Local business? Google Business Profile is free SEO you can’t ignore. Here’s how to actually optimize it. 📍
What Is Google Business Profile?
Formerly Google My Business, formerly Google Places. It’s the free listing that appears when people search for local businesses – the box with your address, hours, reviews, and photos.
If you serve local customers, this is often more important than your website. People search “plumber near me,” see the map results, call directly from Google. They might never visit your site.
How to Optimize It
Claim and Verify
If you haven’t claimed your listing, do it now at business.google.com. Google might have auto-generated one – claim it before someone else does.
Complete Every Field
Business name (exactly as it appears in real life). Address. Phone. Hours. Website. Categories. Services. Products. The more complete, the better you rank.
Choose the Right Categories
Your primary category matters most. Pick the one that most precisely describes what you do. Add secondary categories for other services.
Add Photos
Real photos of your business, team, work, products. Not stock photos. Google shows listings with photos more prominently, and customers trust them more.
Get Reviews
Reviews are a major ranking factor for local search. Ask happy customers. Make it easy – send them a direct link. Respond to all reviews, positive and negative.
Post Updates
Google Business Profile has a posts feature. Use it. Announce offers, events, news. It signals that you’re active and gives users more reasons to engage.
Common Mistakes
- Keyword stuffing the business name – “John’s Plumbing | Best Emergency Plumber London” – this violates guidelines and can get you suspended
- Fake reviews – Google catches these, and the penalty is severe
- Wrong address – Inconsistency between your site, GBP, and other directories hurts local rankings
- Ignoring questions – People can ask questions on your listing; unanswered questions look bad
The Bigger Picture
Google Business Profile is powerful – but remember, it’s Google’s platform. They’ve killed products before. Don’t make GBP your only online presence.
Build your own website. Collect email addresses. Create relationships that don’t depend on Google’s continued goodwill.
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