The Impacts of Google Business Profile on Local SEO for Small Indiana Businesses
A Google Business Profile (GBP) can have a BIG impact on local Indiana businesses.
Google Business Profile is a powerful tool that serves as a virtual storefront that provides essential information to potential customers. From contact details to photos and customer reviews, a GBP listing offers a comprehensive overview of a business's offerings and reputation. For small businesses, especially those with a brick and mortar location, a Google Business Profile is an absolute must. If you use Google, you’ve seen a Google Business Profile listing show up in local search results. A Google Business Profile is an incredible proximity tool that gives users results that are closest to them, allows them to see what other customers are seeing, view the directions to the business, see where the business is on the map, call the business, see photos of the business, and so much more.
Optimizing a Google Business Profile listing means you can actually funnel your customers into a decision and purchase. But the benefits don’t stop there! Keep reading to find out why you should have a Google Business Profile, how to optimize it, and create a higher number of customer conversions.
The Benefits of Having a Google Business Profile
Having a Google Business Profile provides increased online visibility and discoverability. We all know how competitive the SEO pool is. Having an optimized Google Business Profile Listing can set you apart from the competition.
A GBP listing is kind of like your online storefront. Having a nice, neat, and cared for storefront can enhance credibility and build trust with potential customers. Customers are able to see where you are, what people are saying, and how to find you.
Google Business Profile is an open and honest feedback tool, and it also gives you an opportunity to provide a touch point to your customers. For example, if a customer leaves a review about their great experience, your quick reply can help them feel seen, heard, and their time appreciated for leaving the review. Likewise, you might be able to salvage a bad situation by quickly responding to negative reviews and offering a solution.
A Google Business Profile Listing is a tool. You can use this tool to maximize your online presence, increase your clientele, and drive traffic to your website and store front. The best way to use this tool is to check your analytics monthly. GBP offers in-depth analytics, broken down by month, which shows you how many overall interactions your listing has had, how many people have called, clicked to your website, viewed your menu, got directions, placed an order, and more. Tracking these analytics can help you identify customer trends.
Optimizing a Google Business Profile Listing
After you’ve created and verified your Google Business Profile, you will need to sit down and write in all the details of your business. Here are the things you should include:
A fully flushed out description, complete with keywords (ex: if you’re a carpet cleaner local to Frankfort, Indiana, you might say “we are a locally owned and oeprated carpet cleaning company in Frankfort, Indiana…”
Adding photos to the photo section. Include a photo of the outside, the parking lot, the views around your building, and the inside. This is the bare minimum you should have on your listing.
When your GBP is up and running, you’re probably going to get some reviews. Make sure you are replying to the reviews in a timely manner. Thanking the reviewer for taking the time to leave you a review and something personal about their experience.
Google Business Profile posts with keywords and images for local SEO
Using the messaging feature
Using the Q & A feature
A Full List of Google Business Profile Features
Google Business Profile has a LOT of features. Because optimizing your listing to its fullest potential is important, we’ve listed ALL the features below.
Business Information: A comprehensive listing of essential details, including business name, address, phone number, website, and hours of operation, ensures that potential customers have easy access to key information.
Photos and Videos: Engaging visual content, such as photos of the business exterior, interior, products, and services, allows businesses to showcase their offerings and create a compelling first impression.
Customer Reviews: User-generated reviews provide valuable social proof and insight into the customer experience, helping businesses build trust and credibility with potential customers.
Questions & Answers: The Q&A feature allows businesses to address common customer inquiries directly, providing clarity and enhancing the customer experience.
Posts: Businesses can create posts to share updates, promotions, events, and other relevant information, keeping customers informed and engaged.
Messaging: The messaging feature enables direct communication between businesses and customers, facilitating inquiries, reservations, and other interactions.
Insights and Analytics: Robust analytics provide valuable data on listing performance, customer interactions, popular times, and more, empowering businesses to make informed decisions and optimize their GBP presence.
Google My Business Website: Businesses can create a simple, mobile-friendly website directly from their GBP listing, providing an additional online presence and enhancing discoverability.
Booking and Reservations: Integration with booking and reservation systems allows customers to schedule appointments or make reservations directly from the GBP listing, streamlining the customer journey.
Products and Services: Businesses can highlight their products and services directly on their GBP listing, providing customers with valuable information and driving conversions.
Attributes: Detailed attributes allow businesses to highlight specific features or amenities, such as wheelchair accessibility or outdoor seating, helping customers make informed decisions.
Local Posts: Businesses can create localized posts to engage with customers in specific geographic areas, tailoring their messaging to local audiences and driving targeted engagement.
COVID-19 Updates: The COVID-19 section allows businesses to communicate important updates, such as safety protocols, hours of operation, and service modifications, ensuring transparency and customer safety.
Google Ads Integration: Integration with Google Ads allows businesses to leverage their GBP listing for targeted advertising campaigns, maximizing visibility and reach.
Multiple Locations Management: For businesses with multiple locations, the ability to manage and optimize each listing individually or in bulk simplifies the process and ensures consistent branding and messaging across locations.
Understanding Google Business Profile Analytics & Insights
Google Business Profile offers valuable insights and analytics that can provide small Indiana businesses with valuable information about customer behavior. By leveraging these analytics effectively, businesses can make informed decisions about optimizing their online presence and driving growth.
At our Indiana marketing agency, we want you to know what you’re looking at, so here's a closer look at some key insights provided by Google Business Profile:
Overall Interactions: GBP analytics provide data on the total number of interactions your listing has received over a specific time period. This includes actions such as calls, website clicks, direction requests, and more. Understanding the overall level of engagement with your listing can help you gauge its effectiveness in attracting and engaging potential customers.
Customer Actions: GBP analytics break down the specific actions taken by users after interacting with your listing. This includes metrics such as calls, website visits, requests for directions, and orders placed directly from the listing. By tracking these actions, businesses can gain insights into customer preferences and behaviors, allowing them to tailor their marketing strategies accordingly.
Popular Times: Google Business Profile provides data on the times of day and days of the week when users are most active in engaging with your listing. This information can be invaluable for businesses looking to optimize their operating hours, staffing levels, and promotional activities to better accommodate customer demand and maximize engagement opportunities.
Customer Queries: Another valuable insight provided by GBP analytics is data on the specific search queries that led users to your listing. By understanding the keywords and phrases users are using to find your business, you can refine your content and SEO strategies to better align with customer intent and improve your visibility in local search results.
Photo Views: GBP analytics also track the number of views your photos receive, providing insight into the visual appeal and effectiveness of your listing. Businesses can use this data to assess the impact of their visual content and identify opportunities to enhance their listing with high-quality, engaging images that showcase their products, services, and brand.
The Stillwell + Co Approach
When it comes to Google Business Profile, our philosophy is nurture to get results. We treat GBP like a social media platform for our clients by posting regular keyword rich updates. In addition, we work with them to ensure their primary and secondary categories are properly chosen, and their Services are thorough. One of the things few people know is they can add many many services under each of their primary and secondary categories to provide more keyword context toward what they offer! Optimization is KEY for searchability!
You’ve probably guessed by now that Google Business Profile plays a crucial role in the success of small Indiana businesses by providing increased online visibility, credibility, and engagement opportunities.
By optimizing your GBP presence and leveraging the insights provided by analytics, Frankfort Indiana businesses like yours can enhance their online presence, attract more customers, and drive growth.
It's ESSENTIAL for small businesses to prioritize their GBP presence and continually strive to improve and optimize it to maximize its impact on their success. So, if you're a small Indiana business owner, don't overlook the importance of Google Business Profile – it could be your key to local SEO success!
