, including discounts.
- I was answering customer queries.
- I am noting both positive and negative feedback.
- Responding to complaints and resolving issues concerning your products or services.
- Uploading new photos– frequently!
Internet users are highly visual, and the internet wouldn’t be the same without images. Images transmit messages a thousand times faster than words, so every piece of content should have accompanying photos. Remember the following when uploading new images:
- Avoid over-enhancing your photos. Google’s image AI is advanced and may flag your image if it’s been over-enhanced or over-edited.
- Maximize Google’s categories for images: Team Photos, Product Photos, Exterior Photos and Interior Photos. Aim to add at least three images for each type and continue populating the categories through the weeks and months.
- Try posting photos at different times of the day and pay attention to image analytics. So Google wants people to take their photos seriously, so they added the analytics tool so you can monitor reach from the dashboard. I think that’s very cool, indeed.
- Yes, Google knows if you’re adding stock photos to depict a real-world, physical limitation. So try not to get on the algorithm’s electrical nerves by posting only genuine photos of your business.
What Do People See in Your Google Business Profile?
While your Business Profile is not precisely like Facebook, it will capture the interest of potential leads and customers more easily if it is regularly updated with images. If you want to create the best first impression, you will need more than a monthly image upload. Update your profile with images as frequently as possible. Ensure that your images are relevant to what you’re trying to accomplish with your digital presence.
Images are not only great for inbound marketing through your Google Business Profile – but they also help with SEO efforts.
Studies show that profiles with images get more business, period. We’re talking about more click-throughs to the main business site (35% more) and 42% more direction queries through Google Maps (42% more queries). If your business is super reliant on physical traffic to your store, you’ll love how images will boost interest in your industry.
Images also make your profile more competitive overall. Of course, it is unlikely that your business will be the sole entity on SERPs in your industry vertical or market. Your competitors are probably already there. Google auto-generates listings, after all. But don’t worry.
Those auto-generated listings will barely have any relevant details, while your Business Profile will have plenty of updates and complete details.
That’s your main edge when you make an effort to update your profile. While there may be ten or more other listings that offer similar products or services, yours will attract more clicks, which is a pure good in the SEO realm.
You can easily add images to your profile through the Business Profile dashboard. However, let’s not forget the essentials. Does your profile have a nice cover image?
Have you uploaded a professionally designed logo yet? These two images will appear first in SERPs, so you must take care of them ASAP.
A business listing without a logo doesn’t look legitimate, especially now that you can get a professional-looking logo from places like Fiverr or even Canva. If you don’t want to pay a professional for a logo, you can use free online tools like Canva to make one yourself. Of course, you will get the shiniest or most polished-looking logo around, but it’s better to have a simple business logo than none.
Keep in mind that customers can also add photos in Business Profiles. While this is generally an excellent thing for businesses, you can always flag or report inappropriate or irrelevant images. Don’t allow people to spam your Google Business Profile.
Image Analytics and Post Automation/Scheduling
If you exert so much effort in keeping the content relevant and fresh, you should also be just as energetic in protecting your photo stream. Google provides a dashboard where you can monitor image metrics. Make it a point to check which images people love the most, and maybe you can upload more of the same type of photos to encourage people to interact with your business profile. Additional engagements on your Business Profile are always a good thing – the algorithm picks up the activity!
Automating the process is essential unless you have one or two hours per day poring over images and scheduling posts.
Scheduling Business Profile posts is tedious if you need to go back to it daily. However, the correct decision is to automate content, so your profile always has new content. Today, there are so many third-party tools that you can use to automate posts. Apart from Hootsuite, you can also check out solutions like Sprout Social and Publer. While these web apps provide the same type of service, each has unique perks (and quirks), so it’s best to try them all before settling on a paid monthly or annual plan.
