So you win more customers in the area

As far as a local SEO strategy is concerned, many companies are the entry on Google, the Google Business Profile (former Google My business).

Here you will find concrete tips for optimizing the Google company profile using 10 questions that are often asked in connection with the entry. In the article Local search engine optimization with the Google company profile, I have already described how the entry is claimed and that you have to pay attention to whether there is already one. With a Google company profile, you increase the chances that your company will also be found for the respective suitable search terms and ideally appears in the so-called “local pack”, i.e. in the display on Google with three local search results or in Google Maps.

In the following, you will find the ten most important questions about optimizing the Google company profile.

1. Can we only make the entry with the actual location?

It is a little misunderstanding that only companies can apply for entry with an actual physical location. Google has recognized that this presence is also useful for self-employed people or without a location like pure online shops. For some time now, the exact address has been hidden if, as a self-employed person, you, for example, do not receive any customers at home.

2. What influences visibility on Google search results?

The following factors are essentially responsible for visibility:

a) The relevance of the search term, i.e. someone enters the name of the company or a precisely suitable term that fits your business.
b) the distance to the location, which is determined using the IP address.
c) The trustworthiness of the entry, which is achieved, for example, by stressing the entry, entering current information, and the presence of reviews.

3. How can my business benefit from the Google company profile?

You can reach more people who are in the area of ​​your company. As a customer, visitor or patient, it is important to many people to find a shop, restaurant, or practice nearby. Services that can also offer to freelancers or the self-employed online without personal contact are often sought. Especially with more complex services, it is often important that the respective provider sits nearby so that personal meetings are also possible.

The Google Business Profile is of course the perfect addition to your own website, where interested parties can get more information about your business.

4. Why should I check the Google entry regularly?

You should be aware that every user can make changes and submit reviews. Therefore, you should make sure that you react in time.

In addition, Google has recently added some exciting features that can be decisive for the visibility of your company. Customers can also ask questions that you should of course also react to. The button is in the profile, see the screenshot above. In this way, Google tries to complete the profile on the basis of the questions – ie with “user-generated content”. You should also have an eye on this.

5. What should be completed in the Google company profile?

That sounds like a no-brainer, but most entries are not complete. Why? Many create the account, maybe still invite the logo, write a little text and think that’s it.
However, the potential of this platform is not used. Therefore, fill out all profile fields of the entry conscientiously.

Under “Info” you will find all the fields to be filled out. Of course, this includes the company name, address, and telephone number. The NAP data (name, address, phone) should always be used uniformly on the net because this contributes to the assessment of trustworthiness.

The description of the company is also very important. A maximum of 750 characters can be specified here, but only the first 250 characters in the profile are displayed in the search results. It makes sense to carry out keyword research to determine which search terms could enter potential customers.

This also applies to the services and/or products offered. Here, too, keyword research helps with the selection of suitable terms. Possibly one was already carried out when the website was created so that you can take on search terms with a local cover.

It is also important to select the exact primary category because it depends on how the company is found. “Highlights” depend on which category was chosen, e.g. At restaurants, attributes such as “Outdoor seats” can be displayed.

Self-employed people are particularly difficult with opening hours. However, since you can also add special opening times if you are not available, for example, I still consider it a service when opening or office hours are specified.

Under URL for appointments, you can enter a link that enables customers to make an appointment. If you already use a booking service from a third party, the link will be displayed automatically and cannot be edited in the Google company profile.

Also, add photos and videos. These are then also displayed in the profile. Of course, the products should be presented here and if you offer a service, you can still z. B. show photos of you at work or in use or create a video with which you imagine and tell something about yourself.

Expert tip:

Pay attention to the right sizes for the photos and videos. Depending on the device, these can be cut off, and apparently, Google also experiments with something here. According to Google aid, the current optimal image size is 720 × 720 pixels and should be edited as little as possible with filters. It depends on a realistic representation. Videos may take a maximum of 30 seconds and have a resolution of 720 p or higher.

6. What are the “contributions” in the Google company profile?

Google had tried a lot over time to establish itself as a social network. Who still remembers Google+? For a while, there was also a link between the two tools, which was a hopeless mess, especially because in addition to the private also there were business accounts and nobody checked what was actually which profile.
Fortunately, these times are over, Google+ is history and now you can also publish news, events, or offers with your Google company profile. For example, you can write teaser texts for your blog articles, announce events or make special offers.

Before you groan internally that you then have a platform to be cared for in addition to the social networks, then I can recommend the following article, which has a very interesting approach to the “decoupling” of content, namely the content sprout method, i.e. strategically scattered content for the target audience over all channels. This not only means posting one blog article on all social networks but also letting the germ.

With the articles, it is about presenting yourself on the search results page of Google, so that users then also visit the website.

7. What do I do best to get reviews for?

Reviews are the currency in the online business and in this case, have a direct influence on the ranking. Therefore, of course, you should react promptly to reviews. That alone is a reason to check your profile regularly.

However, evaluations are also a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you would like to have some, of course positive, on the other hand, you can also be assessed negatively.

It is important to react really quickly here. If the assessment is negative, this is initially disappointing and you have to ask yourself whether the criticism was justified. Ignoring criticism is the most false way. It is better to research and answer the case specifically. This may include apologizing and offering solutions. Readers of the reviews see that you are actively trying to initiate improvements.

Also, remember to thank you for positive reviews, but are not too exuberant and do not use the answer to the praise for advertising.

Of course, you should also actively strive for reviews. On the homepage in the browser, you will find the widget “Received more reviews”. The “Share Profile” button takes you to a URL that you can tell customers with the request for an assessment.

8. How can I offer customers a direct contact option?

As shown in the screenshot above, click on the customer button. Here you can answer the reviews and questions or activate Google Chat if you want to offer your customers this option.

9. How do I use the statistics in the Google company profile?

If you now complete your entry over time, publish articles, set events, and actively try to review, the statistics are becoming more and more meaningful. To view the evaluation, click on the number of views in the browser under “My company on Google” at the eye and then receive further details. With the abolition of the app and the processing option only in the browser, the evaluation options are unfortunately no longer as detailed as before.

10. What options for local search engine optimization are still available?

Depending on the industry, there are many portals through which you could enter your company data. In any case, “quality before quantity” applies here, because not all are relevant. The times when you have entered everywhere to score with the links in SEO are definitely over. In addition, many platforms in the meantime demand decent prices. Also make sure that your business can appear on it, even if you are not even aware of it. The data comes from public entries. You can also be rated here and may not know about it.

So research exactly which platforms could fit your company and whether a paid account is worthwhile.

Even if the search engine Bing has a much smaller market share than Google, it is still worthwhile to create an account at Bing Places for Business.
You can also import the data from your Google company profile. It takes a while for the account to be approved and published.

Conclusion

Industry entries and above all the entry on Google together with the evaluation options are part of a comprehensive online marketing strategy. The extended features that have recently been implemented are interesting for all companies that have physical locations, but also for self-employed people who want to work in the home office and want to reach more local and regional customers.