Let me start by saying the number of business owners who have not claimed their Google Business listing is alarming. If you're one of them, that's alright. I'm here to tell you about this free tool that you should be utilizing if you're a business owner.
I'm talking about this today because over half of the business profiles present on Google are unclaimed, which could jeopardize business if one of those is yours. That business profile could be giving customers inaccurate information or make them hesitant about looking at your website. That means you're missing out on potential business! But this has no significance if you don't know what I'm talking about. So, let's learn together.
I'm sure we've all searched for specific brands or companies on Google, and found little profiles on the right-hand side of the results page as you see below.
What is Google Business Profile?
According to Google, GBP (Google Business Profile) is a free & easy-to-use tool for businesses to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. By verifying and editing your business information, you can both help customers find you and tell them a little about your business. Google Business Profile can also help customers contact you directly from your listing - whether they're looking to make a reservation, book an appointment, or just get directions to your location. You can even use GBP to post updates and messages about your business, as well as respond to reviews from customers.
Unclaimed listings are essentially free for the taking. So if you wanted to be a human piece of garbage and collect business listings, you could technically do so. And it is NOT easy to reclaim a stolen listing. That's why it's crucial to claim your Google listing and have it fully optimized. FYI, ours is claimed so don't even think about it.
The benefits of GBP
As I mentioned, GBP provides essential information about your business, such as your hours, address, phone number, and website. It also gives customers the ability to leave reviews, which can help improve your visibility in search results & build credibility for your brand.
Having an accurate profile can also help your SEO efforts, in terms of local search. This is something local businesses, especially, want to pay attention to because half of all Google searches are made with local intent. That's around 1.6 BILLION searches per day!
GBP is also a social media platform, which allows you to post updates and other media to keep customers updated by posting new promotions, products, and even events you'll be hosting!
If you haven’t claimed your Google Business Profile listing yet, what are you waiting for? It's a completely free tool that can actually help you rank higher on Google. Who doesn't want that?
If you have already claimed it, have you checked it out lately? Is it accurate and up-to-date with your current operations? You might want to double-check.
Thanks for reading!