Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) can be a game changer for Local Businesses. Just by leveraging the power of Google Business Profile, businesses can generate free quality leads without spending a dime on Ads. But this is only possible when the GBP optimization is outsourced to an SEO Company in India that shall take care of all your local SEO needs.
Here is a sneak peek into Google Business Profile Dashboard:
1. Posts
Posts were introduced by Google with the intention of diverting users to purchasing something or facilitating transactions with businesses. It enables users to directly click on the posts’ call-to-action buttons and go to the specific place where they want to land.
It completely removes the hassle to visit the website, then looking for specific pages, and finally, making a purchase. Generally, there are 4 types of posts namely COVID-19, Offers, What’s New, and Events.
Here are the uses of Google Business Profile: (H3)
- Allowing Users to Call and Enquire About Products
- Promote New Products or Services
- Order Food and Buy Products and Services Online
- Sign Up for Newsletters or Websites in general
- Selling Products That Aren’t Selling Well
- Announce Events and Programs
- Consistently updating new and existing products that sell more
- Attract Users to Read Blog Posts
2. Business Description
Description briefly describes what the business is about and helps users to understand the nature of businesses. It’s advised to write several business descriptions and put them on standby if either of them gets rejected, you can publish another.
Make sure the business description is appropriate and should convey what the business is about in simple words.
Also, remember to read all the description guidelines that state what’s allowed and what’s not allowed by Google.
Useful Tips to Optimise Business Description (H3)
- Don’t Use URL or Domain Names
- Stay Away From Keyword Stuffing
- Craft Unique Description That Arrtacts Users
- No Spamming
- Email Id and Phone Number Inclusion is Optional
- Please Don’t Include Sales Pitch or Something Personal
- Demonstrate Professionalism
3. Messages
This is one of the most interactive features of Google My Business. This is a great feature that enables businesses to directly chat with their customers and look after their needs. This builds a true reputation among customers, and please make sure that you are continuously monitoring the answers replied to questions asked.
Messages are considered a Local Pack 3 ranking factor, as it demonstrates a genuine reputation of the business. You will not receive any notifications from your browser whenever a question is asked, so please download the GMB app on your phone.
4. Insights
‘Insights’ is all about how customers are searching for your business. It shows the total views your business profile has got for the listings in search results and maps. For further information, this also shows customer actions i.e. Visits, Request Directions, and Calls made to a business.
Directions are displayed with respect to pin codes, ‘every day phone calls’, popular times, and photo views are the coolest features that you will see in this menu.
5. Reviews
As we all know ‘reviews’ is one of the important ranking factors that cannot be overlooked. Under this section, you will find all the reviews your customers have put in. This allows business owners to know the experiences customers had, with the staff and other amenities.
Here you can reply to all the replies you have got and look at the ones not replied to. You may also reply to the negative reviews, and report them if they turn out to be fake.
6. Photos
Photos allow business owners to add unlimited photos to their Google Business Profile. This not only shows the photos you have but also classifies with respect to By Owner, By Customer, Video, Interior, Exterior, Product, Team, and identity.
It’s just not photos you can add, but videos too. The classification allows customers to understand what a photo is about i.e. the interior of a business and the exterior/outward appearance of a business.
7. Products
Products feature is highly beneficial for Small-Medium Businesses. This serves as a basis for commercial transactions.
You can add physical products, services, or software products with images, product name, category, price, description, and a button(link) to purchase. This feature helps in optimizing the business profile for keywords such as “Product x near me”.
8. Service
Services are nothing but the various services you offer. You can add 9 services under each category. Secondary categories play an important factor in the ranking of Google Business Profile.
What you can do is reverse engineer competitors’ GBP and find out secondary categories they have. Please add only those services that you provide and not just variations of the same services.
9. Website
Another cool feature by Google that allows business users to create a free website that looks standard and pretty much editable. Here you can add themes, edit pages, add photos, and include Call To Action buttons such as Make An Appointment, Call Us, and Visit Us.
Here you can buy a paid domain from Google domains or just use the free ‘business.site’ domain available.
10. Info
This section acts like a dashboard to the above-listed menus on Google Business Profile. I have mentioned this the last because it contains all the menus’ information in one place.
Here you will find various features such as primary category, secondary categories, address, service areas, daily timings, phone number, website address, appointment links, menu links, products, services, accessibility, amenities, health and safety, offerings payment methods, service options, and business description.
11. Google Ads
You have not noticed or overlooked but there is another menu in Google Business Profile that says “Create an Ad”. This feature acts as a shortcut to ads.Google.com wherein you can visit your Google Ads dashboard and manage your campaigns.
