How to Attract More Visitors to a Google Business Profile
A well-optimized Google Business Profile (GBP) can give your business more visibility, engagement, and conversions. I always tell my clients to set one up. It’s simple and free, so why not attract more visitors to a Google Business Profile and, therefore, your business?
There’s a common misconception that it’s only for local businesses, as these profiles often appear in local search results. That’s not true! Online-only businesses can also take advantage of GBPs to grow their business.
But it’s not just about setting up a profile and never touching it again. You have to optimize and maintain it (although not as much as a social media profile!) to get the most benefits out of it.
If you want to attract more visitors to a Google Business Profile, let’s walk through what your account needs to get more eyes on your profile.
Optimize Your Business Information
Your business information needs to be accurate and complete. The more information you can provide, the better! This includes your business:
- Name
- Address
- Phone number
- Website
- Social profiles
- Description
- Category
- Opening date
- Service areas
- Hours
- Language
- Link to book appointments
I know that sounds like a lot of information but think about it from the customer’s perspective. If they are just discovering your website on Google, they want to quickly learn about who you are and what you do before clicking on your website for more information. Your Google Business Profile gives them a quick snapshot of your business.
It’s important to keep this information updated. If anything changes, update it right away so you don’t accidentally frustrate potential clients!
Add High-Quality Photos
Build your Google Business Profile out a little more and add some high-quality photos! You can add photos of yourself, your office, products, and anything else that’s relevant to your business. My Google Business Profile has four of my brand images. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy, just a visual presentation of your brand to catch people’s eye.
Anyone who adds photos to their reviews will also appear on your main profile. This is really common for photographers because clients want to show off their amazing pictures! Online service providers probably won’t have too many reviews with pictures.
Encourage and Manage Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are SUPER important for visibility. The more reviews you get, the more Google and potential customers trust you. What would you think of a business with no reviews and one with a hundred? You would probably trust the business with a lot of reviews, right? You assume they are more popular, and you can read about other people’s experiences.
After you finish a project or have been working with a retainer client for a few months, ask them for a review! You can’t tell them exactly what to say, but you can direct their review. For example, you could say something like, “I would love it if you could talk about your experience working with me,” or “Can you comment on the results you got from our project?”
Send them a direct link from your Google Business Profile when asking for Google reviews. Follow these steps to get your link:
- Search for your business on Google.
- Click “Ask for reviews” in your GBP dashboard.
- Copy the link and share it.
You can also use this link in newsletters, your website, or social media. Gather as many positive reviews as you can!
Whenever you get a review (positive or negative), always reply to it. Leave a genuine and personalized response. It actually encourages people to leave reviews when they know you see and hear their feedback.
Leverage Google Updates
An update is like a social media post. You can post updates, create an offer, or add an event. These will stay on your Google Business Profile until you choose to remove them.
You don’t have to post as often as on other social media platforms. Google updates are for big business announcements, such as rebranding, new offers, upcoming events, blogs, partnerships, etc. This isn’t the place to add tips, best practices, or advice.
Utilize Q&A to Address Customer Concerns
The Q&A section is a great place to jump on customer objections and questions. You can ease those concerns before they even get to your website! These are some topics you can address in some FAQs to attract more visitors to a Google Business Profile:
- Pricing and cost concerns
- Availability or scheduling
- Next steps
- How you operate
- Quality and reliability
- Location
- Accessibility
- Payment or policies
- Turnaround time
- Shipping
- Experience
Reflect on the questions you often get during discovery calls or from your audience or clients. These could be great Q&As!
Optimize for Local SEO and Keywords
Did you know you can use local SEO and keywords to attract more visitors to a Google Business Profile? Local SEO ensures your business appears in search results for services in your area. This works even if you’re an online service provider and work with clients across the U.S. Who doesn’t want to work with businesses in their local community?! You can also add specific service areas to appear in those locations’ search results.
Also, use relevant keywords in your Google Business Profile description and updates. This gives Google more information about your business and when to show your profile in search results. You get 750 characters for your business description, so use them wisely!
Create and Optimize Your GBP!
Regularly update your profile with relevant information, high-quality photos, and positive customer reviews to attract more visitors to a Google Business Profile. This will give you the best chance of attracting new clients from search results.
If you want more helpful tips to improve your SEO and search visibility, check out my blog! I post easy and helpful tips to improve your SEO. And if you want a little more strategy and intensive work, explore my SEO services. My Google reviews prove I can increase your inquiries and help you feel more confident in your SEO. Let’s chat in a free discovery call!
