Today, we’re going to delve into a critical aspect of digital marketing — optimizing and maintaining your Google Business Profile. This is a key factor in getting recognized by Google’s algorithm and boosting your business’s rank in search results. If your business profile doesn’t rank among the top three in the search results, chances are you’re missing out on potential leads from Google.

Setting up Your Google Business Profile

Before we get started, it’s essential to ensure you have a Google Business Profile set up. This is a simple process that should only take about 15 minutes of your time. Once that’s in place, you might ask, “What’s next?” Let’s find out.  (We have another training video that will show you how to set this up)

Optimizing Your Profile: Where to Start

One fantastic aspect of Google’s business profile is that it doesn’t require daily feeding like Facebook or Instagram. Regular updates about once a week should suffice. To start with, we’ll focus on messages and phone calls. It’s crucial to promptly attend to any messages or calls received through Google, ideally within 24 hours. Google may disable these features if enough messages or calls go unanswered.

Next, let’s turn our attention to photos. Updating photos regularly is key to keeping your profile fresh. It’s a simple process of adding a photo without needing extensive descriptions or captions. The cherry on top? For extra points with Google’s algorithm, ensure your photos are geotagged, primarily from your physical business location. This can be done easily via your phone settings or with the help of a website like Geo Imager.

Videos and Reviews: The Critical Elements

Uploading short videos (15-30 seconds) can also contribute to your profile’s attractiveness. Although this can be a bit tricky due to size restrictions, it’s certainly worth the effort.

Now onto a vital element — reviews. Encouraging customers to leave reviews can significantly boost your online reputation. Google provides a review link that you can share with customers, taking them directly to your review page. Remember to be patient with this process. Rapid influxes of reviews can cause approval issues with Google.

Moreover, contrary to common belief, reviews don’t only have to come from past clients. Vendors, mortgage personnel, insurance agents, and home inspectors are all excellent sources of legitimate reviews. And don’t worry about having a few less-than-perfect ratings. Occasional three or four-star reviews can actually enhance the authenticity of your profile. In case of negative reviews, the best approach is to professionally address the issues offline and to bury the review with positive ones over time.

Stay Active and Engage with your Audience

Lastly, make it a point to respond to every review you receive. This interaction is highly valued by Google’s algorithm. Even if a review only carries a star rating without any text, a simple “Thank you for your review” can go a long way.

Wrapping Up

In conclusion, regular activity and engagement are crucial for maintaining a robust Google Business Profile. Just 5 minutes a week can drastically improve your visibility and customer engagement. Feel free to reach out to us with any questions regarding this process. Now, go out there, optimize your Google Business Profile, and reel in those leads!