How to generate revenue with your Google Business Profile in 2024
Google Business Profiles can drive revenue for your business, but first you’ll need to optimize it to capture valuable traffic. Keep reading to learn how.
What’s the first thing you do when…
- You need work done on your car?
- You’re planning to take some friends out for dinner?
- You want to know what time that store closes?
You turn to your trusty pal, Google, and look it up. But then what happens?
In the search results for these queries, you probably don’t click a website. Instead, you see a list of local businesses. These are Google Business Profiles, and if you run a local business, you need to know about them.
A fully-optimized Google Business Profile can increase your business’ ability to connect with clients and drive revenue. In this article, we’re going to dive into why Google Business Profiles matter for local search, and what you can do to make the most of yours.
Why is local search so important?
Local search is valuable for your business because there is always an intended action behind it. Think about it from your own experience: when do you search for ‘restaurants near me?’ When you’re looking for somewhere to eat. You’re not just browsing — you’re ready to pull the trigger and go.
The same thing goes for almost every other local search, from ‘lawyers near me’ and ‘HVAC near me’ to gift shops and boutique retailers. Capturing those high-intent searches means more business for you.
But how exactly do you capture those searches? To drive your bottom line with these searches, follow these best practices:
1. Complete and correct your business profile information
Start by ensuring that all your business information is complete and accurate. Consistency in information such as your business name, address, phone number, and hours is crucial for building trust with potential customers and showing up higher in local search results. This makes it easier for customers to find and contact your business.
The first step is claiming your profile. Don’t have yours yet? Get it now, or let us know if you need any help.
2. Encourage and respond to reviews
Reviews are social proof — evidence from existing clients that you’re the real deal. Encourage your satisfied clients to leave reviews, and demonstrate your responsiveness by responding to all reviews (even negative ones) in a professional manner. These interactions show potential clients that you value feedback and are committed to client satisfaction, and you can count on Google to reward you with higher rankings for being engaged.
3. Make regular updates
What does it say to a potential customer when one business updated their profile two days ago, and another business has never had an update? Regular updates and posts signal to Google that your business is active and relevant, which can help improve your search ranking.
Updates are a great way to keep searchers informed when you:
- Have a change in service
- Have a special offer
- Are updating your hours for a holiday
Each time you make an update, it not only gives customers a chance to engage with your business, but it signals that your business is active and ready.
4. Optimize your Google Business Profile for keywords and search intent
Just like with your website, your Google Business Profile should be optimized for the keywords associated with your business. Incorporate these terms into your profile description and Q&As in a natural* way.
However, be mindful to avoid keyword stuffing. For example, your business name on your Google Business Profiles shouldn’t include anything other than your business name. That means that if you’re ‘John Doe Heating and Cooling,’ your Google Business Profile name shouldn’t be ‘John Doe Heating and Cooling HVAC Milwaukee Greenfield Brookfield.’
*What does ‘natural’ mean? Try saying the phrase out loud. If it doesn’t sound like something a person would say in real life, rephrase it until it does.
5. Use high-quality images
High-quality images of your team, your office, your work, and any other aspects that visually represent the quality and professionalism of your practice and can help convince searchers to choose your services over your competitors.
6. Take advantage of Google’s Q&A feature:
Not only should you monitor and respond to questions asked through Google’s Q&A feature on your profile, you should proactively ask and answer questions that potential customers might have about your business.
This not only provides direct engagement with potential customers but also adds to the information available about your services on your profile. Examples questions you could ask an answer include:
- Do you have financing options?
- Do you offer 24/7 emergency service?
- Do you offer online estimates?
Ultimately, the Q&A feature on your Google Business Profile can help potential customers realize that your business is the right one for their HVAC needs.
7. Track your Google Business Profile data:
Google provides valuable insights for your business profile. By analyzing your Google Business Profile data, you can identify:
- Spikes or drops that reflect misalignment between your profile and a searcher’s needs. This can help you optimize the copy and keywords in your GBP.
- What queries searchers are using to find your business. This can help you optimize the service offerings listed on your website.
- What actions searchers prefer to take (are they calling you from your GBP, or are they clicking through to your website?) This can help you refine your calls to action.
Drive revenue with organic search
Google Business Profiles are invaluable for generating local business, but they’re also infamous. Google Business Profiles are liable to be frozen, often with little to no explanation. Sometimes it’s an error on Google’s end, which you unfortunately can’t do much about. Other times, it’s because you’ve unwittingly breached one of the countless and always-changing Google Business Profile guidelines.
Fortunately, you don’t have to go through it alone. We’ve seen it all, and our local SEO team can help you optimize your Google Business Profile, turning it from a barren listing into a business-generating tool.
Ready to start driving more revenue?
We’ll help you optimize and maintain your Google Business Profile.