Google My Business to Google Business Profile

A Google Business Profile (GBP), formally known as Google My Business (GMB), is a listings platform that anchors your business in the local digital landscape. Business owners can either create or claim their listing. A complete profile includes business NAP (name, address, phone number) information, as well as other things such as business hours, updates, Covid protocols, and more. Your profile shows up on Google Maps and in Google search, increasing your visibility with local customers.

 

Google My Business: What’s New

Google is known for updating their products in various ways, some of which include changing the names of products and services. In November 2021, Google My Business was renamed to Google Business Profile. It is still primarily the same product, but access to managing it has changed.

Google also said goodbye to the Google My Business (GMB) app. Managing your account can easily be done through both Google Map and Google Search. In both, you can do the following:

  • Edit profile information
  • Promote your business via posts and/or photos
  • Connect with customers by responding to their reviews and/or questions about your business

Now you may be wondering, but how do I access my Google Business Profile via Google Search or Google Maps? It is super easy. On Google Search, you can either search your business in the tool bar or directly search “my business” in the tool bar. On Google Maps, you can search your business name, or you can access it through your account menu.

Google Business Profile: Importance

As a free local listings platform, Google Business Profile (GBP), is a great resource for both small and medium businesses. To get the most out of your GBP, it is important to take the following actions:

  • Use the primary category. Having this is an important piece of information on your profile. For example, if you own a bicycle store and originally when you set up your profile, you just used store, you could receive inquiries that don’t apply to your business.
  • Google has made it a priority to frequently update attributes. This is where you can include information such as “women-owned” and “veteran-owned”. Be sure to check often as Google continues to expand this list.

Without a GBP, a business is unlikely to populate on Google Maps, limiting information to potential customers. Maintaining an accurate Google Business Profile is a vital part to any business.

Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Optimizing your Google Business Profile (GBP) is important to utilizing the listing to its best ability. With a properly optimized listing, you can obtain a better ranking on Google Search and improve your local search engine optimization (SEO).

If you want to know how to optimize your Google Business Profile (GBP), follow these steps:

  • Review NAP information
  • Add your business description and category
  • Always respond to customer reviews (good or bad)
  • Add your products and services
  • Upload photos of your business
  • Utilize the special attributes features
  • Use the posting feature
  • Update hours (as necessary)

Google Business Profile: Impact Your Ranking

Google’s goal as a platform is to provide their users with the most relevant and up to date content. To stay in that group of relevance, it is important to post to the Google Business Profile (GBP). Here you can provide information to those who search for your business, while also staying in Google’s good graces. Posting weekly to your GBP is a great way to prove to Google that your business is legit, therefore leading your business to a higher ranking.

Conclusion

Google My Business, or should I say Google Business Profile, is essential to any business big or small and Google knows that. That’s why as customer behavior continues to change, so will Google’s product offerings. But it is important to remember that your Business Profile isn’t the only citation you should monitor. Making sure your business’ information is accurate on every website it shows up on is important to reach your desired consumer.

Looking to set up your Google Business Profile and increase your reach? Contact Media Venue! Our team of experts are here and ready to help with your GBP and assist you with updating and monitoring your business’ citations. Contact us today to learn more!

About Our Blogger

As part of the Digital Marketing team, Montayah Pozzi is driven to learn the ins and outs of digital marketing. She utilizes this drive, and prestigious academic background, to bring marketing knowledge to her clients and help them market in a way that will best benefit their business.

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