Google Business Profile (GBP), also known as Google My Business (GMB), is a crucial tool for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). By keeping your info updated, optimizing relevant keywords, and other strategies, you can increase Google Business Profile traffic, which means more leads, customers, and sales in the long run.
For this post, we’ll walk you through some of the most effective ways to attract more visitors to Google Business Profile, together with the mistakes you have to avoid. In the end, we’ll also share with you how you can enjoy all these benefits without any of the technical work on your part.
Keep reading and see how you can boost your business’s online presence and traffic!
The importance of Google Business Profile to SMEs
Having a GBP account is similar to having a ‘digital calling card’ on the Internet. This way, your target customers can easily find you and all the possible ways to reach your business, including your phone, website, social media, and more.
So why is it important to focus on your Google Business Profile organic growth? Here are some of the biggest benefits:
- More traffic means more sales. Increasing your GBP traffic means you’ll get more potential leads and more sales. If done right, your GBP will get a steady stream of warm leads who are ready to purchase your goods or services right away.
- Outperform your local competitors. Your competitors are also optimizing their own GBPs, which means you can’t be left behind. You can consider professional Google Business Profile management to make sure you’re always number one in the local pack.
- Boost your ‘trust factor’. A verified, optimized, and professionally managed profile fosters trust among your customers, helping your brand stand out, especially if your customers are still weighing their options.
- Market your latest offers fast. Once you improve Google Business Profile engagement, you can leverage it to promote your latest products or services faster. This translates to higher exposure to your new offers, more inquiries, and, eventually, more conversions.
Expert tips to increase Google Business Profile traffic
Are you looking for an effective Google My Business CTR booster? If your profile is getting ‘dusty’, here are some of the first things you can do to get more traffic and engagement on your profile:
1. Complete your business profile
First things first: make sure your profile is complete and properly filled out. This allows you to rank higher on Google search results while also ensuring that your customers will find all the information they need to contact your business.
This includes your NAP or name, address, and phone number. Also, make sure you indicate your operating hours accurately and link them to your website or other online platforms if your business has one.
We also want to highlight the importance of meticulously maintaining your contact information. Make it a habit to check whether you have the correct phone number and whether it’s reachable once the customer clicks or dials it.
Above all, make sure that your GBP information matches other listings you have online. If you have dozens of listings to update, we suggest that you consider professional listing management so you won’t have to work on them manually.
2. Add a keyword-optimized business description
To be clear, the description that appears at the top of your GBP is not in your control. Google generates it to ensure an accurate and uniform format across all web profiles.
However, the one you can control and optimize is the “From the [business name]” description. This goes much lower on your profile right after the Q&A section, but you can maximize it to rank higher.
For example, you should incorporate relevant keywords your target audience searches for and highlight what sets you apart from the competition. Overall, you have about 750 characters to work with, but always pack the first 250 characters with a punch of useful information.
3. Categorize your business correctly
Knowing how to increase Google Business Profile views is only possible if it’s in the right category. Otherwise, Google might show your listing using the wrong keyword search results. Also, selecting the wrong categories means you won’t benefit from discovery searches, which are product, service, or categorical searches from the customers.
Aside from choosing a category, make sure you also maximize ‘category-specific’ features. For example, you can add star ratings for your appliance repair service, or you can include a menu button to optimize the profile of your restaurant or café.
But although you’d want to categorize your business as specific as possible, you should avoid overdoing it with misleading categories. Always choose only those that are relevant to your business and what you offer. Otherwise, it will create confusion among your customers and waste time for your sales team as they answer calls from people looking for other things.
4. Choose the right attributes
Attributes are additional GBP features that help you provide further information about your business. For example, if you own a café, you can add attributes, such as “Delivery”, “Takeout”, “Free Wi-Fi”, and so on.
All these attributes add value to your business and help customers decide if you are the service provider or brand they want to spend money on.
Just like the category section, make sure that all your chosen attributes are correct. Avoid baiting potential customers with fake attributes that your business doesn’t offer, as this will negatively impact your online reputation.
5. Post new photos and videos
Another important step of how to boost Google Business Profile is to add new and high-quality photos on your listing. If you have the extra budget, consider hiring a professional to take great photos of your place to make your profile more attractive.
Also, new photos will signal to Google that your account is active and up-to-date. This will help you rank higher on search results, which means more exposure and more traffic from your listing.
Aside from that, adding quality photos on your GBP profile also helps you show up on image searches. For example, customers who search through the image recognition tool Google Lens will have a higher chance of finding your business on the results.
VERY IMPORTANT: Do not use stock photos on your Google Business Profile, as these will get flagged. It’s better not to add any if you don’t have relevant photos yet than to use stock photos or AI-generated ones.
6. Respond to customer reviews
Dealing with customer feedback, especially negative ones, may not be the most enjoyable experience, but it’s necessary to boost your GBP traffic.
Always respond to your business’ Google reviews with a personalized message. At the same time, you should address negative feedback professionally so other potential customers will see that your business values customer service.
Remember that online reviews are gold if you’re trying to boost your conversion. So aside from encouraging customers to leave one, you should also return the favor of responding to them.
Here’s a cool trick: you can also sprinkle some relevant keywords into your replies. Still, you should do so as naturally as possible.
7. Post on your profile regularly
Your Google Business Profile also has its ‘Updates’ section, where you can post like how you would with your social media accounts. Here, you can post events, announcements, products, blog posts, and more. It helps keep your account active and relevant, which will help you rank higher and get more traffic from your listing.
Much like adding photos, posting on your GBP also tells Google that your account profile is up-to-date. This way, you can outperform your bigger competitors who are not utilizing this feature yet.
Above all, you should always add a call-to-action or CTA on each post so you can bring traffic to your business website or wherever you want to bring your customers.
8. Manage the Q&A section
Another way to drive traffic to Google My Business listing is to optimize the “Questions & Answers” section where potential customers can ask questions. However, here’s the catch: anyone can answer, too!
While this can be a good thing in terms of engagement, it can also lead to misleading information about your business. So, before others get into it, you should take the time to answer the questions yourself. This is also a good way to build your reputation as a very responsive and accommodating business or brand.
Take note that you can’t turn off the Q&A feature, so it’s best to use it to your advantage. And like your review responses, you can also add relevant keywords to the Q&A section to make your listing as searchable as possible.
Partner with Top Position to your grow Google Business Profile audience
Are you tired of searching for answers to “how to improve my Google Business ranking”? Or are you not familiar with the technical stuff that goes with optimizing and updating your online listings? For all these, Top Position can help!
We offer professional Google Business Profile management to ensure that your customers will find the correct information about your business. On top of that, we also offer SEO services to make sure your listing is always on top of relevant Google search results. Together, these strategies will surely drive more traffic, leads, and conversions to your business.
If you want to learn more about our services, you can book a free consultation with us today! Our specialist will discuss how our team can help your business get more customers online!
