A Google Business Profile, formerly called Google My Business, is a free tool to help businesses get discovered in Google Search and Maps.
For local businesses that rely on location-based searches, Google Business Profile is essential for increasing visibility and driving traffic to your website.
Below, we’ll walk through how to set up and optimize your Google Business Profile to get the most out of this free marketing tool.
4 benefits to using Google My Business
1. Improve local SEO
A Google Business Profile (GBP) is meant to help people find your business through Google Search and Maps. This means the tool is especially helpful for local businesses, like retail stores, services, and restaurants.
When a user makes a location-based search query (e.g. “ice cream shop Chicago”), Google uses Google Business Profile information — which includes location, phone number, address, descriptions, and reviews — to decide which businesses best fit the searcher’s intent.
The best matches shows up in the top positions on the search results page.
The same goes for surfacing local businesses in Google Maps searches. Google uses your profile information to highlight relevant businesses on the map for users to easily find and potentially visit.
Source: Google Maps
When it comes to your SEO ranking, Google has stated that businesses with complete and accurate profile information are more likely to show up in local search results.
Google also suggests that there are three factors that help determine your local ranking: relevance, distance, and popularity.
The more details you have on your profile that match a user’s search intent and location — and the more reviews you have to show popularity — the more likely your business is to appear in search results.
2. Manage your online business information
You can update your Google Business Profile information at any time. That means you’re always in control of how your business hours, phone number, and other attributes appear online. This helps you direct potential customers to the most accurate contact information.
Besides serving as a central place of information for search engines and Google Maps, you can also use your Google Business Profile as a bulletin board.
You can create posts to share timely announcements, like unexpected closures or temporary business hour changes. Posts are part of your profile, visible to anyone who looks you up in Search or on Maps.
Source: Google Maps
3. Showcase products and services
Think of your Google Business Profile as a preview of your business, almost like a micro website. By showcasing your top products and services on your profile, you’re letting potential customers know right away what your business is about — and why they should check you out.
Source: Google Maps
4. Build trust with Google Reviews
Reviews are a key element of social proof and a meaningful way to build trust and credibility online.
Even if searchers aren’t reading the full content of your reviews, seeing the 1-5 star rating on your profile directly impacts their likelihood of checking you out.
Think about it: If you see a business with an average of 4.5 stars, you’re more likely to trust that the business is popular and well-liked.
Worried you can’t keep up a string of solid 5-star reviews? Don’t sweat it. Google sees a mixture of positive and negative reviews as more authentic and trustworthy, ranking you better because of it.
How to set up a Google My Business listing
Step 1: Log in to Google Business Profile
You need a Google account to use Google Business Profile, so go ahead and create one if you haven’t already.
We recommend not using your personal Google account to set this up. You may want to give others access to your Google Business Profile later, and it’s better to do that from a dedicated work account.
Step 2: Add your business information
Once you’re signed in, Google Business Profile asks you for your business name. Enter one and click Continue.
Step 3: Select your business type
You can sign up for Google Business Profile as long as you either sell directly to customers online, have a physical location, or provide a service to your customers. You can select all options that apply to you.
Click Next when you’re done.
Step 4: Select your business category
Next, select the category your business falls under. You can be as specific as you want here — simply start typing in what your business does, and you can choose from a list of pre-populated options.
For example, entering “garden” brings up a range of options, from gardener to beer garden.
Step 5: Enter your location or service area
The next step is determined by what type of business you operate, whether online or in-person.
If you’re an online-only business, Google asks for your website.
For both online and offline businesses, you’ll need to enter the country you’re registered in. This may or may not also be the country where your location is.
If you have a physical location, you’ll enter your business address instead (with the ability to add your website URL and more information later).
You may also be asked to position a marker for the location on a map for accuracy. If your business does not have a location customers can visit but offers in-person services or deliveries, you can list your service areas. Then click Next.
If you didn’t enter a physical address, Google will ask you to specify which region you’re based in. Choose from the drop-down menu and click Next.
Step 5: Add contact information
Next, add the contact information you want customers to use. You can add either a website, phone number, or both. These will be publicly viewable on your profile.
Step 6: Verify your business
Even if you don’t have a physical business location, you need to enter a mailing address to become verified.
After that, you’ll receive a verification code either by email, phone, or SMS.
In some cases, you may also get verified over a live phone call or by recording a short video. The verification format options are automatically chosen by Google and depend on your business type, public info, region, or business hours.
Verification can take up to five days to be completed. Once you’re verified, you can publicly reply to customer reviews, use messaging features, and fully optimize your profile.
Step 7: Optimize your profile
Now, it’s time to add all the extra details that will help you get the most out of your profile. All of these are optional, but if they apply to you, be sure to fill them out.
You can add:
- Business hours
- Description of your business
- Photos of your business
There are many more ways to optimize your Google My Business profile than the options you get in the setup screen. The next section covers everything else you should optimize.
8 Google My Business features every marketer should know
While Google ads and analytics are important tools for improving your online marketing and visibility, Google Business Profile offers plenty of free features to get started with. Take advantage of these free features to get the most out of the tool.
- Reviews: You can read and respond to every review through your Google Business Profile manager. Being responsive is a key part of customer service, and responding to reviews (both positive and negative) is no different.
- Analytics: The analytics feature allows you to see how people discovered your business on Google, and how they’re interacting with your profile.
- Products: You can showcase individual products or services on your profile — similar to product listings on your website.
- Business hours: Add specific hours for each day of the week to let customers know when you can be reached, or when your business is open.
- Q&A section: This is a great opportunity to address customers’ frequently asked questions about your business — whether about your location, hours, pricing, or offerings.
- Posts: Use posts to make announcements, promote specials, or share more detailed information about your products and business.
- Appointments and messaging: When customers can schedule bookings or send a DM directly from Google, it eliminates friction and can potentially increase conversions.
- Attributes: These are badges that share more about your business identity. Badges include Black-owned, woman-owned, veteran-owned, and LGBTQ+ friendly
How to manage Google My Business with Hootsuite
Yep, you can update and manage your GBP in the same place you manage all your other social media accounts.
You’ll need to create and verify your Google Business Profile first before you can manage it inside Hootsuite.
Step 1: Install the Google My Business app
Once you have your profile set up, install the free Google My Business app from the Hootsuite app directory.
To finish installing, choose whether to create a new Streams board or add your Google Business Profile data to one of your existing Stream boards. Choose an option and click Add to Streams.
Step 2: Set up your Google My Business Stream
Next, go to the Streams tab in your Hootsuite dashboard.
If you don’t already see the three columns for Posts, Reviews, and Questions, use the Add a Stream box on the right and click to add them.
Click Login to Google My Business to connect the app to your Google Business Profile account. Of course, make sure to login with the Google account you use to manage your profile.
Confirm your business profile by selecting it then clicking Confirm.
If you just created your Google Business Profile, you likely won’t have any customer questions or reviews to reply to, but having this Stream built into your Hootsuite dashboard makes it so easy to stay on top of them once they start rolling in.
Post business updates from Hootsuite
Create new posts and publish directly to your Google Business Profile account from Hootsuite Streams by clicking the New Post icon in the Posts Stream.
Additionally, you can reply to reviews and answer questions, which both show up in Google search results and on your public profile, and help persuade new customers to visit you.
Source: The Brewtorium on Google
For a full overview of everything this integration can do, check out this quick 3-minute overview:
3 expert tips to optimize your Google My Business profile
Wondering how to get the most value out of your Google Business Profile? Here’s how the experts suggest optimizing your profile for peak performance in Search and Maps.
1. Update your profile regularly
Dimple Thakkar, Founder and CEO of SYNHERGY, a full-service agency at the intersection of marketing, technology, and innovation suggests thinking of your Google Business profile as a mini website or social media page.
Just as you would for those channels, your Google Business profile should be updated regularly to reflect recent changes or activities for your business.
“Google loves fresh activity,” says Thakkar. “Post updates on your profile as if it’s a platform, not a set-it-and-forget-it listing.”
2. Use it as a portfolio
This tip is for the service businesses. Remember: Your Google Business profile may be one of the first impressions customers have of your business. Use it as an opportunity to show off your best work.
Daniel Roberts, CEO of Lava Roofing, a local small business, suggests adding recent photos of your work.
“Images and videos have been proven to improve engagement with Google listings and enhance the chances of getting inquiries,” says Roberts. “For example, when we post job photos of completed projects, we see a 10% increase in customer inquiries!”
3. Create a reviews strategy
As we shared earlier, Google considers popularity when ranking a business in Search and Maps. It also takes into account how many reviews a business has — negative or positive — to determine whether or not to surface it for a user’s search inquiry.
That said, collecting as many authentic reviews as you can will help your profile stand out. Business owners should add review generation to their existing business strategy — treat reviews as you would testimonials for their website.
“Don’t just hope for reviews — ask for them,” says Thakkar. “Automate the request after a sale, and reply to every single one as if your next client is watching.”
Google My Business FAQs
What is Google My Business now called?
Google My Business is now called Google Business Profile. While the name is slightly different, it still offers the same helpful marketing features for businesses that want to get discovered in Google Search and Maps.
Is Google My Business free?
Yes, Google My Business (Google Business Profile) is a completely free tool. Simply sign up for a Google account and follow the steps outlined in this post to set up your profile at no cost.
What is the purpose of Google My Business?
The purpose of a Google Business Profile is to help customers find your business through Google Search and Maps. A GBP is especially important for local businesses, whether you have a physical storefront or service provider that works in a specific area.
How do I create and verify my Google My Business account?
You can create and verify your Google Business Profile for free with a Google account. After completing the set up, you’ll be asked to verify your account by providing a mailing address. You’ll then receive a verification code via email, phone, or text. Verification can take up to five days to be completed.
I received a bad review on Google My Business, what should I do?
If you received a bad review on your Google Business Profile, don’t sweat it. Google considers a mix of good and bad reviews more authentic and trustworthy. If you see a bad review, respond to it promptly and professionally so other customers can see how you handle customer service.
How do I check my Google My Business insights?
You can check your Google Business Profile insights in the Analytics tab in Manager mode. Insights helps you understand how your profile is performing, including how users find and interact with your profile.
Use Hootsuite to communicate with your customers via Google Business Profile and all your other social channels. Create, schedule, and publish posts to every platform, plus get valuable analytics, performance reports, and more. Try it free today.
