Have you ever looked up your business on Google? Have you ever wondered how your business got the little blurb on the right side of the results? And have you ever wondered about that link at the bottom to “claim” your business?
That is Google Business Profile, and it can be a very powerful asset in helping your business get found in those “near me” searches that are more likely to result in sales and conversions.
If you have a small business, whether you have a storefront or focus on services, you’re going to need (not want, but need) to get started with Google Business Profile today. It’s the best way to make sure your business shows up when people in your area search for a service you provide.
So let’s take a deeper dive into what Business Profile is and why you should get started with it for your business right now.
What is Google Business Profile?
First off, what is Google Business Profile?
I want you to open a new tab in your browser and run a “near me” search. It could be for anything — lunch, car repair, bookstore, you make the call.
What do you see when the results appear? You probably see a map with various pins on it. And you might see some businesses appear in a list beneath the map.
But what controls how those appear on the map with all of the correct information about those businesses?
That’s the power of Google Business Profile.
By creating a Google Business Profile for your business, you’re helping get your business directly into Google. You can add in your hours of operations, tell people if you’re open on this holiday or that, add a link to your website and even get reviews for your business and display them in your Google Business Profile listing.
In short, it’s an extremely powerful tool to help you get your business found in Google search, and it’s a requirement if you’re going to work on your Local SEO.
How much does it cost?
With such a powerful tool, you might be wondering how much it costs you to create a Google Business Profile for your business.
And I have some great news for you. Google Business Profile is completely free.
You will have to spend a pretty good bit of time working on getting your profile as optimized as possible, but the direct cost is $0. Can’t get a better deal than that.
Now, could it become paid in the future? Sure. There’s always that risk, and we are talking about Google here.
But for now it doesn’t cost anything to get started. So build your profile today!
What are the benefits to using Google Business Profile?
There are a lot of benefits when it comes to creating an Google Business Profile for your business.
First, it makes it so much easier to show up in those “near me” searches that matter a lot for your bottom line. Google has all of your business’ information right in its database instead of needing to index it all from your website.
Also, you can have all of your business’ information in one place. Granted, your website should also be that place where everyone can find everything about what you do. But having a second place, especially is a place as prominent as Google never hurts.
You can also list products or services that you offer. And you can post updates about your business, like a new blog post, a new sale, new hours, etc.
Plus, customers can leave reviews about your business on your profile, with the more positive reviews you get helping you climb the rankings and show up in results more often. And you and customers can post photos and videos of your business on your profile.
It’s not your second home for your business on the web — that’s what your website is for. But it’s a great second place to be for your business.
Why Your Business Should Be On Google Business Profile
So why should you start right now on creating a Google Business Profile for your business?
Well, your business, whether it has a storefront or is service base, needs to get found in those local, “near me” searches. These searches are more likely to result in sales and conversions versus other types of searches.
And yes, you should want your website to show up in those types of searches, and you should want to drive traffic to your website. But without a Google Business Profile, your business (and your website) might not show up reliably in those searches.
A profile with Google makes your odds of appearing better.
Plus, it makes it really easy for someone to see information about your business, like hours, your address, contact information, a link to your website, reviews other people have left and more.
And while it might not drive more people to your website, especially if you have a public storefront, it can drive them to your actual store or location, which can result in sales and more money for your business.
Also, it’s free. Like, come on. It doesn’t get any better than that.
So if you want more sales for your business, start right now with a Google Business Profile.
Getting started with Google Business Profile
While I’ll go over this in another blog post since there are a lot of options, I want to briefly describe how you can get started today with a Google Business Profile for your business.
To get started with a profile, you’ll need to go to its home page and log in with your Google account or create a Google account if you don’t already have one.
Then all you need to do is follow the various prompts and add in the information about your business. It takes care of the rest.
Most of it should be pretty self-explanatory, but optimizing your listing so that you show up in those local searches and get more sales and conversions does take more time and effort.
As I mentioned before, we’ll cover those tips in another blog post.
Get a Google Business Profile with a WordPress Website Care Plan
Do you have a WordPress website for your business? Do you need help managing and maintaining the technical side of things? Would you like help creating a Google Business Profile?
If this is your situation, consider checking out one of the WordPress Website Care plans. With the Optimized plan, you’ll get a brand new Google Business Profile for your business, if you don’t already have one. Plus, you’ll get top-of-the-line web hosting, managed weekly updates, security hardening, accessibility checks and fixes and so much more.
It’s the perfect way to make sure that your website is always running great, plus you’ll give your business a Local SEO boost with the profile. So check out the WordPress Website Care plans today!
Build Your Business a New Website and Get a Business Profile
Are you looking to create a website for your business? Do you need something quick and that would fit your budget? Would you like to create a Google Business Profile for your business in the process?
Then you’ll want to check out the Small Business Website Starter Kit! This process will give your business an amazing website in two weeks and a cost that’s half of what a custom website would cost you. Plus, you’ll get live training on how to use your new website and a library of information to fall back on if you need it.
Oh, and you’ll also get a Google Business Profile built for your business in the process. It’s the perfect way to get your business online today and to help people find your business online. So check out the Small Business Website Starter Kit today!
