If you’re wondering how to increase Google Business Profile traffic, the answer lies in local SEO. The simple solution is to get your Google My Business profile shown in the top 3 positions of Google Map pack. Imagine people searching for services that you offer in your area and you appear in the Google map pack. There is a very high chance that the user will consider calling you. There are multiple other factors that lead to this decision (eg, reviews, dire need of the searcher, etc). When done right, local SEO can lead to more visibility, more website visits, and more customers walking through your door.
First things first, Google Business Profile. What is it?
A Google Business Profile is one of the most important tools for any local business. It helps you show up when people search for your services in your area. Without it, your business might not appear on Google Maps or in the local pack, which means potential customers could end up choosing your competitors instead.
This is a free tool that allows you to display key information like your location, hours, phone number, reviews, photos, and services. Since most of the people look for services like yours in Google, it becomes very easy for searchers to hit the call button, or visit your website or look for directions to reach you. The reviews build trust and make it easy for people to contact or visit you. If you are a local business and you don’t have a Google Business Profile, you are missing out on one of the easiest ways to get discovered by nearby customers.
To be honest, it is not easy to outrank your competitors in your local area. There are several things to consider in order to optimize your Google Business profile for SEO. We call it Local SEO.
If you are not sure how you are ranking for a specific keyword in your location, you can check the same using the tool below.
Category Selection for Google Business Profile
Similar to other details, it is very important that you add all the categories related to your business in Google Business Profile. In addition to this, the primary category is the most important one. Hence, choose wisely. If you are unsure, you can check the primary category of your competitors or Utilize Keyword planner free tool from Google Ads to see what keywords related to your business have the most search volume. Once you set the categories, proceed with filling all other details, eg, Exact Map location, open hours, Address, Service Areas, etc.
Do you need a website?
I would strongly suggest having a website for any small business. There is no direct correlation with having a website giving weightage to the Google My Business rankings, but I have noticed that it does help. Within the website, we need to make sure that we have service and location pages targeting the local area you want to rank for.
There is another advantage of having a website with pages dedicated to services and location pages. Even if you don’t rank for the Google map pack, you still have a chance to rank for the same keyword search in the Google listings. In addition to this, it will also help add authority and relevance to both your website and Google Business Profile, resulting in a chance to rank on AI search engines like ChatGPT.
If you are not sure and looking for help in consultation, book a free 30-minute discovery call with me. I will be happy to help you identify your needs and suggest solutions.
Are Reviews Important?
Whether or not you plan to post updates to your Google My Business profile, make sure to get reviews from your customers. Google reviews in my opinion are the most important factor for ranking. In addition to the rankings, it helps the searcher to make a decision to either call you or not. Imagine, a searcher is looking for a service that you offer in your area and you showed up in the top 3 positions. Even if you are in the 3rd position and you have more and better reviews than your competitors, you will have a better chance of getting a conversion.
Attracting frequent reviews from your customers is important, and so are the responses to the reviews. Google allows you to respond to the reviews you get. Regardless of the fact that it’s a 5-star review or not, make sure that you respond to those soon in a professional way. Never argue with the response, just acknowledge and place your thoughts.
You can take external help or ask someone from your team to ensure review management. There are several tools on the market to manage reviews in one place.
Why is Local SEO better than Ads?
Ads will show your profile till the time you add money to your Google Ads account. Unlike Ads, Local SEO is a long-term investment with higher success rates. Organic and Organic are always better. For sure, Organic results take time, so you need to be patient and work consistently to improve your Google Business Profile rankings. Consistency is the key.
With the recent Google updates and the overflow of AI content, its important that you are feeding organic content to the internet. Whether it is your Google Business Profile or your Website, try to minimize the use of AI-generated content. If you are committed to efforts and time, go for it.
Stay away from SEO agencies promising 4-6 blog articles/month or selling you backlink opportunities for cheap. Ask them if they use AI for writing articles. Read their articles, and you will be able to make it if those are AI-generated or not. When it comes to Google Business Profile or your website, it’s about quality content and not quantity.
