Google Business Profile – How to Set & Optimize Google Listing

A well-optimized Google business profile will help your local store to get searched by the users looking for the services in the Google maps results. This is the best way to turn the searcher into a potential customer. Google my business account help to improve online visibility on the web, helps in gaining credibility, best way to share information about the local store with local searchers.

Steps to set up Google Business Profile

1. Go to Google Maps and add a business to Google. Click the top left corner button on Google Maps.

Click on it and add my business as follows

• Create a Business account if you do not have any and in case you have already then add it through an existing account. Fill out the information required and then you have to verify a phone number. Google will ask you for some more details and then send the terms and conditions.

• Fill out the business details like name and category. Make sure to write the business name as it is and do not try to stuff it with keywords.

• Add your location if you are a nearby grocery shop. You can easily select No if you do not have the physical store location and skip the step. When you select the address, then make sure to enter the exact location. You may already get the listing available based on the address so claim your listing otherwise you can select no for the options displayed by Google.

• Choose your service area if you have added the local store address. Here you have to select if there are deliveries or home and office visits.

• Add your contact information including phone and website URL. Searchers will use this information to reach you so make sure you add accurate information.

• You can opt-out or select the business update. These are the right practice Google sends to have a well-optimized Google business profile.
• Verifying Google listing is a crucial step because your Google my business profile will not rank if the Google listing isn’t verified. There are five ways to perform it-

By phone – Here you will receive a call or text on the added phone number

By email – You will receive an email verification code by email verification

By postcard – In this verification method, you will receive the postcard at the address you mentioned in your Google Business profile.

By video recording – For this, you have to record a video to show proof of location and that will make you the authorized manager of the business.

By live video call- This is the same as video recording as you need to present the same proof but on a live call with a support representative.

How to Claim an Existing Google Listing?

1. Go to google and find your business name. If it is not there then you have to create it from the steps mentioned above.
2. If the listing is already there then you have to claim the listing by using the button “claim this business” or “own this business”
3. If the listing is already verified then you need to get in touch with the existing Google my business manager. In case you already own it then it will be added to your account.
4. If you do not own the business listing then you need to go to manage now to claim the listing.
5. Verify your Google listing by phone, email, postcard, and the ways mentioned above.

How to Optimize your Google Business Profile?

1. Review NAP + W (Name, Address, phone number, website) on the entire web and make sure to follow the consistency. You can opt Listing Management tool by SEMrush to save time and effort.
2. You can write an optimized Business description. Make sure you do not stuff it with keywords instead try to provide an informational description gaining the interest of the searchers. Avoid using confusing information, profane language, specials, or promotions. For more information, you can check a list of guidelines for representing your business on Google.

• Add Attractive Images to stand out in comparison to your competitors. Set a profile photo and add a proper cover photo. You can also add business-related images as well.
• Create an outstanding post that can drive massive traffic. You can always hire social media manager to make the google posts more interesting and entice user’s clicks.
• You can always add featured products to make searchers aware of what your local store is selling.
• Respond always to reviews no matter whether they are positive or negative. Replying to negative reviews will help you gain trust and credibility.
• Add questions and answers to provide important information to the searchers. You can answer the questions posted by searchers and you can also add some basic FAQs customers want to know along with the relevant answer.
• Select highlights or attributes as it is an effective way to show off the unique aspect of your business. It takes 3 days to be live for your updates to be published.