Our top tips for optimising your Google Business Profile

Optimisation will not only lead to higher visability but also it also legitamises your business to prospective customers.

11 November 2024

1. Ensure your Business Information is Accurate and Consistent

In order for your Google Business Profile to rank well in local business searches, you’ll need your NAP (name, address, and phone number) to be accurate and consistent.

The business name should be correct, as per your business name registration.

Some businesses have been tempted by adding keywords onto the end of their business name to improve their rankings. This is against the rules and can lead to account suspension so please don't be tempted to do this.

2. Choose the correct business categories

You may or may not be aware that your business’s GBP category is one of the top factors in local pack rankings. For this reason, selecting the most relevant primary category as well as relevant additional GBP categories is important, significantly influencing how a business shows up in local Google searches.

Be aware that Google add new categories from time to time. If relevant to your business, adding a new category to your profile early on can be beneficial.

Take away: Check your categories now and make any necessary changes. Check for new or updated categories from time to time.

3. Frequently upload photos to your profile

Customers love images. We all do.

The more photos on your business listing, the more likely you are to engage new customers.

Think of the last time you were a researching customer. Did you look at images, did you make decisions based on the visuals?

Google allows you to easily upload photos to your profile. The photos section can be found on the side menu in your GMB account. To inspire browsing customers into action frequently upload photos.

Consider:
• Exterior photos of your business
• Show off your facilities, particularly customer areas
• Location shots to help with parking or way-finding - this can help customers and suppliers
• Your products
• Staff profiles
• Awards

4. Generate reviews and respond in a personal way to both positive and negative reviews

Customer reviews are extremely important ranking factor for your business.

The star-rating, frequency, recency and quality of reviews all play a part in engaging prospective new customers. Dominating your competitor businesses can boost your ranking position significantly.

It’s important to regularly generate Google reviews and manage them professionally. Ensure they are legitimate and that your staff members, or family and friends don’t artificially write reviews.

If you run a good business, all you need is an efficient review request system, and your customers will leave a steady stream of reviews detailing their experiences.

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Frequently asked questions

In late 2021, Google renamed Google My Business to Google Business Profile.

The old way of accessing your Google Business Profile / Google My Business Profile was to open a web browser and load up https://business.google.com/

That option still works.

If you're logged into your Google Profile, you can also simply search "my business" and the profiles you have access to will appear in the search results.

It's important to identify the difference between review frequency and review recency.

Review frequency relates to the timing of reviews received. It's important to have a regular flow of reviews as opposed to generating a good number and stopping. The review frequency should ideally be consistent and proportionate to your sales frequency.

Review recency refers to the when your last reviews were generated. Reviews that are years old are less effective as they're potentially less relevant to new customers. Ideally, it's best to ensure your most recent review is within the last month.