If you’re a small business owner, a Google Business Profile is a must-have tool for managing your online presence. You would not think a small business would overlook this integral part of developing a business, but I see it often.
Equally, if you already have a Google Business Profile, you may be under-utilizing it. Here are several ways you can develop your profile and feed the algorithm beasts.
Post Every Week
Everyone thinks of social media as the place to post, but you can also add content to your business profile. Unlike social media, business posts appear for seven days only, so publishing every week is recommended. You can post under several categories, including offers, events, and new information, and you can even promote blog posts. Take advantage of this great opportunity for exposure.
Upload Media Regularly
Regularly adding key visuals, like photography and graphics, to your profile is a great way to not only poke the algorithm but also reveal more about your business. You can even upload videos to further showcase your brand.
Leverage the Most Out of Google Reviews
Take every opportunity to get reviews posted on your profile. After every positive transaction or project, ask for a review.
Your GBP dashboard provides a link that will take clients and customers directly to the reviews area of your Google profile. This way, they can avoid the extra work of searching where to post the review online. The easier you make it, the more likely you are to receive it.
I recommend that you store the link in an easy-to-find place on your phone (notes app) or in a file on your desktop so you can easily copy and paste it into an email or text. Send it to clients and customers every time you receive positive feedback.
After each review is published, Google will notify you by email. Don’t ignore it! Use the link Google provides in the email to reply to the review in a timely way. Thank the reviewer for taking the time to share their thoughts. You can also personalize the experience by mentioning a specific detail unique to you and the reviewer.
Responding to reviews not only improves ranking but also shows prospects that you care.
A digital communications expert with over 14 years of experience, On Trend Founder Kirsten Carbone is hired by small businesses to streamline their content marketing plans. OT Topics, Kirsten’s free monthly newsletter for solo professionals and small business owners, provides business tips to save money and time, stay more organized, market smarter and avoid pitfalls. To subscribe, fill in your email address below.