I’ve been paying a lot of attention this month to my clients’ online visibility, and what strategies produce the most significant results. The answer is sometimes not what I want to hear. I can spend several hours working with a client on their blog articles, rewriting page content, or fine tuning all the technical characteristics of a website, and the improvements are subtle as seen in Google Analytics data.
When looking at Google search (92% of all searches made online), one improvement to online visibility that has been surprising me is my clients who are starting and consistently updating their Google Business Profile (GBP). For those of you who don’t have a GBP, I strongly recommend starting one (purely online businesses are ineligible for a GBP). And, for those who already have a GBP, I strongly recommend keeping it updated monthly.
Google Business Profile Set Up, Rules, and Policies
Some of my clients who work at home have been hesitant to open a GBP for fear of making their home address visible to the world. Fortunately, you can hide your address, and set up your GBP as a business that provides a service area. For my contractor and photography clients, this works perfectly because they go out on location to meet their clients. For my therapy clients, this is a little trickier. If you provide your therapy at your home, for you to be eligible for a GBP, Google wants you to have a visible outdoor sign and a separate door for your business.
Google is strict about handing out this valuable piece of digital real estate. They don’t want it’s validity as a service to be diluted by part timers, non-professionals, and scammers. For those of you who have a business that needs more visibility on online, here is why you should consider putting more attention to Google Business Profile.
Proof in the Data
When someone searches for a service, 44% of the time, they will click on some form of the Google Business Profile which can be one of 3 things:
- The Google 3-Pack (the 3 businesses Google showcases in designed boxes near the top of the search)
- Google Maps (represented either by a pin for an address, or a dotted and shaded shape representing your service area)
- Google Business Panel (the large box to the right of the search on a desktop/laptop)
These three extra opportunities for visibility should be enough alone to pay attention to your GBP. Compare it to the other results in a search where organic captures 29% of people clicking, and paid advertising only 19% of clicks.
Google Business is not only a free online directory, it is also like having a second website, or a less addictive social media platform. You can post offers, events, and updates. You can communicate with potential clients through a Q&A. You can receive and respond to reviews. And, all of the words you write become keywords that will affect your search results.
Proof in a Client Example
I have a client who’s actual reputation and expertise was not being recognized online. Once we added a GBP, his traffic increased 340% (comparing past and recent weekly traffic) and the pages he was wanting people to go to on his site became the primary visits. It is also worth mentioning that he became my first client where organic search was greater than direct search, which probably had to do with a combination of my SEO work and his Google Business profile.
So, as that classic expression says, “work smart, not hard” and let me help you get your Google Business Profile attracting all those clients, projects, and opportunities that your business has been missing out on.