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Google My Business is a free tool that lets you manage how your business appears on Google Search and Maps. That includes adding your business name, location, and hours, monitoring and replying to customer reviews, adding photos, learning where and how people are searching for you, and more! Start by creating your Google My Business strategy.

While it may seem confusing, perfecting your company’s profile on Google My Business is a crucial component of your brand image. Read this blog to learn about the steps and tips for creating a Google My Business strategy, developing your profile, and handling customer reviews! 

Optimizing the GMB Profile

Including as much information and media as you can in your Google My Business profile is the best way of optimizing it. You never know which piece of information will draw a customer in, so casting a wide net is the best strategy.

Here are some of the kinds of information and media you can include on GMB:

  • Business profile photo.
  • The area you serve.
  • Your hours.
  • Attributes (e.g. “wheelchair accessible”, “free wifi”).
  • The day and year you opened.
  • Public phone number.
  • Website URL.

The photos on your GMB profile are also crucial. Incorporating a cover photo, a profile picture, the exterior and interior of your business, media of your services or products, employees, and the team are great ways of optimizing your GMB profile media-wise. 

GMB Videos and Tips

You can also choose to include videos in your Google My Business strategy. Sometimes videos are more effective than photos in attracting customers since they can convey information more efficiently and more effectively. 

Videos can also add some variety to your profile and make you stand out among other businesses in your category; however, don’t worry if you don’t have any – unlike photos, they’re not a “must-have”.

When you include videos in your GMB profile, make sure they are 30 seconds or shorter, 100 MB or smaller, and 720p resolution or higher. 

Customer Reviews Best Practices 

A major component that appears on your GMB profile is the customer reviews section. Oftentimes, this is the determining factor as to whether or not the curious customer will choose your business over the competitors. 

Here are a couple of tips for improving your reviews section:

  1. Requesting reviews—Asking customers for reviews is the best way to improve your reviews section. There are various methods through which you can obtain more reviews for your business: asking family and friends, asking on social media accounts, asking through newsletters, and asking through a section on your website. 
  2. Responding—You should always respond to reviews on your GMB profile, no matter if they are positive or negative. This shows customers that you have a growth mindset regarding your business and displays a higher sense of professionalism. 
Screenshot: Google My Business

Posting on GMB

There is also a feature on Google My Business that allows businesses to create posts or listings on their profile. The posts will be displayed when people search for your business, so this is also a potential venue for attracting customers.

Here are some posts you could create:

  • Updates from your company.
  • Upcoming events.
  • Your offers.
  • Your products.

Make sure that any images you include with your posts and listings are 540 x 405 px.

Takeaways

Google My Business is an extremely important platform for your business, and perfecting the profile can greatly help your brand in the long run. Including as much information as possible, managing your customer reviews section, and creating quality posts and listings are all crucial steps in completing your GMB profile.

If you are still curious about Google My Business, want an audit of your existing GMB profile, or just wish to discuss your company’s digital marketing presence, schedule a consultation with Colibri Digital Marketing today! 

For other social media strategy blog posts, check out the ones written by our digital marketing specialists.