5 ways to optimize your Google My Business page

As with any business owner who has devoted numerous hours to perfecting your website, you’re always looking to gain visibility. Of course, you may have forgotten about the importance of optimizing your Google Business profile. If this is the case, then you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading to learn exactly how to optimize your My Google Business profile.

Google My Business: what is it?

There’s no need to make an overly complicated explanation as to what Google My Business entails because in fact, it’s quite simple. Essentially, it’s a registry of company profiles. Joining allows you to appear in the search results of users looking for a company in your field (i.e. marketing, restaurant, storefront and so on.) Regardless of where users search, either Google itself or Google Maps, your business will still appear. 

Not only is this tool free, but it will allow companies to be listed in Google Local Search results. It should also be mentioned that the Google Knowledge graph takes advantage of the information in Google My Business to improve data on registered businesses and their facets.

Of course, you can’t expect simply registering on Google My Business as effective enough to ensure that you have sufficient visibility to grow. This is simply complementary to the visibility initiatives you’re pursuing on your website. Thus, you’ll need to optimize your profile for best results. 

How to optimize your Google My Business profile

1- Offer accurate and current information

As the devil’s in the details, it’s essential that the data in your profile is as accurate as possible. Indeed, local search results will prioritize companies with the most detailed profile. The more accurate your information is, the more it is likely to meet the criteria of a user request. In this sense, you need to specify what type of product or service your company offers as well as how potential customers can access it. 

Just as Google’s algorithm takes into account updates to your website’s content to evaluate it, updating your company data is also essential. Have you changed your opening hours or modified your service offer? Make the required changes as soon as they happen, as that will ensure potential customers have access to updated information.

2- A picture is worth a thousand words, so use plenty!

This commonly used expression certainly has some truth to it. Statistically, a profile picture is appealing to internet users: companies that have one receive 42% more visits. 

Generally, we’d recommend putting a picture of what your company offers, whether it refers to your services or your products. But, what about a company logo? Although you should include a logo on your company page, it shouldn’t be the profile picture. 

When it comes to the cover photo, you should choose something that communicates your company’s personal brand. Try to choose one that offers an overview of your products or services, or those who comprise your business. 

As a general rule, there are certain criteria that need to be respected when choosing images. First, it’s recommended that you avoid choosing something that’s been heavily edited. Then, when it comes to formatting, make sure to choose a PNG or JPEG. Lastly, be sure the image size is between 10KB and 5MB. Regarding the resolution, it should be between 720 pixels high and 720 wide.  

3- Respond to Google user comments

It’s important to offer your customers a space where they can say how they’re feeling or offer their opinion.  Positive comments will work to increase profile visibility, but can also be used to show that you care about your customers. 

Another note is that you should take the time to respond to these comments, even if they’re not complimentary. Not only will this allow you to use feedback to improve, but it will also show that your business is committed to improving and meeting the expectations of your customers.

When it comes to the comment section, this number of comments is a factor that weighs heavily in the SEO of your profile. Moreover, all comments left by internet users are taken into account. Positive comments will significantly improve your SEO whereas negative ones will penalize you. Thus, it’s easy to see the reasons why a place for user comments is beneficial. 

4- Keywords

Not surprisingly, the presence of keywords plays a major role in optimizing your content. Since you know this rule applies to traditional marketing content, it also applies to your Google My Business profile. Since your website is directly linked to your profile, try to pick up similar keywords or phrases you find embedded in it.

5- Publish

Although it’s not a widely used feature, keep in mind that Google My Business offers the ability to publish. This gives you the opportunity to promote your services or products, to share company changes with customers and especially to send out information about promotional offers.