According to reports, roughly 90% of internet searches are done on Google. Brands devote massive marketing budgets to make sure they’re ranking well with the algorithm. The better you can position your business to rank in search, the more exposure you’ll have.
A Google Business Profile can help you show up in relevant searches so that potential customers can find you. It also indicates to consumers that you’re a trusted business, and can even be good for your website’s SEO.
The best part? A Google My Business profile is entirely free.
Keep reading to learn more about the importance of Google Business profiles and how to create one.
Google My Business Profiles Are a Powerful Local Ranking Factor
One of the big benefits of Google Business profiles is they can significantly boost your local SEO and assist with geotargeting.
Local SEO is the practice of optimizing your website and online presence for local search. If you’re a home services business, local search is the most important area to focus on.
Why? Because you want to target people in your area who need your services. It doesn’t matter if your website recieves a thousand visits a day, if these are from outside your service area, they’re not going to benefit your bottom line.
In fact, non-local site traffic can actually drive up your expenses. The more traffic your website gets, the more hosting you’ll need to pay for.
A Google Business Profile can help drive local traffic to your site. It can also increase your on-site local SEO.
Google Business Profiles serve as local citations. They contain your business’s location, name, and contact information. Google uses local citations (both from GMB profiles and other directories) to identify businesses.
If someone is looking for local home services, Google will try to serve them the most relevant results possible.
Let’s say someone types in “lawn service near me.” Google will display the websites of local businesses that offer lawn and garden services. If it doesn’t realize that your site fits this bill, it won’t display it in the results.
They Help Customers Find You
Besides telling Google that you’re a location-based business, Google Business Profile profiles make it super easy for customers to find you. Can you remember the last time you looked for a physical service online?
The first thing that probably appeared was a list of three Google Business Profiles. This is called a Local Pack.
If you create a Google Business Profile, the next time someone in your area searches for the services you offer, you might pop up in this list.
Appearing in the Local Pack is incredibly powerful. It gives you even more visibility than appearing at the top of the SERPs.
The only other way you can get your business at the top spot of a Google search result page is through Google advertising. Paid search ads are another great way to gain visibility, but they are, well, paid.
As we said earlier, a Google Business Profile is entirely free.
Google Business Profiles Enable Zero-Click Searches
Another of the many benefits of Google Business Profiles is they cater to zero-click searches. Have you ever quickly googled something and grabbed the info you needed directly from the search results, without clicking through to a website? This is a zero-click search.
According to reports, zero-click searches made up nearly 65% of all searches in 2020.
In other words, more than half of searches may never result in a website click. If you’re relying on just your website to reach local customers, you might be missing out on a lot of business.
A Google Business Profile is a perfect way to cater to zero-click searches. If a potential customer wants to quickly look for a service, a Google Business Profile can position your info right in their search results.
Instead of having to navigate to your site, they can view your address, access your phone number, or book an appointment within seconds.
Besides giving potential customers a convenient way to find your basic business contact info, a Google Business Profile also goes above and beyond this. You can input your opening hours and even have your profile display a graph of your busiest times.
A Google Business Profile Can Help You Stand Out
If you create a Google Business Profile, you’ll instantly stand out in search from competitors who only have a website. You’ll be more visible, easier to contact, and you’ll look more legitimate.
But what if all your competitors already have a Google Business Profile? You can still leverage yours to gain an edge.
Google Business profiles make it very easy for potential customers to compare businesses at a glance. They can get a side-by-side view of their basic info and reviews.
If you populate your profile with great pictures and comprehensive business info, this can already make your business look more legitimate.
However, the best way to swing the tide in your favor is by cultivating a collection of positive reviews. The higher your average star rating, the more likely new customers are going to choose you over your competition.
Accumulating dozens of 5-star reviews isn’t something that happens overnight. But you can speed up the process by asking customers to leave reviews via follow-up emails after you’ve rendered a service. Make them realize how valuable their feedback is, provide a direct link to leave a review, and give some instructions.
It (Literally) Puts You on the Map
If you create a Google Business Profile, you’ll automatically appear on Google Maps. This gains you extra visibility, helps users find your services, and boosts your Google maps ranking.
For instance, if someone is looking for a carpet cleaning service where they can drop off their rugs, and they see your location is closer than your competitor’s, this might win you their business.
Customers Can Suggest Edits and Provide Listing Feedback
Google Business Profiles allow customers to suggest edits and give you listing feedback. For instance, if your phone number isn’t working or your email is bouncing, customers can let you know.
Maintaining accurate, up-to-date online business details is very important, but it’s an easy thing to forget about.
Have your opening hours changed? It’s simple to remember to update physical signs, but there’s nothing tangible to remind you to update your virtual info.
Now You Know the Importance of Google Business Profiles
Do you want to tap into some of these Google Business Profile benefits?
Now that you know the importance of Google Business Profiles, creating one should be top of your to-do list if you run a home services business. A Google Business Profile can boost your local SEO, get you found in search, and help you stand out from the competition.
Creating a Google Business Profile isn’t complicated, but making time to tend to these types of SEO tasks can be challenging as a business owner.
Here at Key Element Media, we specialize in helping home service businesses with their online marketing. We have decades of experience and believe in giving back to our community. If you need to boost your online presence, we are the people to speak to.
Contact us today to get started.
