What is a Google Business Profile and Why Does Your Business Need One?

Google Business Profile (GBP) is a free service from Google that local businesses can use to get their business found online.

You can create a profile for your business that will show up in Google Search (specifically, the Local Finder) and Google Maps when someone local to your area searches for a term that your business is relevant for.

This is a great way to jump-start your business and start growing your customer base.

Here’s an overview of the basic process:

1. Create a GBP and fill it out with all of your business details, such as your business name, category, address, phone number, and services offered. Depending on the type of business, there are several more types of information and features you can include, such as a menu for a restaurant or a link to an online booking form for a salon.
2. Once your profile has been approved by Google, you’re now eligible to start showing in the Local Finder and Google Maps. The Local Finder is what you see when you search for a business and Google displays map results with different businesses, while Google Maps is a standalone section of Google that people can also use to search for local businesses.
3. As you get customers, they can leave reviews on your profile which can move your profile higher up the list and act as social proof for other potential customers to make the decision to contact you rather than your competitors an easier decision.

That’s the foundation of how Google Business Profiles work, but there’s much more to achieving success than simply creating a GBP and including basic business information.

You will still need to rank high enough that people actually find your business in the search results, which can be greatly expedited by having a local SEO expert optimize your Google Business Profile with items that are often missed or set up incorrectly.

The sooner you can rank higher in search results, the quicker you’ll start getting customers and the faster your business will grow. And, if your competitors are well-established or using an SEO agency themselves, hiring an SEO agency yourself is almost mandatory if you want to compete against them for the same customers.

Benefits of a Google Business Profile

Outside of the main benefit of your business showing in the Local Finder and Google Maps, there are quite a few more benefits of having a GBP that can help your business grow. 

• Customers can easily access your contact information, visit your website, or get directions, all of which can lead to increased business inquiries, site traffic, store visits, and sales.
• You can show off pictures of your work (especially valuable for services like lawn care, construction, handyman services, electricians, etc.) that do an outstanding job of convincing people to hire you, even if you don’t have a high number of reviews yet.
• Customers can leave reviews on your GBP, which potential customers will most definitely skim through to determine the quality of your services before contacting you. This is one of the most important things you can do for your profile to be successful in getting you more business.
• Google provides information into what people searched for when your business profile showed in search results, helping you refine your service offerings and marketing strategies.
• You can advertise special promotions or offers as a way to get more customers, which can be beneficial in jump-starting your client base.

Getting Started

If you haven’t set up your Google Business Profile yet, now is the time to get started.

Every single day there are customers looking to hire or find local businesses, and if you’re not on Google, you’re missing out on hundreds of daily opportunities where you could have had a chance to gain their business.

If you already have a profile and are not happy with your results, consider consulting with a local GBP expert to develop a plan to increase your profile’s visibility and performance, or to handle your profile maintenance so you can focus on running your business.