Google Business Profiles: How To List & Optimize

November 12, 2019

What is a Google Business Profile?

A Google Business Profile is a free tool that gives you a listing of your business that appears on Google and Google Maps. Your listing can include things like:

Business Name
Location
Business Hours
Customer Reviews
Photos
Analytics for your use

Creating a Google Business Profile can be one of the easiest and fastest ways online to bring clients to your store and even bring more traffic to your website. When you talk about SEO, most of the time you have to hire someone to optimize your website and online brand in order to get your business found online, and it can still take months to see results. With Google Business Profiles, you can see results almost immediately and you need very little technical experience.

To learn how to create, claim, verify, and optimize your Google Business Profile account, read on:

Create a Google Business Profile

On your computer, go to the Google Business Profile web page.
At the top right of the screen, click the Manage button.
You’ll either be asked to sign in to the Google Account you want to be associated with your business (use the email you use for work) or you’ll be asked to create a Google Account. Then click Next.
You’ll have steps to follow now. Enter your business’ name, choose if you want your business to appear on Google Maps, add your business address, select your business category, add your website and phone number.
I’m making the assumption that you have all of these things. If you don’t have a business address and you go to customer locations, that’s fine! Just tell Google and they’ll tell you how you should handle your Google My Business listing.
Select a verification method. If you’re not ready to verify now, click Verify Later > Later.
TIP – If you see a page that says “This listing has already been claimed” click Request access. Then follow the directed to claim your business.

Verify your Google Business Profile Listing

There are multiple ways to verify your Google Business Profile listing and only select businesses have some of these options:

Mail
Phone
Email
Instant Verification

For these guidelines, we’ll be using a computer, and the steps are different for the mobile app.

Verification by Mail

Log in to your Google Business Profile
Select your business you’re ready to verify, click Verify now
Make sure your business address is correct and edit your address if it is not and add a contact name. – This address is where your postcard will be delivered and will be the listing of your business.
Click Send postcard or Mail – It usually takes less than a week to get this postcard but can take up to 14 days. Make sure you don’t edit anything about your Google Business Profile listing until you receive this postcard and finish the verification process.
Once you get your podcast, log in to Google Business Profile, select the business you’re verifying, and click Verify now
In the code field, enter the 5-digit verification code that is on your postcard
Click Submit

If your postcard never shows up or you lose it, you can request a new one by logging back into your Google Business Profile account and following the steps above. When you get to the area where you get to select your business you want to verify, click I don’t have a code and a new one will be sent out.

Verification by Phone

Google will allow some businesses to verify by phone. If you don’t see this option, you’ll have to most likely go down the verify by mail route instead.

Log in to your Google Business Profile
Select your business you’re ready to verify, make sure your phone number is correct, click Verify by phone
Enter the verification code that you receive on your phone.

Verification by Email

Again, not all businesses qualify for the option to verify by email. If you don’t see this option, you’ll have to verify by mail.

Log in to your Google Business Profile
Select your business you’re ready to verify, make sure your email is correct, click Send email
Go to your email inbox, open the email from Google Business Profile, then click on the verification code or button in that email.

Verify Instantly

If you’ve already verified your business with the Google Search Console, you may have to ability to do an instant verification. If you do have your business verified with the Google Search Console, with the same Google Account as your Google Business Profile Account, your Google Business Profile will automatically be verified on the creation of the business page.

Optimize your Google Business Profile

Once you’ve verified your business, you’re ready to start using GMB to its full potential!

Log into your Google Business Profile dashboard and select your business. Click on Info and choose a section to fill out or update.

Add as much information about your business as possible. These are the details often passed over that make a big difference for getting found on Google. Make sure to add things like:

Business photos
The area your business serves
Hours of operation
Business photo number (or your personal phone number if you don’t have one)
Website address
Business description – This is a big part of what Google pulls from for user searches
Any special attributes – Free WiFi, Kid Friendly, Etc.

Anyone can suggest an edit of your Google Business Profile, so it’s important to make sure you manage this page by filling out this information and are frequently monitoring.

Google Business Profile Photos

A big part of your GMB listing is the photos on your listing. Straight from Google’s mouth – Google Business Profile pages with photos have 35% more clicks through to their website.

These photos should be 720px by 720px and either JPG or PNG. Some ideas for these photos can be:

The business logo
The business office or location – exterior and interior
Work in action or your product
Happy employees or customers
Events

Google Business Profile Reviews

Have you had a happy customer recently? Mention to them that you’re on Google Business Profile for them to leave a review! Having reviews online is great for your online presence for more reasons than one, and one of the best is the “online word-of-mouth” it helps bring for your business.

Respond to ALL reviews

It’s also important to respond to all of the reviews that you get on your GMB listing. It shows appreciation to happy customers and helps showcase their review more, and for the not so good reviews, it show’s that you’re trying to fix a problem or bad experience they may have had.

If you’re a local business, a Google Business Profile is almost always a must-have is our eyes!

And if you aren’t already, get on Yelp and other local directories too!