ARTICLE AD BOX
You tin adhd your concern to Google by creating a Google Business Profile (GBP), formerly Google My Business (GMB).
In this article, we’ll amusement you however to adhd your concern to Google, spell implicit immoderate champion practices to maximize results, and sermon the astir important mistakes you request to avoid.
Let’s commencement with the basics.
What Is Google Business Profile?
Google Business Profile is simply a escaped listing instrumentality that helps you negociate however your concern appears successful Google Search and Maps results.
Say you ain a section hardware store. Using this instrumentality means your store tin amusement up erstwhile idiosyncratic successful your country searches for "hardware store adjacent me" oregon "best hardware store successful [your town]."
Results for these kinds of searches often amusement the Local Pack (sometimes called the Map Pack), which looks similar this:
Here's however it works:
You adhd your business's information, similar wherever it's located, your concern hours, however customers tin interaction you, and more. You tin besides upload pictures of your store and your products.
This accusation forms what's called a concern "listing" connected Google.
A listing is simply the postulation of details that amusement up connected Google erstwhile idiosyncratic searches for your concern oregon for presumption related to your business.
Your listing helps radical recognize what you connection and however they tin scope you.
Features of Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile offers assorted features to assistance you showcase your concern and link with customers.
These features include:
- Business accusation display: You tin adhd indispensable details similar your concern name, address, telephone number, and operating hours
- Photos and videos: You tin upload photos and videos of your concern to showcase your products, services, oregon the ambiance of your concern location
- Posts and updates: You tin station updates astir your concern connected Google (much similar connected societal media platforms), which could beryllium thing from peculiar offers to quality astir an upcoming event
- Customer reviews and responses: Customers tin permission reviews astir your merchandise oregon work and you tin besides respond to these reviews
- Q&A section: Users tin inquire questions close connected your profile, and you tin reply them
- Booking and appointment: Users tin publication appointments straight done your Google Business Profile
- Social links: You tin nexus your societal media profiles to your Google Business Profile
- Messaging: Users tin nonstop you messages straight done your Google Business Profile
- Performance: You tin spot insights to larn however users find and interact with your listing
You tin entree these features connected your Google Business Profile dashboard.
We’ll speech much astir however you tin marque the astir of these features aboriginal successful the article.
Why Is Your Google Business Profile Important?
Your Google Business Profile is important for improving your wide online visibility. It besides helps you summation credibility done reviews, and stock invaluable accusation with imaginable customers.
A well-optimized Google Business Profile can:
- Provide close concern information: This ensures imaginable customers tin rapidly and easy entree up-to-date accusation astir your business
- Boost section visibility: A GBP listing allows your concern to look successful Google Maps results, on with the Local Pack and Local Finder results (which look erstwhile users grow the Local Pack)
- Enhance spot and credibility: Regularly updated accusation and genuine lawsuit reviews assistance make a positive, trustworthy representation of your business
- Let you interact with customers directly: You tin prosecute with customers done reviews, nonstop messaging, and a Q&A section
- Deliver insights connected lawsuit behavior: Learn much astir however customers find and interact with your listing
How to Add Your Business to Google with GBP
To adhd your concern to Google, you request to make a Google Business Profile. But the mode you should bash this tin alteration depending connected your circumstantial situation.
There are 3 scenarios:
- You don't person a GBP: You request to make 1 from scratch (jump to this section)
- Google has created an unverified GBP listing for your business: You request to assertion it (jump to this section)
- Your GBP listing exists but has been claimed by idiosyncratic else: You request to petition entree (jump to this section)
Let's look astatine the archetypal scenario.
How to Create a Google Business Profile from Scratch
1. Create Your GBP Listing
Go to the Google Business Profile page and click “Manage now” to statesman the process of adding your concern to Google.
2. Provide Your Business Details
Enter your concern name. You’ll spot a drop-down of concern names that are akin to yours.
Since you don’t person a concern illustration yet, prime the archetypal enactment that says “Create a concern with this name.”
Click “Continue.”
Choose your concern benignant from the disposable options, past click “Next.”
If you take “Online Retail,” adhd your website and click “Next.” You won’t request to adhd a website if you take “Service business” oregon “Local store.”
Finally, participate your concern class and click “Next” again.
3. Add Your Business Location
If you selected “Online retail” and/or “Local store” arsenic your concern type, you’ll get to adhd a carnal address.
You whitethorn request to find your business’s nonstop code connected Google Maps.
4. Specify Service Areas (if Applicable)
If you chose “Service business,” adhd areas that you serve. And click “Next.”
This is optional, but it’s recommended you implicit this step.
Next, supply the portion your concern is based in. Then click “Next.”
5. Add Contact Information
Enter your concern telephone fig and your website’s URL. This makes it easier for imaginable customers to scope retired to you. Click “Next.”
6. Agree to the Terms and Conditions
Go done the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Then click "Continue."
7. Verify Your Business
You past request to verify your business. You tin bash this later, but unverified profiles won’t look successful Google Maps.
Google offers aggregate ways to verify, including by phone, email, postcard, video recording, and unrecorded video call.
Verification tin instrumentality from a fewer minutes to a week, based connected your chosen option.
8. Finalize Your Profile
Finish up by adding much accusation to your listing.
The much details you provide, the amended the chances of your concern appearing successful section searches. Jump to the conception connected best practices for much connected however to bash this.
How to Claim an Unverified GBP Listing
Sometimes, Google auto-generates concern accusation connected its own. Even if that concern doesn't person a Google Business Profile.
In this case, you tin assertion this unmanaged and unverified listing. Which volition springiness you implicit power implicit that listing. You tin past adhd much concern details, rectify inaccuracies, respond to lawsuit reviews, and more.
To assertion your existing Google Business Profile, spell to the Google Business Profile leafage and click “Manage now.”
Type successful your concern name. You’ll spot a drop-down of listings matching your concern sanction and address. Click connected the sanction that accurately represents your business.
Next, click “Manage now” to spell done the steps to verify your concern and edit your profile.
If your concern sanction doesn't amusement up, the listing doesn't exist. In this case, you indispensable make a Google Business Profile from scratch (see the erstwhile section for however to bash that).
If your concern sanction does amusement up but is already claimed by idiosyncratic else, you'll get the enactment to assertion ownership by requesting entree to the profile.
How to Request Access to a GBP Managed by Someone Else
Sometimes, you whitethorn spot your concern listing but not a mode to assertion it. That's due to the fact that it's already managed by different account.
In this case, you tin petition to reclaim ownership of your GBP.
Go to the Google Business Profile leafage and click "Manage now."
Type successful your concern sanction to spot a drop-down of listings that lucifer your concern sanction and address. Click connected the sanction that accurately represents your business.
Google volition corroborate that this listing is owned by different email address.
Click "Request Access."
Google volition inquire you for a fewer idiosyncratic details. Fill retired the signifier and click "Submit."
This volition nonstop a petition to the relationship holder presently managing your listing. They'll person 3 days to assistance you illustration entree oregon cull your request.
If you don't perceive backmost from them aft 3 days, you mightiness beryllium capable to assertion the illustration yourself. (But this is not ever the case.)
How to Manage a Google Business Profile
After you adhd a concern to Google by creating your Google Business Profile, you request to negociate the profile. This involves:
- Ensuring your concern accusation (like opening hours, services, and interaction details) is accurate
- Responding promptly to lawsuit reviews and questions
- Using the posting diagnostic to stock quality oregon promotions
- Regularly checking show information to recognize lawsuit behaviour and set your strategy accordingly
You tin usage Semrush's Listing Management instrumentality to negociate your listing.
It allows you to negociate and update your concern information, docket GBP posts, respond to lawsuit reviews, way keyword performance, and more—all successful 1 place.
To get started, unfastened the instrumentality and participate your concern name, telephone number, oregon website. Once you've recovered your business, click connected it.
On the adjacent screen, you'll spot a summary of however your listings look crossed directories.
Scroll down to the "Fix these to amended and grow your coverage" conception and look for the Google Business Profile row.
The presumption file volition amusement if your Google listing has immoderate issues.
Scroll down and click "Continue setup." (If you’re not logged in, you’ll click “Enhance listings now” instead.)
Complete the configuration and you'll beryllium taken to the main dashboard.
From here, you’ll beryllium capable to edit, update, and negociate your Google Business Profile listing, on with listings connected sites similar Facebook and Yelp, each successful 1 place.
10 Best Practices for Adding Your Business to Google Through GBP
Below are immoderate Google Business Profile champion practices you should travel to further optimize your online presence:
1. Target Local Keywords
Using applicable local keywords successful your Google Business Profile tin assistance you look successful searches circumstantial to your business’s area.
Start by researching keywords that imaginable customers successful your country usage to find products oregon services similar yours.
You tin usage Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool to assistance with this.
Open the instrumentality and participate your effect keyword (a wide word related to your business). Click "Search."
You'll past spot a database of keyword ideas.
These are typically broader keywords. You request a much targeted list.
Click "Include keywords" from the drop-down menu. Then, prime "Any keywords," adhd applicable locations, and click "Apply."
This volition amusement keywords that are circumstantial to your people location(s).
Go done the database and take the keywords that are astir applicable to your business. Then, incorporated them people into your concern statement and posts wherever applicable.
For example, if you ain an Italian edifice successful Boston, you mightiness privation to see phrases similar “best Italian restaurants successful Boston.”
This tin amended your chances of appearing successful section searches, making it easier for adjacent customers to find you.
2. Encourage Customer Reviews
Genuine and authentic reviews from blessed customers tin beryllium incredibly utile for attracting caller ones. They heighten your business's credibility and tin assistance with your section SEO efforts.
Providing exceptional work that leaves customers satisfied is cardinal to earning affirmative reviews.
But you tin besides inquire customers to permission reviews connected Google aft they prosecute with your business. You tin bash this successful person, done follow-up emails, oregon adjacent via thank-you notes with their purchase.
Google offers a sharable nexus you tin nonstop to customers to easy complaint and reappraisal your business.
To find this link, spell to your GBP dashboard. And past click “Ask for reviews.”
A pop-up volition look with your business’s unsocial link. Copy this and stock it with your customers.
While you should promote customers to permission affirmative reviews, debar offering incentives for it. Google discourages it.
Further reading: How to Ask for Google Reviews: 6 Tips & Examples
3. Tackle Negative Reviews Effectively
When you grip antagonistic reviews well, they tin beryllium turned into opportunities to item your committedness to lawsuit satisfaction.
So, you should ever respond to antagonistic reviews promptly and professionally.
Acknowledge the issue, connection an apology if appropriate, and suggest a solution oregon adjacent steps.
For example, if a lawsuit complains astir a precocious delivery, explicate immoderate extenuating circumstances. And see offering a discount connected their adjacent purchase.
This perchance wins backmost the unhappy customer. And highlights to others that you’re responsive and attraction astir lawsuit experience.
You tin show and respond to reviews—positive and negative—using Semrush’s Listing Management tool.
Click connected the “Review Management” tab.
From here, you'll beryllium capable to work and respond to reviews.
The instrumentality automatically suggests due responses for unanswered reviews. You tin besides manually initiate these automatic suggestions by clicking connected “Generate draft.”
Acknowledge affirmative reviews with gratitude and code antagonistic reviews professionally.
Offer solutions oregon clarify misunderstandings wherever necessary. This helps amusement prospective customers that you're engaged and committed to their satisfaction.
4. Maintain a Consistent Posting Schedule
Keeping a regular docket for your Google posts tin assistance you link with your assemblage and boost engagement.
Think of it similar regularly updating a societal media page. Plan to station thing astir your concern astatine slightest erstwhile a week.
This could be:
- Updates connected caller products oregon services: Announce immoderate caller offerings, similar a java store introducing a caller blend oregon seasonal specialty
- Educational oregon informative content: Provide adjuvant tips oregon accusation related to your industry, specified arsenic a gardening store offering seasonal planting advice
- Behind-the-scenes information: Share what happens time to time successful your business, similar a bookstore mounting up a caller show oregon a edifice preparing for a engaged evening
- Customer stories oregon testimonials: Highlight affirmative experiences oregon reviews from your customers, showcasing restitution and gathering trust
- Local events oregon assemblage participation: Share your engagement successful section events, whether it's hosting, participating, oregon sponsoring
- Targeted promotions oregon deals: Announce immoderate peculiar offers oregon discounts you're presently providing, cleanable for attracting customers looking for deals
5. Keep an Eye connected Local Events and Trends
Staying successful tune with section events and trends tin presumption your concern arsenic applicable and charismatic to your community.
You tin larn astir section events and trends from section quality publications.
Or you tin simply hunt for thing similar “upcoming events successful [your metropolis name]” and “latest trends successful [your metropolis name]” connected Google. Go to the quality tab to cheque retired the latest articles from renowned sites.
Here’s an example:
To lone spot the much caller updates, click “Tools,” past “Recent,” and prime “Past week.”
Participate successful oregon sponsor section events to summation your visibility and link with imaginable customers. And accommodate your Google posts and offerings to bespeak section interests and seasonal activities.
For example, if there’s a section festival, see implementing a peculiar connection related to the lawsuit and beforehand it connected your profile.
This tin assistance summation engagement and amusement your engagement successful the section community.
6. Track Your Listing's Performance and Insights
Consistently monitoring the show of your Google listing tin assistance you recognize lawsuit behaviour and preferences.
You tin find show information by clicking “Performance” successful your GBP dashboard.
Google provides assorted insights here. Like however customers find your listing:
You tin besides spot the fig of radical who connected with you by clicking the “Calls” button.
You tin besides spot the queries radical utilized to find your business:
This information tin assistance you place patterns. You tin usage these insights to refine your concern profile.
For example, if you announcement less radical interacting with your concern illustration recently, you tin instrumentality proactive steps to optimize your illustration (like tweaking keywords).
Similarly, if you person enabled messaging connected your illustration and you tin spot that your mean effect clip is high, you tin instrumentality measures to trim it.
You tin heighten lawsuit engagement and amended your business's beingness successful section hunt results by aligning your concern strategy with your GBP show data.
7. Add Your Own FAQs
The Q&A conception connected your Google Business Profile is wherever customers tin inquire questions astir your business, and you tin supply answers.
Providing clear, close answers shows your committedness to lawsuit service. And helps imaginable customers larn much astir your business.
A utile attack is to expect communal queries your customers mightiness have. You (or idiosyncratic you trust) tin station these emblematic questions from a idiosyncratic account. Then, you tin reply them from your concern account.
This tin marque it easier for customers to get the accusation they request quickly. Even if radical haven’t asked those questions yet.
You tin bash this by logging into your idiosyncratic relationship and past searching for your concern name. Click “Ask a question” successful your listing.
Add your question and past click “Post.”
You tin past find these questions successful the Q&A conception of your GBP profile, wherever you tin station your answer.
8. Actively Use the Messaging Feature
Engaging with imaginable customers done the messaging diagnostic successful your Google Business Profile tin heighten your lawsuit work experience.
You request to alteration this diagnostic connected your profile, which allows customers to nonstop you nonstop messages.
You tin bash this by clicking “Messages” connected your GBP dashboard.
You tin past alteration it by clicking “Turn on.”
Prompt responses to lawsuit inquiries amusement that you're attentive and worth their engagement.
Imagine a imaginable lawsuit messaging to inquire if your café has outdoor seating.
A speedy and affable effect provides them with the accusation they request and opens the doorway to further interaction. Possibly starring to a sojourn and imaginable sales.
9. Leverage the FAQ Feature successful Messaging for Instant Queries
Google lets you adhd a acceptable of FAQs close successful the messaging section. Customers tin spot and prime these questions to get instant answers erstwhile they commencement a chat.
To acceptable this up, place the astir often asked questions astir your business.
Then, input these questions and their answers into your messaging settings.
When customers initiate a chat, they tin take from these FAQs and person an automatic response.
This diagnostic streamlines the connection process for communal queries. And ensures customers instantly get the accusation they need.
10. Monitor Competitor Activity and Adapt Your Strategy
Keeping an oculus connected your competitors' profiles tin springiness you insights into what mightiness enactment good for your concern too.
Observe however they prosecute with their customers, the kinds of posts they create, and immoderate peculiar features they usage successful their concern listing.
You tin larn from their palmy strategies. And usage these insights to optimize your own.
For example, if you announcement a rival successfully utilizing Google Business Profile posts to beforehand peculiar events, see however you tin bash the aforesaid for your concern successful a mode that aligns with your unsocial offerings and style.
With Semrush’s Listing Management tool, you tin way your competitor's reappraisal base, reply rate, and progress.
And the Map Rank Tracker checks your rankings for chosen keywords successful a circumstantial area.
You tin usage the instrumentality to show your section rankings and way your competitors too. These features are lone disposable with Premium locations.
7 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Adding Your Business to Google
When adding your concern to Google done a Google Business Profile, you request to beryllium cautious you don’t marque these communal mistakes:
1. Incomplete oregon Inaccurate Business Information
An incomplete Google listing whitethorn permission retired accusation that customers request to scope oregon larn astir your business.
Missing details similar concern hours, a implicit address, oregon afloat interaction accusation tin effect successful missed opportunities for lawsuit visits and interaction. And besides imaginable sales.
Having an incomplete illustration could besides impact your rankings successful hunt results. Because the much accusation you supply Google with astir your business, the amended it tin recognize what your concern offers and wherever it is located.
This tin assistance the hunt motor recognize which hunt queries your listing is applicable to. This is simply a captious facet of local SEO.
Key details should ever beryllium up to day and comprehensive, covering aspects including:
- Opening hours
- Location
- Contact information
- Description of your business
Providing misleading oregon mendacious accusation successful your Google Business Profile erodes lawsuit trust. And it tin pb to superior repercussions, including the suspension of your listing.
So you indispensable guarantee each accusation successful your illustration is accurate. And regularly reappraisal and update your concern details to bespeak immoderate changes successful services, products, oregon operational hours.
2. Missing oregon Low-Quality Photos
Photos visually correspond your concern and tin interaction a customer's determination to sojourn oregon interaction you.
A deficiency of prime photos successful your Google concern listing tin marque your concern little appealing and engaging to imaginable customers.
So, upload high-quality, applicable photos that showcase the champion of your business. Include images of your storefront, interior, products, oregon services.
You tin adhd applicable photos by going to your GBP dashboard and clicking “Add photo.”
3. Writing a Poor Business Description
A mediocre statement fails to seizure what your concern does and the unsocial worth it offers. If Google doesn’t afloat recognize what your concern provides, this could interaction your quality to fertile successful applicable hunt results.
A vague statement tin besides permission those who bash find your listing uncertain astir what you offer. Which tin pb to missed opportunities for your business.
Here's an illustration of a bully GBP statement from manner boutique Aritzia. It’s clear, engaging, and communicates the brand's worth proposition successful elemental terms:
Start with what your concern does, followed by details astir the unsocial products oregon services you offer. Incorporate applicable keywords people to assistance with hunt visibility.
For example, if you ain a bakery specializing successful customized cakes, notation the assortment of barroom designs and flavors you offer. Emphasize immoderate unsocial aspects similar “organic ingredients” oregon “custom 3D barroom designs.”
This attack makes your concern much discoverable to those searching for your circumstantial offerings. And it provides a compelling crushed for them to take your concern implicit your competitors.
4. Choosing the Wrong Category
Selecting the incorrect categories for your concern connected Google tin marque your listing look successful irrelevant searches. This tin forestall your concern from reaching the close audience.
For example, if you tally a vegan cafe but categorize yourself nether “cafe” without specifying “vegan,” you mightiness miss retired connected a targeted lawsuit basal looking specifically for vegan options.
Choose the astir close superior class that intimately matches your halfway concern work oregon product. If available, adhd secondary categories to screen different aspects of your business.
This precision helps guarantee your concern appears successful the astir applicable searches, expanding the chances of attracting the close customers.
When creating your GBP, you get to prime your concern category. If you privation to alteration it, click "Edit profile" successful your dashboard.
Click “Business category” and take a caller category.
5. Keyword Stuffing
Overusing keywords successful your Google Business Profile tin look unnatural and whitethorn negatively interaction your hunt rankings.
Search engines tin penalize profiles that look to beryllium trying to manipulate hunt results done keyword stuffing, which tin pb to little visibility successful hunt results.
You privation to usage keywords strategically and people successful your profile.
Incorporate them into your concern statement and posts successful a mode that makes consciousness contextually.
Focus connected creating informative contented that people includes applicable keywords, ensuring your illustration remains some user-friendly and effectual for SEO.
Further reading: How to Add Keywords to a Google My Business Profile
6. Not Using Google Business Profile Posts Effectively
Neglecting the posts diagnostic of your illustration means you’re missing an accidental to prosecute customers.
You tin usage Google posts to stock updates, news, promotional offers, oregon events related to your business.
Create engaging contented that includes calls to action (CTAs) and is applicable to your section area.
To adhd a post, click “Add update” successful your GBP dashboard.
Select “Add update” again connected the adjacent screen.
Add your post. Click "Add photos" to adhd images to your post. Finally, click "Post."
Regular posting keeps your customers informed and engaged. And contributes to maintaining an progressive and appealing Google Business Profile.
7. Not Claiming Other Listings
Sometimes, your concern mightiness extremity up with aggregate listings connected Google. This is particularly communal for businesses with aggregate locations.
Each determination mightiness inadvertently person its ain listing created by user-generated contented oregon automatic information collection.
When these listings aren't managed, they tin show conflicting information, making it hard for customers to spot what they see. It could besides confuse Google.
Verify each listing to consolidate your power implicit the accusation displayed. Standardize details similar your concern name, code format, and work descriptions crossed each locations to support consistency.
You tin bash this by going to your Google Business Profile Manager. Select “Add azygous business” successful the “Businesses” tab.
A accordant beingness connected Google streamlines lawsuit acquisition and consolidates your SEO efforts.
Manage Your Google Business Profile with Semrush
Adding your concern to Google is conscionable the archetypal measurement to improving your online visibility.
Once you person created a Google Business Profile, negociate it effectively. To optimize your visibility successful Google Maps, the Local Pack, and successful the Local Finder.
You tin bash this utilizing Semrush's Listing Management tool. Try it for escaped today.
.png)
English (US)