12 ways to optimize your Google My Business profile
If your business has a specific location (or locations), then ranking in local search results should be a priority, especially on Google.
About 46 percent of all Google searches have local intent, and roughly 76 percent of people who perform a local search visit a business within 24 hours.
The good news is that there is a lot you can do to boost your local SEO without spending a ton of money, including optimizing your Google Business Profile.
Your Google Business Profile is a powerful free listing that acts as a dynamic snapshot of your business that highlights key information and helps internet users learn more about (and engage with) you within Google Search and Maps.
Check out our 11 local SEO tips, then review the following 12 ways you can optimize your Google Business Profile, which is commonly underutilized by local businesses. Optimizing your profile will give you a leg up on your competition.
| Way | The takeaway |
|---|---|
| Create your profile | Claim and verify it directly through Google Search or Maps |
| Fill out every section | A complete profile gets far more clicks than an incomplete one |
| Be specific with your information | Match your business name and hours exactly everywhere |
| Choose your category | Your primary category is one of the biggest ranking levers |
| Pick your attributes | Select every feature that genuinely applies |
| Add photos and video | More, authentic, and regularly refreshed wins |
| Seek out Google reviews | Ask consistently and respond to every one |
| Post regularly | Weekly posts and offers, now schedulable in advance |
| Embrace Q&A | Seed it yourself before others fill it inaccurately |
| Add products and services | More detail means more ways to match a search |
| Set up messaging | Now a factor in local ranking, respond quickly |
| Build a strategy | Treat it like an ongoing channel, not a one-time setup |
Create your Google Business Profile
Of course, if you know you've already created your Google Business Profile, feel free to skip this tip.
Google has simplified this over the years. There's no longer a separate "Google My Business" app to install. You'll want to navigate to the Google.com Business page and sign in with the regular Google Account you use for your business (not a personal one), then search for and claim your business directly. From there, you manage everything through Google Search or Google Maps.
For new listings, video verification is now the default in most regions: you'll record a short video showing your signage, interior, and a live action (like flipping an open sign) rather than waiting on a mailed postcard.
Fill out every section of your profile
Be sure to fill out all sections of your Google Business Profile, which will help your business both rank higher in local search results and increase the number of ways potential customers can engage with your profile.
The key fields include:
- Business name
- Location address
- Phone number
- Website URL
- Hours of operation
There also are a few sections that you'll want to put some thought into:
- Products and services
- Category and attributes
- From the business, which is your business description that appears lower than the auto-generated description that Google provides for you
- FAQs that you create and publish
In the "from the business" field, you can definitely repurpose a description from your "About Us" page or your mission statement. Just be sure to use all available 750 characters, with the most important details in the first 250 characters. (Avoid including any links.) While you do want to include relevant keywords, don't repeat any information that's already in the other sections of your Google Business Profile. Instead, focus on what sets your business apart and what customers like the most.
Then, there are a few sections that are ongoing:
- Posts
- Reviews
- Questions and answers that are generated by internet users
Take the necessary time to fill out all of these sections, and consider what will be the most useful information for someone to know who is coming across your business for the first time.
Be specific with your information
It's very important that your business name is identical not only to the one you use on your store signage but also to your other listings across the internet.
This can come down to slight differences like "company" versus "co."
Pay attention to these details so that your credibility isn't questioned by Google.
Also consider your regular hours of operation and your holiday hours of operation. These likely will be different and will help avoid any confusion (and potential negative review) from a customer who went to your business when you were actually closed.
Choose the category of your business
Your primary category is one of the single biggest levers you can pull on your profile. Choosing the narrowest, most accurate category available (rather than a broad, general one) can meaningfully change how often you show up in local search and Maps results.
By choosing the right category, you'll also be able to access category-specific features that can make your profile more effective, such as restaurants including a "menu" button.
When choosing from available categories, be as specific as possible and choose any relevant secondary categories (since many businesses span multiple categories). Just make sure that you're not confusing your categories with specific products or attributes you offer. There are separate sections for those.
Pick relevant attributes of your business
Once you choose a category for your Google Business Profile, you get a list of attributes that allow you to further describe your business.
Attributes are not unique to Google. You'll find them on various listing websites. They are the features that might interest potential customers, such as "free WiFi," "public restroom," "pets welcome" and more.
Select everything that is relevant to your business.
Add photos that showcase your business
Because anyone can add photos to your Business Profile, you definitely want to upload your own photos to help your profile look its best to potential customers.
Uploading photos to your profile also shows Google that you are actively on your profile, which can boost your local SEO as well. Customers are about 42 percent more likely to request driving directions to a business if its profile has photos and about 35 percent more likely to click through to its website.
And the more the better. Businesses with more than 100 photos get about 520 percent more calls, 2,717 percent more direction requests and 1,065 percent more website clicks than the average business.
But don't take that as encouragement to spam your own profile with photos. When it comes to photos (and video) on your Google Business Profile:
- Upload your logo for your thumbnail photo
- Use an image that represents your brand as your cover photo
- Only include photos that are authentic and reflect how your business is in real life, avoiding anything that could be viewed as a stock image or has special effects
- Geo-tag your photos
- Upload video too. Google Business Profile videos now support up to 60 seconds, so a quick walkthrough or product demo can work well here
- Strive to upload at least a few new photos or videos every month
Get additional photo guidance from Google itself.
Seek out Google reviews
Reviews are a top influence on consumer purchases, so it's important to seek out reviews for your Google Business Profile. Plus, local businesses with multiple positive reviews get a boost in their relevant search rankings. Google has also started surfacing AI-generated summaries of a business's reviews for some searchers, which makes the specific detail and themes in your reviews (not just the star rating) matter more than ever.
To get more reviews on your profile:
- Request reviews directly from your long-time and loyal customers
- Create a review shortcut link to make it easy to submit a Google review for your business
- Ask all customers to write a review because most will do so when asked
- Include a call-to-action on your website that links to your reviews
- Respond to all reviews, whether they are positive or negative
- Remind customers that reviews aren't just for your benefit. They can serve other consumers who are seeking a solution to a need or problem they have
Just remember that you should not incentivize reviews with discounts, gifts or anything else.
Regularly post to your Google Business Profile
Consider your Google Business Profile just as you would your social media accounts. Regular posts about announcements, offers, events and more should be published consistently.
These posts are created directly through your Google Business Profile in Search or Maps and appear in the "Updates" section of your profile. Google has also added native post scheduling, along with the ability to push a single post to multiple locations at once, which is a meaningful time-saver if you manage more than one profile.
Posting sends positive engagement signals to Google similar to how uploading photos would, and posts increase engagement opportunities with potential customers.
Consumers also can follow your profile and get notified of any new posts you publish.
Embrace questions and answers
Similar to Amazon, Google Business Profile features a section for questions and answers. Because anyone can ask and answer questions about your business, it's important to optimize this section to promote accurate information over any inaccurate information.
You can't turn off this section, so make a commitment to make it work for you:
- Set up alerts so that you're notified when new questions are posted on your profile
- Seed the section yourself with 10 to 15 of the most common questions about your business, answered as the owner
- Use relevant keywords wherever appropriate without overusing
Google has also started using AI to draft answers to common customer questions based on your profile, website, and reviews. If that rolls out to your profile, don't approve the drafted answers in bulk; spot-check them for tone and accuracy before they go live.
Add available products and services
When the products or services are not obvious in your business name, be sure to add them in this section of your Google Business Profile.
You should include the name, description and price of your products and/or services. The more information you can provide, the better.
Remember, filling out this section provides more content that could potentially be relevant to a local search query.
Set up direct messaging
You can turn on a messaging feature in your Google Business Profile where searchers can send you a message directly from your profile in Search or Maps, no separate app required.
From your Business Profile manager (or the Google Maps app), open the "Messages" tab and toggle chat on. Reports suggest messaging responsiveness has become a factor in local ranking, so aim to reply within about 15 minutes during business hours and set up quick reply templates for your most common questions, like hours, location, and pricing.
Pulling it all together with a Google Business Profile strategy
Google Business Profile is not a "set it and forget it" platform. Staying on top of the features it offers is one of the best ways to improve your local SEO (and ultimately the overall success of your business).
Plan out how often you'll publish new information, what type of information and when. You can create a separate content calendar if that will help you stay organized. Once you're posting and gathering reviews consistently, keep an eye on your Performance tab (which replaced the old Insights tab) to see which searches, photos, and posts are actually driving calls, direction requests, and website clicks.
See our six best practices for mobile SEO as well.
While you're optimizing your Google Business Profile, think about your digital marketing process. Consider DailyStory. Our application features automation, dynamic audience segmentation and more. Schedule your free demo with us today.