This month's newsletter is packed with tips to boost your online presence, attract more customers, and navigate Google related challenges. To get these newsletters delivered to your inbox each month, click here to subscribe.
Tip from Google’s Product Manager, Mike Gnagy
Don't underestimate the power of a well maintained Google Business Profile. In the video below, Mike discusses the importance of making sure that all of your links are correct and up to date. This includes links to your website, booking or ordering tools, menus, and social media. Broken links can lead to a poor user experience and missed opportunities. And it happens more often than you'd think.
Tips from Google's Product Team: Interview with Mike Gnagy, Product Manager
How local ranking works
Curious about what influences your local search rankings? We're here to help. Local search results are key to connecting your business with nearby customers. We focus on three key factors:
- Relevance: Make sure your Google Business Profile accurately reflects your offerings so you show up in searches that matter.
- Distance: Claim and optimize your profile to emphasize your convenient location.
- Prominence: To boost your authority and visibility, you can build your online reputation through reviews and mentions across the web.
We understand that sometimes a business a bit farther away might be the perfect fit for a user’s needs. Our algorithms consider a variety of factors to deliver the best possible results for everyone.
How to improve your local ranking on Google
Learn how to improve your local ranking.
Elevate your Google Business Profile with attributes
Adding attributes to your Google Business Profile is a simple and effective way to provide potential customers with valuable information and make your business more attractive. These snippets of information help customers get to know you better and decide if you're the right fit for their needs. Here’s some examples:
- Amenities: You can let people know about the different amenities you offer, such as Wi-Fi, restrooms, parking, or an outdoor patio.
- Services: You can highlight the different services that you provide, such as delivery, curbside pickup, appointments, or online ordering.
- Products: To entice potential customers, you can showcase specific items or brands.
- Atmosphere: You can set the right expectations for your business, whether it's casual, upscale, family-friendly, or pet-friendly.
- Recycling: You can showcase your business’s commitment to sustainability by letting customers know that you offer recycling drop-off services. Learn more about recycling attributes.
- Accessibility: To highlight the ways your business accommodates customers with specific accessibility needs, you can indicate the ways your business is accessible for people in wheelchairs. Learn more about accessibility attributes.
- Identity: To proudly showcase your business’s identity and diversity, you can highlight attributes such as Latino-owned, woman-owned, LGBTQ+ owned, veteran-owned, disabled-owned, and others. Learn more about identity attributes.
Learn how to edit Business Profile attributes.
Spotlight on common challenges
- Google Business Profile suspended? Don't panic.
- You can submit an appeal to get your profile reinstated. Prepare your evidence before submitting and make sure your profile follows all guidelines for representing your business on Google. Remember to be patient, as reviews can take time.
- Learn how to fix your suspended or disabled Google Business Profile or find help on our community forum.
- Turn negative reviews into positive interactions:
- Negative reviews can be disappointing, but they offer opportunities for engagement. Acknowledge the feedback in a timely manner, show empathy, and offer solutions where possible. Remember to be professional and avoid getting personal.
- Want more detailed advice? Learn how to read and reply to reviews.
- If you believe that a Google review violates the posting guidelines, you can flag it as inappropriate. Learn more about flagging reviews as inappropriate.
- Manage user access for your Business Profile:
- Learn how to add and remove owners and managers for your Google Business Profile, giving them different levels of access to manage your business information. This is crucial for controlling who can make changes to your profile.
More than 2 billion U.S. customers used Google Business Profile each month in 2023
A Google report released earlier this year reveals the staggering power of Google Business Profile. In 2023, it drove over 2 billion monthly connections to U.S. businesses. That's potential customers finding your hours, location, reviews, and more, directly through Google. Here’s a few quotes from business owners:
- "There are 134,000 people who have actually seen our Google Business Profile just in the last six months. That is remarkable." - Prince Lobo, Co-owner, Addis Nola.
- "Google Reviews are important, and adding photos and putting the right keywords in the description of my Business Profile really works for me" - Melanie Johnson, Founder & CEO, Glam Cam KC.
- "Being able to pull products from our website into our Business Profile is very helpful. If we have something in stock people are searching for, we pop right up." - Emily Bollinger, Owner & operator, Dog Dish.
Learn more about the Google economic impact report.
Get support from a Google Business advisor
Our Small Business Advisors (SBA) program is a consultation service designed to help small business owners build and optimize their online presence. To help you learn more about the different Google tools, you can schedule an individual session for personalized, hands-on, recommendations.
Appointments last 50 minutes and cost $39.99. Topics include Google Business Profile, Ads, Merchant Center, and more. Learn more about the Small Business Advisors service.
Are you a Google Business Profile API partner and have technical questions? Raise a support case here.
