Do's And Don'ts Of Google Business Profile To Get More Leads In 2024

Google Business profile is a great way to enrich your business discoverability and to get more leads.

84% of monthly average searches come from GMB discovery searches, and 49% of businesses receive more than 1000 views on search. 84% of visitors care about ratings on GMB profiles, whereas 81% care about the legitimacy. Google Business listing with photos gets 35% more clicks. The stats are intriguing! Aren't they?

A well-organized Google Business account is an affordable marketing tool to make your business stand out among the noise. Adopting some of the simple yet essential steps right can be a giant leap in the right direction to gaining more clients.

In this blog, we have encased all the do's and don'ts of Google Business listings to help you get started. Drill deep to understand the importance of GMB listing and draw tips to reach your business goals.

• Why Do You Need A Google Business Account?
• How To Set Up Google Business Profile
• Do's And Don'ts Of Google Business Profile To Get More Leads
• Google Business: FAQs

Why Do You Need A Google Business Account?

Are you confused if you need a Google Business account? Following are a few reasons why you should consider having a GMB profile.

Makes You Discoverable

Irrespective of what business you are in, traffic is one of the prime factors for business growth. Whether you are looking for website traffic or foot traffic, Google is the absolute search referrer.

Besides, with the development of social media, people are inclined to search for business online, and before making any purchase decision, they check out for review. The prospects want to have ideas about the credibility of your product or services. GMB profile serves all these purposes.

It ensures that they find it when someone searches for your company on Google Search and Google Maps. Once prospects discover your profiles, the GMB listing shows where and how to visit your shop or whether you have a website or physical address.

Furthermore, Google Business profile enhance your local SEO. It aids you in get in the top results. And analytics offered by the GMB accounts assists you to fine-tune your marketing efforts, both organic and paid advertising plans.

Talking about analytics, social media management tools such as Statusbrew also help you get insights into GMB profile. You can leverage Statusbrew Reports Lab to get all the data you require to boost your search engines' discoverability. Statusbrew's all-encompassing Reports Lab offers you data such as Google My Business Queries, Google My Business Views, Google My Business Actions, Google My Business Local Post & many more.

Get Free Access To Report Lab

Keeps Your Customers Updated

To uplift your business growth updating customers with necessary details is essential. It makes your business credible and also strengthens your relationship with your target customers.

Having a Google Business profile ensures that when a prospects search for your business they find legitimate information, straight from the source. There are other review sites where your business can be found, but these sites may not offer all the required essential things your prospects are looking for, which can negatively impact your business.

But on Google Business profile, you have control to share accurate information about your business. You can include contact information, business hours, and other essential details in your GMB listings.

Besides, you can also share posts about your services, or temporarily closed, or fully reopened, or the safety regulations of your taking. These features are indeed crucial during emergencies like COVID-19.

Note that misinformation can result in missed opportunities as well as bad customer experiences. Hence to refrain from a negative situation, Google My Profile can be your go-to-marketing strategy to keep your customers informed.

Propel Your Business Credibility

According to stats, 70% of customers are more likely to visit businesses with a Google Business listing. Also, the study has revealed that companies with a complete Google Business listing are 2x more likely to earn trust from customers.

In boosting a business growth trust is one of the essential parameters—the confidence of customers in your products or service influences buying behavior. The credibility you gain drives people to your business, and 38% of customers are more likely to visit your store and 29% more likely to buy something.

Besides, reviews on your Google Business Profile also helps to build trust as according to data, 88% of consumers trust online reviews just like personal recommendations.

How To Set Up Google Business Profile

If you are new to Google Business, consider following the steps to create your Google Business profile.

Step 1: Sign in

Visit www.google.com/business to log in. It allows you to sign in with a pre-existing account or create a new Google account. Singing up with a business email domain is a wise step here.

Step 2: Add your business

Once you have signed in, enter your business name. If the drop-down menu does not appear, click Add your business to Google. Then choose the correct category for your business.

Step 3: Enter your location

The next step is to enter your business location. If you have a physical business setup, choose yes. And add your address if you have one. If your business don't posses a physical location, but offering a service or delivery, you can list your service area.

Step 4: Fill in the contact information

To complete your profile information, ensure to enter your business phone number and website address. It helps your customers navigate your business; if you don't have a site and use a Facebook page, you can add that instead. Once you're done with all these steps, check Yes to receive updates and notifications and click on Finish.

Step 5: Verify Your Account

After your Google Business profile is set up, you are required to verify your business.

• To verify, sign in to Google Business.

• Click On Verify now. If your bussiness have multiple Google Business accounts, choose the proper address to receive a postcard.

• Now choose a way to verify your business. A postcard is the default verification option. Check if your business is eligible for other methods, like phone or email. If yes, choose the one you prefer. Now follow the screen instructions and once you have cross-checked all the information, submit the form.

Usually, Google Business verification postcard takes a few days to two weeks to arrive. After receiving the postcard, sign in and click Verify location option from the menu. Enter the verification code from your postcard.

Suggested Read: How to Rank your Local Business Higher on Google

Do's And Don'ts Of Google Business Profile To Get More Leads

Having a Google Business page is an effective way to get your business listed on Google. It can help any local business to a great extent to acquire prospects. However, managing a Google Business profile can get confusing sometimes.

It's easy to rank on top if you are the only business in the town; however, if you've got some competitors nearby your business, then you will have to work hard to get on the top of the search results. It becomes even more complicated if you are a new business.

Most of the time, businesses hire marketing agencies to handle their Google Business page. Whether you ask someone else or manage your GMB page yourself, there is a list of do's and don'ts that you should follow.

1. Providing Information

The information you put on your Google My Buisness page regarding your business is the most important thing. This information is the first point of contact of your customers with your business most of the time.

People often look for basic information like your phone number, opening and closing hours, and location. Therefore, it is essential to list this information carefully. Here are some of the do's and don'ts while listing information.

Do's

Provide correct information: Once you have created your GMB page, Google will ask you to enter basic details like Name, Phone Number, Address, Working hours. Website, Category, and so on.

• One of the main conditions for ranking your business on Google is relevancy. And a part of the relevancy is represented by the information you put in. Thus, make sure to enter all the information correctly.

• Add the primary keyword in the title. Your business title is one of the most vital information. It should contain your business name. Along with your business name, make sure to add the most important keyword related to your business, like leading service, category, or location.

For example, if any business is called GoodTimes Ltd and it is a café, you should put a title like GoodTimes: Café in London.

Verify Your Listing: Having a Google Business page without verification is like having a property without documents. An unverified listing can be taken away by anyone else, and you will not be allowed to edit specific sections of the page.

• Getting your listing verified is very easy. Google asks you to verify your business. Once you verify your account, you can see the representative shield icon beside your listing.

Don'ts

Stuffing Keywords In The Title: Use only the primary keyword in the title. Do not stuff your title with secondary keywords. A title with keyword stuffing will look like this: GoodTimes: Restaurant, Café, FastFood, Eatery in London.

Google does not like keyword stuffing and often penalizes pages for doing so. Remember to avoid it.

Listing Outdated Information: Update your information instantly if there is any change in your business. Such as phone number, working hours, location, etc. Most of the time, people encounter phone numbers that are no longer in use.

Imagine the experience your customers will face when your GMB page says that your office opens at 9:00 AM only to get there and find out the timings have been changed to 10:00 AM.

Google doesn't want its users to go through a bad experience like this. Make sure to provide the latest information in your listing.

Fake Locations: To rank at the top of the list in multiple cities, organizations that provide online services often create multiple Google Business pages. This is against Google Terms of Service. You can create various Google My Business pages if you are physically located in those areas.

Imagine if a customer goes to the fake address you have mentioned and does not find your office. How bad that experience might be.

If you provide online services, you can always select the Service-Area option from the edit address section. This will help you to choose the location where you serve.

2. Reviews, Questions, And Answers

Reviews play a crucial part in the success of your Google Business listing. Reviews might affect your position on the search results, but it affects your prospect's opinion about your business. Here is the list of do's and don'ts regarding reviews, questions, and answers.

Do's

Ask For review: It is hard to get reviews if you have just created your Google Business page.

• The best way to get some early reviews is to ask your clients to review your business on Google. You can always start with your friends and families who know about your business.

• It is almost certain that your customers will leave a review if they encounter a bad experience. To complement that, try to get positive reviews from your happy customers.

Ask renowned local guides to review your business: Local guides visits and review places regularly. This is why their reviews weigh more when people or Google go through your review. When a high-level local guide leaves a positive review for your business, your listing can get a lift.

Offer something to your clients for sharing photos: Generally, people only leave short text reviews. However, if you can make them take a picture of the product or the service you have provided, they will likely write more. These photos will be added to your Google Business photo collection.

Reply to reviews and questions: A lot of business ignores the reviews and the questions. Even large businesses with hundreds or thousands of reviews shouldn't ignore reviews and questions.

When someone reviews your business positively, replying to them will increase the chances of retaining the customer. Answering questions will let your customers know that you care about your them.

Take your negative reviews positively. When you get a negative review, try to settle the issue first.

Leave a reply regarding what actions you have taken to rectify the problem.
Let the people know your side of the story too. This will help other people to make up their minds. Negative reviews can help you to learn about customers' behaviors and what makes them upset.

You can build a reputation by connecting with your audience through reviews and rating with Statusbrew. Statusbrew's advanced features empower you to engage in comments and replies to understand your customer needs and perceptions across locations.

It helps you to invoke feelings of trust and loyalty among your customers. Besides, it allows you to hide or delete spam comments or mark spam comments maintaining your brand reputation.

Don'ts

Refrain from arguing with clients: Ignoring reviews is the last thing you want to do. Even if a customer leaves a short review, try to respond to it with at least a 'Thanks!'.

Don't ignore the negative reviews; respond to them and turn them into happy customers.

Adding fake reviews: Adding fake reviews may result in Google dropping you from the results or even banning your My Business page.

However, people will figure out that the reviews are fake. And if your services are not up to the mark, people will eventually figure out the unreal experience.

Leaving negative reviews about your competitors: Instead of wasting your time leaving negative reviews on your competitor's page, try to put that time into improving your service and work on the areas where your customers are not satisfied. Moreover, if someone finds out about this, this will hamper your and your business' reputation.

Bonus Content: 3 Ways To Get Google Reviews Deleted [Always Work]

3. Pictures and Videos

Pictures and videos of your business and services are crucial for your listing. Often, people want to see where they are going and what to expect. This generally happens when people visit hotels or restaurants. Pictures can also help your customers to locate your business.

Do's

Add pictures to every category: There are multiple tabs in the photos and videos section, viz—products, Exterior, Interior, Team, Menu, etc. Try to add appropriate images to each category.

Add Videos: Videos are great for exposure. It helps you to make a better impression of your business to your customers. If your store is not visible from the outside, you can add a video to show the way to your store.

You can also add videos of your product or even some behind-the-scenes videos. Invite vloggers to your store to create videos.

Don'ts

Adding Fake Images: Never add images to your page which are not from your business. Moreover, don't put images of products from other sites. You can find yourself in copyright issues.

Posting pictures of clients without approval: Prevent adding photos to your business page with your customer's images. If you want to do so, get formal permission from your client.

4. Name, Address, Phone, And Website

Do's

List the same information as on your website: It is essential to have the same information on your website and Google MyBusiness page. Most importantly, name, address, and phone number should be same as the site.

Don'ts

If you have different information listed on your website and your Google My Buisness page, it will confuse Google. Prevent yourself from adding other mismatches to your page and website. Verify the location option from the menu. Enter the verification code from your postcard precisely.

Google Business: FAQs

With increasing numbers of searches, prospects scan for your business information before approving you. However, while using Google Business to get more leads, certain common questions arise. Let’s check out those.

How To Add Multiple Locations

If you’ve opened a business in a new location or just created a new profile and want to add additional locations, consider the following steps:

• Open your Google Business Dashboard and click Manage locations present in the left-hand menu.

• Now click the blue Add location button. Type your business name. Once done, click 'Create' for a new business with this name.

• Follow the screen instruction, fill in the information. And request verification.

There is also another option you can consider to add a location. You can head toward Google Maps. Drop a pin at your preferred location. Now click on the missing place in the left menu. Fill in the details. Now select Claim this business. You can add locations in bulk if you have more than 10 locations.

Besides, social media management tools such as Statusbrew aids you in integrating multiple locations on a single platform. Irrespective of the fact whether you have five locations or five hundred, you can manage them with the tools and connect all your listings using Statusbrew unified solution.

Suggested Read: How To Manage Google Reviews For Multiple Locations

How To Manage Google Reviews For Your Business?

You can’t turn off Google reviews for your listing. But you can report inappropriate reviews.

Note that managing Google Business reviews is important, but it is a hefty task. Particularly if you have business in multiple locations, in such scenarios, Statusbrew can be a handy tool as it aids you in managing and responding to all reviews from one unified dashboard.

How To Update Customers About A Business Is Temporarily Closed

If you want to close your business seasonally or temporarily, mark your business as temporarily closed. It makes your customer informed about your business without affecting your local search ranking. To mark your business temporarily closed, follow the steps :

• Sign in to the GMB profile and click on info in the left menu.
• Look for the Close this business on the right.
• Click on 'Mark' as temporarily closed.

If you wish to share a Google Business post about it, choose the peak time to post so that you can get most of your target audience's attention. When you post at the best time when your audience is most active, your post can have a higher reach and impression. It creates more opportunities to nurture leads and drives more traffic to your business.

Statusbrew also helps you to schedule your content for peak hours. You can plan content in advance and schedule it to post automatically in optimized times for each location or region.

Wrapping Up!!

There you have it!! Google Business profile helps you to assess how your business is performing. It aids you to get an idea about the actual scenario of how the target market perceives your business.

However, to attract more local visitors a completed Google Business listing is a must. It acts as an asset for your business that pushes your pospects down to the sales funnel. And managing a well organised Google Business profile, you can propel business growth & sales exponentially.

Stay tuned to Statusbrew blogs for more tips & tricks, discussion on ongoing trends & to know about new product launches!

Want to know more about how Statusbrew can help you nurture lead generation through Google Business listings? Explore Statusbrew now!

Explore Statusbrew

Statusbrew is a unified Social Media Management tool that supports Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Linkedin, and even Google Business!