Top 4 Benefits of Google Business Profile for Small Businesses
Google. The largest, most popular search engine in the world. Boasting over 70% of the world’s search market, who wouldn’t want their business to appear on a Google listing? In June 2014, the reigning search engine launched Google Business Profile (GMB), a listing opportunity like no other. If you are looking to have an online presence, especially if you are a small business, creating–and optimizing–a GMB page is essential. Here are just a few of the many benefits of Google Business Profile for small businesses.
Level the Playing Field
For possibly the first time, small- and medium-sized businesses have a chance to compete with larger companies and corporations on Google. This is due to a few reasons. Over the years, searches that include “near me” (such as “coffee shop near me”) have increased, meaning people are specifically looking for local businesses. If you have a Google Business Profile presence, you will come up in a “near me” search just as easily as a larger business would. You have probably seen this yourself when you search for a type of business on Google: the map plus three business results show up, such as in this image when we did a search for local digital marketing companies:
This is known as the map pack. If you appear in the map pack, it does wonders for your SEO, but it takes some work to get there. Setting up your Google Business Profile profile is just the start–you then need to optimize it and keep it relevant for your customers by maintaining correct business information, adding pictures, and writing posts regularly (which we will get into below).
Another way GMB levels the playing field is by eliminating paid tiers of membership. In fact, Google Business Profile is completely free! There is no “free version” with reduced features. It’s just free for everyone, and any sized business with any sized budget can fully utilize all its capabilities. That’s huge. That means that as long as you put in the work, you will be able to compete with larger companies for prime spots on Google searches. This is one of the main benefits of Google Business Profile for small businesses.
Keep Your Clients Updated Through Your Knowledge Card
Google Business Profile provides an easy way for you to keep your clients or customers up to date with all your business’s information, including hours, phone number, address, a link to your website, and even pictures. This information and more appears on something called a knowledge card. Your knowledge card shows up in a Google search when someone searches for your business name, and it contains all relevant information about your business. Clients can even make an appointment with you right from your knowledge card, eliminating any extra steps in the process.
Google Reviews
An overwhelming percentage of internet users rely on reviews to make purchasing or subscription decisions. Your reviews on Google show up on your GMB knowledge card, advertising them for your future clients. A high Google review rating also boosts your chances of showing up on the map pack during a local search. Five star Google reviews on your GMB knowledge card can elevate your ranking with Google and improve your SEO.
GMB Posts
Google doesn’t only give you a space to list your business and all its pertinent information, it also provides you with the opportunity to write mini advertisements for your business in the form of GMB posts. You can write an update on a product or service, share an offer, advertise an event, and even update clients on your Covid-19 protocols. Each post is structured with the ability to add a photo, text, and a call to action button that can take potential clients to your website or even to call you right from their screen.
We Can Help Small Businesses Get the Most out of Google Business Profile
While there are many benefits of Google Business Profile for small businesses, it takes time and effort to take full advantage of all Google Business Profile has to offer. The experts at Thump Local have experience creating, updating, and optimizing GMB listings to increase their SEO value and create the most impact for your online presence. If you don’t already have a Google Business Profile account, you should make sure it is part of your marketing plan for this year so you can attract more clients and see continued business growth.