More than 50% of Indian consumers prefer shopping from local / small businesses or homegrown brands. That’s why businesses need a strong online presence to attract the local customers.
The best way to attract them organically is by optimising your Google Business Profile (GBP).
This helps your business appear in the local search and Google Maps when people search for products and services near them.
If your Google Business Profile is properly optimised, then it not only improves your searchability but also builds trust among the potential customers.
If you’re a business owner managing your own local business, or a digital marketing agency handling multiple client accounts, this blog is for you.
In this blog, we’ll walk you through simple and effective steps to optimise your Google Business Profile for better local visibility.
Complete Every Section of Your Profile
First of all, you have to complete every section of your listing in order to optimise your Google Business Profile.
Many businesses make the mistake of skipping some details or leaving some parts blank which affects their visibility in local search results.
Each section of your profile should be complete, as a complete profile gives Google enough information to match your business with relevant searches.
You can start completing it by:
- Adding your business name exactly as it appears in registration document. Avoid adding keywords or extra words that are not part of your brand name.
- Filling all the correct business categories because choosing the right category helps Google understand what your business actually offers.
- Lastly, by entering your correct address, contact number, website link, working hours etc.
Approximately 64% of consumers use local business listings (such as GBP) to find contact or other details before purchasing or contacting local business.
You should not forget to write a simple, short and clear description of your business.
Try to keep the description natural while adding primary keywords and relevant to your products and services.
A complete and well-written description helps the customers trust your business and increases your chances of appearing in the top search results. You should also explain what your business is in it, when you started it and what makes it special.
Add High-Quality Photos & Videos
Every business owner should know that adding relevant photos and videos plays an important role in attracting the local customers. That is because people often look at them before visiting a business directly.
According to Search Engine Journal, 62% of consumers say they’re more likely to purchase if they can see customer-uploaded photos/videos first
This is why adding clear and high-quality photos of your store, products work in progress, and staff helps people know what to expect.
It also makes your profile look more genuine and professional which builds credibility and help rank local business in Google.
However, you should make sure that your photos are bright, recent and relevant.
Try to avoid using blurry or old images as they can leave a negative impression on your customers.
You can also upload short videos where you can show your products, your team or your workplace to your customers.
You should always add geotags to your photos to improve your visibility.
It simply means attaching your business location to each image that you want to post on your profile.
When your photos are geotagged, Google can confirm that they were taken at your real business location.
This helps your profile appear more frequently in the local search results.
You can easily add geotags in the photos using your smartphone or simple photo editing tools before uploading them.
This small step is very helpful in strengthening your local image and helps customers trust your business.
Use Keywords Smartly
Another important thing you must not forget while filling out your profile is adding the right types of keywords.
They play a very important part in the overall search optimisation. They help Google understand what your business is about and show it to the right audience.
You must make sure that using keywords is done carefully to make them appear natural.
For example, if you run a bakery in Delhi, then you can add keywords like “best bakery near me” or “fresh cakes in Delhi” that may be useful.
You can include such keywords in your business description, posts and services section.
Also, you can include related or LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords to make your content seem more relevant and natural.
However, do not use them too many times, as that looks unnatural and may harm your ranking.
For example a statement about your dental clinic in Delhi says:
- We are one of the best dental clinic in Delhi offering dental implant, teeth whitening….
- If you are looking for best dental in Delhi, we are the best dental clinic in Delhi…
The first one has keyword while having value, while second one has keywords stuffed.
The right balance of the keywords can help your profile appear in relevant searches and bring more local traffic to your business.
Always remember that Google values the type of content that is written for people, not just for the search engines.
Collect and Respond to Reviews
The reviews on your profile left by your customers act as one of the strongest trust symbols on Google.
The positive reviews tend to attract more potential customers while the negative ones show where you should make improvements.
You can encourage your happy customers to leave reviews after using your service.
You can politely ask them in person or send a short message with a link to your profile.
Once you start getting reviews, you should also respond to them regularly to maintain your business image. It means thanking the people who spend their precious time to leave a review.
Don’t ignore and leave the negative reviews unreplied. Just reply them politely and offer a fix, if possible. This shows that you care about all types of feedback and value the opinions of your customers.
You should understand that reviews not only build trust but also affect your ranking on Google.
A study by SOCi found that increasing a business’s average rating by one full star (for example from 3.0 → 4.0) corresponds with a 44% increase in conversions (actions such as calls, directions, website clicks).
They help you maintain a good online image and keep your customers connected.
A business with more positive and recent reviews often appears higher in the search results.
Post Regular Updates
You must know that Google Business Profile (GBP) allows you to share updates, offers and announcements.
Many businesses ignore this section, but it can really help you attract more customers.
You can use the “posts” feature to share important information about discounts, events or new products.
You can also post some helpful tips, photos or short articles related to your services. These updates appear in your profile and keep your listing active.
When you post updates on your business profile, it tells Google that your business is active which further increases the visibility of your business online.
It also provides updated information to your customers whenever they check your business profile.
Add Products and Services
The product and service sections of Google Business Profile are very useful for providing more details about what you offer.
This section helps the customers understand your business in a better way before contacting you.
Add every product or service that your business provides with a simple and precise clear description.
If possible, try to include the price range of your products and services. This thing helps the customers make quick decisions whether they want to use your products and services or not.
You should use simple keywords related to your offerings while writing the descriptions.
This thing not only informs customers but also helps your profile appear for some specific searches.
Most importantly, people are more likely to visit or call a business that clearly explains what it offers.
So, keeping this section updated also helps to build trust because it shows transparency and professionalism to your customers.
Ensure NAP Consistency
The term NAP stands for Name, Address and Phone Number on your Google profile.
There should be proper consistency in these three details because they are very important for local SEO.
If your business name, address or phone number differs on various platforms, it can confuse both the customers and search engines especially.
Make sure that the details you enter on your Google Business Profile match exactly with what appears on your:
- Website
- Social Media Pages
- Other Directories
When your NAP details are consistent, Google trusts your business more and ranks it higher in the local search results.
It also helps the customers reach you easily without facing wrong directions or incorrect contact details.
Use Insights to Track Performance
If you have ever noticed, Google provides an “insights” section in your business profile.
This section shows how people find and interact with your Google listing.
This feature provides valuable data like how many people:
- Viewed your profile
- Clicked on your number
- Asked for directions
- Chat clicks (New feature which counts click on Text or WhatsApp chat)
When you check these insights regularly, it will help you understand what is working well and what needs improvement.
If you notice that most people find you with the help of Google Maps, you can focus more on adding location-based keywords.
You can also track which posts or photos get more attention on your profile and plan your future updates accordingly.
You can definitely make better decisions and improve your overall performance on Google.
Add a Booking or Contact Link
You should add a booking or contact link to help your customers contact you on your Google profile.
A booking or contact link makes it easier for your customers to reach you or book your services directly.
Google allows you to add links for appointments, reservations or contact forms depending on your business type. It saves time for both you and your customers which is great.
However, you should make sure that the link works properly and takes your customers to the right page.
If you do not have a booking system, then at least try to add a contact form link or a chat link to help your customers contact you.
The easier it is to connect with your business, the more likely customers are to take action.
Maintain and Update Business Details
If you believe that optimizing your Google Business Profile is a one-time task, then you are in the dark.
That is because it is not a one-time task, you have to maintain your Google Business Profile regularly to keep it effective.
You must update your:
- Business hours during holidays
- Replace old photos with the new ones
- Check if your contact details are still correct
Remember one thing that Google values active business profiles that stay updated all the time.
When you regularly update yours and make some small improvements, your profile remains visible and performs better in the local searches.
This is also important because Google keeps adding new options in GBP.
It also helps your customers trust your business because they see that it is freshly updated.
Also, you should keep checking your reviews, insights and posts to make sure that everything is accurate and fresh.
Thus, maintaining your Google business profile ensures that your efforts continue to deliver results over time.
Conclusion
We have discussed that optimizing your Google business profile listing is one of the most effective ways to attract the local customers.
It helps you to grow your business and improve visibility, builds trust and helps people connect with you easily.
You can strengthen your online presence further by completing every section, adding photos with geotags, using keywords along with LSI ones wisely, collecting reviews, and keeping your profile updated.
Moreover, maintaining your profile regularly ensures that your business stays active, visible and trusted by both Google and customers.
Your profile can become a powerful tool to grow your business online with consistent effort.
