Tips for Google Business Profile: How to audit it efficiently

In one of our latest posts, we explained the importance of Google reviews. We also briefly touched upon the topic of Google Business Profile (GBP). Collecting Google reviews isn’t possible without Google Business Profile, but creating a profile doesn’t mean that your work is done. What many businesses disregard is the need for a continuous GBP audit.

google business profile

What does such an audit look like and what should you pay attention to?

 

Google Business Profile audit - what it is?

 

Let’s first cover the basics.

 

By now, you must have conducted an audit for some segment of your business. In other words, you checked whether something needs to be improved or changed and whether you are satisfied with the results.

 

Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) audit works according to the same principle. The goal is to analyze the performance of your profile, as well as spot room for improvement in order for your profile to rank better on Google.

 

If you have never conducted this type of analysis, then the following guidelines will be very useful. The goal is to help you conduct an objective analysis of your Google Business Profile and identify opportunities for its improvement.

 

Where to start? 

 

As with any analysis, the first and most important step is to have a clearly defined goal. What do you want to achieve with your Google Business Profile? More reviews, more traffic, better rating, and visibility? Depending on your needs there are different aspects of audit that you should focus on. 

 

The three most important ones are the following:

 

  • Accuracy
  • Desirability
  • Uniqueness

 

Let’s explain them one by one. 

 

Accuracy is always the first step 

 

Accuracy means that your business information is up to date. This might seem obvious, but you wouldn’t believe how many Google Business Profiles out there have inaccurate information. These simple, yet important mistakes can be crucial for your business. Customers who find misleading or incorrect information will certainly not make you their first option. 

 

So, what can you do?

 

 

  • Basic information and photos

 

 

There must be no mistakes when it comes to your business address, phone number, email, or working hours. Even if you are a pro, it can happen that you forgot to update this data, so it’s always good to check it from time to time. 

 

Moreover, keep in mind that customers are visual types. Everyone wants to see what the place that they are trying to find looks like. That’s especially important when it comes to finding it on google maps. So, if you made some changes to the location, or renovated the place, make sure to update the new images. 

 

 

  • Selecting the right category

 

 

Another important thing is to put your business in the right Google Business Profile category. You might think that it doesn’t make big difference whether you say that you own a bar or a restaurant. However, try explaining that to a hungry customer who expected to eat, but you actually don’t offer meals, just drinks. 

 

 

  • Including the right keywords

 

 

We already mentioned that Google treats reviews as legit content. The same goes for your Google Business Profile description. Thus, it would be useful to include good-ranking keywords connected to your business. That will enable customers to find you easier. 

 

Do prospects find your business desirable?

 

Having accurate data is a must, but that’s not enough to make you stand out among your competitors. What will make you stand out are the reviews. The more reviews you have, the desirability of your business will increase. Now, you might ask - well, how many reviews do I need? Unfortunately, there is no concrete answer. Huge businesses won’t find 100 reviews as enough, while the same number can significantly impact some local businesses. 

GBP

The best way to determine whether you need more reviews or not is to perform a quick search. Use your business category and the city or region that you’re operating and check the search results. How good is your ranking? Where are your competitors? This analysis will help you to better understand your market position. 

 

Another useful tip is to pay attention to the review frequency. It’s great that you got a positive and very detailed review 2 years ago, but that’s not very relevant for a customer performing the search at this very moment. It would be ideal if you could get new reviews each month, or at least for a couple of months. 

 

Apart from the fact that Google will perceive it as a content update and improve your rating, new reviews also tell potential customers that you are active and that people know about you.

 

Are you offering something unique?

 

Once all the points mentioned above are covered, it's time to tackle what sets you apart from the competition. That is your unique selling point. Make sure that it is communicated in several places within your Google Business Profile, but also on your website, as well as on social networks. 

 

Do you perhaps offer free consultations? Is it possible to drink coffee in your bookstore? These are all things that must be visibly emphasized. Think about what your business could offer as a unique selling point and communicate it.

 

Should different types of businesses have different kinds of GBP? 

 

Yes. 

 

It’s not the same whether you are a service business or a traditional shop. We mentioned above that every business needs to update its address in the Google Business Profile. However, if you are a service provider, then instead of selecting the field Address, you should select Areas served. This makes a clear point of what your business is. 

 

These two GBP look very similar, but the Address and Areas served fields are what differentiate them. Due to those fields, it’s clear that the first one is a shop where you can go and buy electric equipment, while the second one is a business that provided electrical services and come to your address. 

Should different types of businesses have different kinds of GBP?

To sum it up

 

Getting online reviews can be challenging, but as you can see, there are segments you can influence. A good Google Business Profile does not guarantee a greater number of reviews, but it certainly increases the chances. Some of the tips we have given you are very simple, while others require you to take some time and think about what you want to achieve.

 

We love talking about reviews, so feel free to drop a few comments below!

Leave a Comment