How to Make the Most of New Google Business Profile in 2021?

Google My Business account allows you to appear in search results when people look for you online. Because it's free, it's a low-cost marketing tool for both small and large businesses.
Recently Google decided to rename GMB to Google Business Profile with an update and a few new features as well. In this blog, we will talk about that in detail and will also explain how to create and manage your account and get the most out of the platform.

Benefits of having a Google My Business account

Do you have any doubts about whether you need a Google My Business account? Here are a few reasons why you should consider acquiring one.

1. Make yourself discoverable

Search has evolved into a digital process. Even if you have a traditional brick-and-mortar store, your clientele and prospects are online. And that's typically where they'll begin their search for your company, products, or services.
Whether you're looking for foot traffic or web traffic, Google is the ultimate search referrer. If you have a Google My Business account, people who search for your company on Google Search or Google Maps will find it. If they do, whether you have a website or a physical presence, your listing will show searches where and how to find your shop.
A Google My Business account will also help your local SEO. As a result, if someone searches for your business, your listing will show up first, rather than second or third.
Even if you already have a website, a Google business account ensures that you get top results. You can also access analytics through your account, which you may use to fine-tune your paid and organic advertising tactics.

2. Keep customers up to date

Don't leave your consumers in the dark about important corporate information. Alternatively, you might leave them to third-party review sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor, and others over which you have no influence. Make sure that when someone searches for your firm, they get the most up-to-date information possible from the source.
Your Google My Business listing includes contact information, business hours, and other important details. You can use updates to announce the expansion, temporary closure, or complete reopening of your services. The information you submit will rank higher than that of other websites since Google business accounts have strong local SEO.
Misinformation can lead to unpleasant customer experiences and missed opportunities. Consider how dissatisfied a consumer would be if they arrived at your store to discover it was closed. Maybe you are accessible, but because they were not sure, a potential customer went with a competitor.

3. Enhance consumer confidence

A Google My Business listing adds credibility to your firm. Customers are 70% more likely to visit a business that is listed on Google My Business.
Another study found that businesses with complete Google listings are twice as likely to gain client trust.
Trust is essential while making purchasing decisions. The more confident a customer is, the more likely he or she is to make a purchase. After hearing about your store on Google, people are 38 % more likely to visit it and 29 % more likely to buy something.

The establishment of the trust is further aided by Google My Business evaluations. According to a Google survey, 88 % of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

How to Set Up a Google My Business Account?

Follow these steps to create your Google My Business profile.

1. Sign in to Google My Business

Go to www.google.com/business to join up. You can log in with an existing Google account or create a new one. If you have already logged in, you can skip to the next step.
When joining up, make sure to provide your company's email domain.

2. Fill up the blanks with information about your organization

Put your company's name here. If your business does not appear in the drop-down menu, click Add your business to Google. Then, for your company, select the appropriate category.

3. Fill in your address

If you have a physical location that clients can visit, select Yes. Fill in your address after that. It is also possible that you will be asked to mark the location on a map. If your firm does not have a physical site where customers can visit but provide a service or delivery, you can select your service area.

4. Fill out the form with your contact information

If you include your business phone number and website URL, customers will be able to reach you. If you have a Facebook page, you can use it instead of a website.

5. Complete and keep your listing up to date

If you want to receive notifications and updates, select Yes. Finally, click Finish. After that, you'll be asked to verify your business.

How can you get your Google business verified?

Now that your Google account is set up, here's how to validate it. Sending a postcard is the most common method of Google verification.
1. Sign in to Google My Business
Go to www.google.com/business to join up.
2. From the drop-down option, choose "Verify Now."
If you have more than one Google My Business account, make sure you select the correct one.
3. Choose a method of verification
The default option is to send a postcard by mail. If your company has alternative communication channels, such as phone or email, utilize the one you prefer. Fill in the blanks with the necessary details.
4. Submit the form after you've double-checked that you've entered everything correctly
It could take anywhere from a few days to two weeks for the postcard to arrive. When you receive your postcard, sign in and choose Verify location from the menu. Here you should input the five-digit verification code from your postcard.
Your Google business listing may take a few weeks to reach. You can manage your Google My Business account while you wait by installing the Google My Business app.
The new update….
Google My Business (GMB), the company's local listing platform, was renamed Google Business Profile, according to the company.
"In the future, we propose that small businesses manage their profiles directly on Search or Maps."
“To keep things simple, 'Google My Business' will be renamed 'Google Business Profile,” according to Matt Madrigal, VP/GM Merchant Shopping.
"And in 2022, we'll phase out the Google My Business app so that more merchants can take advantage of the better Search and Maps experience," he added.
Several new features were announced along with the makeover.

What has changed in your Google Business Profile?

For some months, you have been able to edit your Business Profile information from search, but now you can complete verification or handle other issues with your Business Profile directly from search.
Simply search for your company's name on Google or in the Google Maps app, and you will find an option to validate your Business Profile or handle other issues your profile may be experiencing, such as a suspension.
You may modify information people see when they search for your business, such as your address and business hours, make posts, respond to reviews, and more, all from search or Maps.
All firms that create a Google Business Profile will be able to complete their setup straight on Google Search and Maps in the coming months. You'll also be able to see if your profile is available to the general public.
Let's go through some of the local SEO advantages of using Google Business Profiles, as well as how you may change your information on Google search and Maps.

What are the benefits of using Google Business Profiles for local SEO?

Claiming and optimizing a Google Business Profile is one of the most effective ways for a local business to rank higher on Google and attract local customers.
Claiming your Google Business Profile is only the first step; you must optimize, review, and update your Business Profile with new information regularly.
It's critical to keep your Google Business Profile up to date if you want to be successful. An up-to-date Google Business Profile, according to Ipsos Research:

• 2.7x more likely to be regarded as trustworthy.
• Gets 7 times the amount of clicks.
• Is 70% more likely to draw visitors to a specific site.
• Is 50% more likely to result in a sale.

Many businesses are also unaware that Google and any user can make changes to their Business Profile, including changing their address, hours of operation, uploading images, soliciting reviews, and more.
As a result, you must keep an eye on your Google Business Profile regularly to ensure that no changes have been made.
SEO companies in Dubai and around the world put a lot of emphasis on setting up and managing a Google Business Profile because of its far-fetched advantages and more importantly because of the visibility it provides to local businesses.
Always stick to Google's rules.
You're on Google's playground when you have a Google Business Profile. That means you must adhere to Google's Business Profile guidelines or risk having your business profile suspended.
In the end, your Google Business Profile is not just yours; it's a community profile.
User-generated information, such as reviews, Q&As, updates, images, videos, and more, can be added to your Google Business Profile by almost anybody online, and Google encourages it. It's critical that you double-check the legitimacy of any content you add to your profile.

How to Manage Your Google Business Account?

• Manage Your Profiles from The Google Business Profile Manager For Multi-Location Businesses.

Logging in to the Business Profile Manager dashboard is the ideal approach to manage your profiles if your company has many locations or if you are an agency that maintains multiple client locations.
The Business Profile Manager allows you to manage many profiles from a single dashboard.

• Manage your Google Business Profile directly from Google Search or the Google Maps App for single-location businesses.

If you're a small business with only one location, the simplest approach to monitor your Google Business Profile is to use Google Search, which you presumably keep open all day.
You can also manage your Google Maps account directly from the app. So, from Search or Maps, how do you manage your profile?
When you type your business name in the search bar while logged in with the Gmail email address you use to manage your Google Business Profile, your Knowledge Panel and a Google Business Profile edit panel will appear.
You may also use Google to find your edit panel and Knowledge Panel by just typing "my business" into the search box.
Let's look at some of the things you may change in Search and Maps.
To begin, go to Search and click the "Edit Your Business Information" link to edit your business information directly from your Knowledge Panel.
You can modify basic information about your Google Business Profile from this page.
You can edit information about your company, such as its category, description, opening date, hours, and more.
You can make an update post directly from Search if you see the Update Your Customers option in your Knowledge Panel.
Instead of merely editing from your Knowledge Panel, you can now use the edit panel on the left side of the screen to make further changes.
When you click Edit profile, you'll get a list of editable settings.

How to Improve Your Google Business Profile?

You can update a lot of information right from your Google search results page!

1. Add Business Data

You can modify the essential information, such as About, Contact, Location, Hours, and More, by clicking on the Business information area.
The More section directs you to the Business Profile Manager, which connects you to the standard dashboard.

2. Add Hours

According to the Google Consumer Barometer, 40% of local business searches want to know what hours a business is open.
That implies you must keep your hours up to date, especially during the holidays. It's quite simple to adjust your hours using Google Search.
When you choose hours, you will see more specific information that you can edit. Not only should you adjust your company hours (which must coincide with when your personnel is present), but you can also:

• Open during regular business hours.
• Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Closed for the time being (Show that your business will open again in the future).
• Closed indefinitely (Show your business no longer exists).
• You can even add more hours if you want to.

This is an excellent feature to have depending on the type of business you run.

3. Add Products

Adding items to your Google Business Profile is a terrific way to show off what you have to offer if you sell products in your store or business. (It is worth noting that online-only firms are not permitted to claim Google Business Profiles).
It's easy to create a product list! Answer the following questions by clicking the Get Started button:

• Name of the product.
• You can create a category if you don't currently have one.
• Price or a range of prices.
• Description of the product
• Photo.

Simply click Publish once you've finished entering all of the information to make the product live on your Google Business Profile Knowledge Panel.

4. Add Services

Services are similar to Products in that they cater to Service Area Businesses (SABs) or organizations that provide services to consumers or clients (such as landscapers, plumbers, handymen, roofers, locksmiths, and so on) (like lawyers, accountants, personal trainers, etc.)
It's quite simple to add services.
You'll be able to see your main category. You can establish a custom service by clicking the + Add custom service option if you don't see any services listed presently.

5. Add Photos

Local searchers adore seeing photos. According to Google, companies with photographs receive 42% more queries.
You are humanizing your brand when you submit real photographs of your firm, such as your building, signage, products, services, team members, company activities (such as charity work), and so on.
These kinds of images can help searchers become more engaged. You may also upload photographs directly from Google Maps and Google Search!
Uploading photographs from a Google Business Profile is quite simple.
Click Add photos, then drag a photo from your computer to the appropriate location.

6. Promote Rigorously

You are always in marketing and promotion mode when you own a firm!
When you click the Promote button, you'll be presented with several alternatives for promoting your company using Google Business Profile capabilities.
You may market and promote your business in a variety of ways here.
When you choose Performance, you will see an overview of how your Google Business Profile is "pulling" with searchers, including how many calls, messages, reservations, directions, and website clicks you've received.
You may also learn more about Google Ads, upload photographs, obtain a short link to ask for reviews, and write posts by clicking the link.

7. Make Use of Consumers Section

The Customers area allows you to interact with your customers in new and exciting ways.
You can see and respond to customer and client reviews, view and respond to messages, and even answer questions people have asked in the Q&A area from the Customers section.
We can only expect more comprehensive features and advancements in the coming months, given Google's investment in Google Business Profile.
If you are a business owner and not still not using Google Business Profile, now is the perfect time to claim, verify, and optimize your Google Business Profile and use it to your advantage.
If you are too occupied with your business and can’t find time to manage it yourself as it needs a lot of attention and some technicalities are involved as well, you can always reach out to Prism Digital, the best SEO agency in Dubai and we will make sure that your business reaches to the top of Google SERPs and your visibility increases manyfold.