How to Optimize Google Business Profile
Once Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) is set up, verified, and complete with your business information, you’ll want to begin optimizing your listing. This is essential if you want to improve the chances of your Google Business Profile (GBP) listing ranking well for relevant local search results. In fact, doing so should be considered a high-priority task on your local SEO checklist. If you're not sure where to start, you can try running a Google Business Profile Audit.
There are numerous ways to optimize your GBP, and you’ll want to give ample attention to each action.
The Google Business Profile Features to Optimize
The following features and functions should be used as part of this ongoing process:
- Description
- Categories
- Business Opening Hours
- Reviews (opens in Review Management Learning Hub)
- Photos
- Videos
- Posts
- Q&A
- Products and Services
- Bookings and Appointments
- Attributes
- Local Justifications
As you can see, there are many different aspects of GBP that you should be using. We’ll be working through each of these throughout this section so that you can make the most of this platform. By the time you get to the end, you’ll understand how each one works and what the benefits are.
Google Business Profile Best Practices
As you get stuck in with optimizing your business profile, you should always ensure you adhere to GBP best practices. This means following all of the guidance provided by Google on the topic.
A key component of these guidelines is to never misrepresent your business within your GBP listing. So, as you implement the optimization techniques from this section, ensure that all of your information is factual, accurate, and up-to-date. This will allow you to power ahead with your actions without the fear of being penalized.