Google Business Profile

 
Digital Marketing

Google Business Profile: Enhancing the Online Presence

Himani Verma

Here’s a guide for creating your Business Profile on Google and starting your Business marketing journey effectively that too for free. As Google remains the most popular search engine, with over 90% of the search engine market share, there's no better time to set up your Google Business account using this free tool today.

What is Google Business Profile?

Google Business Profile is a user-friendly tool that helps local businesses appear in Google searches and increase their reach. It's designed to be easy to use, allowing these businesses to reach their targeted audience confidently. For instance, a company that has created an account on Google Business Profile can easily showcase its credibility to its customers.

Benefits of Business Profile

Creating an account on Business Profile can be beneficial for you in the following ways:-

Manage your information-. When a customer searches for your business on Google Maps or search, they can find your phone number, address, website, and other relevant details, all of which you can update and maintain through your profile.

Interact with Customers- You can read and respond to customers' queries, if any. Try to insert images of your business and the work that you do. Businesses with pictures receive more reach than Businesses that don’t.

Understand and expand your presence- Find insights into how customers search for your business and where they come from. You can also find information like how many people call your business directly from the phone number displayed on local search results in Search and Maps.

How do you set up your Google Business Profile?

Here are the steps to create your Business Profile from scratch:-

Step 1: Go to Google Maps and add your Business

  • Open Google Maps and click on the menu by hitting the button in the page's top-left corner.

  • After opening the menu, look for the Add your Business option.

Step 2: Create your Business Account 

  • Click the Create Account option and select Manage My Business from the drop-down menu.

  • Then, fill out the information asked (e.g., name, username, etc.) and click the Next button.

  • After that, you need to verify your identity with your phone number.

  • Google will ask for more information and send you to the Terms and Conditions page.

  • Hit the Agree button on the Terms and Conditions page to set up your profile.

Step 3: Fill out your Business Name and Category

  • Now it's time for you to set up your Business profile. For that, select your Business name and category.

  • If your business is on the list, skip to the next step to learn how to claim your company. If it’s not, fully type out your business name.

  • Write your Business name as precisely as it is.

  • Next, start typing out your business category and choose one from the list.

  • Your business category tells Google what kind of business you have, making it more searchable.

Step 4: Add your Location

  • Next, add a physical location if you have one. While this is usually an optional step, some business categories, like Restaurants, require it.

  • If you don’t have a storefront, choose No to skip this step.

  • If you choose Yes, Google will ask you for your location’s address. Searchers will see your address on Google Maps, so enter an accurate location.

  • Google also uses your address to give you a list of potential duplicate listings.

  • If one of the duplicate listings is yours, skip to the next step to learn how to claim your business. If not, choose None of these.

Step 5: Choose your service area

  • This step will look different based on whether you added a business address.

  • This step is optional if you added a business address. Google will ask you if you provide deliveries or home and office visits. 

  • Choose Yes to tell searchers what areas are within your reach.

  • Choose No to skip to the next step.

  • You can't skip this step if you didn’t add a business address. Simply choose an area from Google’s suggestions or start typing the name of the area you serve.

Step 6: Add your contact information

  • Next, add your phone number and website URL if you have one.

  • Searchers will find out about you through your contact, so double-check it.

Step 7: Opt-in to updates and recommendations

  • Google will ask if you’d like to opt for updates and recommendations for your Google Business Profile.

  • We recommend you select Yes as you can avail of the best offers directly from Google.

Step 8: Verify your Listing

Your profile will be searchable once you verify it. Here are five ways you can verify it:-

  • By phone

  • By email

  • By postcard

  • By video recording

  • By live video call

If your business's verification options need to be fixed, contact the Google Business Profile team through their help centre.

Business Profile FAQs

What is a Business Profile?

This free tool allows you to customise your Business Profile to appear in Google searches. You can also interact with customers, make online orders, list your products/services, etc.

Is Business Profile on Google free?

Yes, it's free to create a Business Profile on Google. Create it at no cost, manage your business from Google search, and start reaching out to more people.

Is it worth having a Google Business Profile?

Many more people reach out online to search for businesses than anywhere else, so it can be helpful for local companies to create a profile and make their business credible in the eyes of customers. Creating a profile takes a few minutes and doesn't cost a thing.

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