logo
banner_slide_img1

Loebig Ink is a small business consulting firm
fueled by coffee, creativity and music to provide
SEO, web design and social media solutions.

Tag: google business profile

8 Benefits of a Google Business Profile

Posted on by Brian Loebig

Eight benefits of a fully optimized Google Business Profile for a “service area” business

Having a Google Business Profile (GBP) is especially beneficial for service area businesses (SABs) that serve customers at their locations or within specific areas. Here’s how it can help:

1. Increased Online Visibility

  • Appear in Local Search Results: Your business can show up when customers search for services in your area, even if you don’t have a physical storefront.
  • Google Maps Visibility: SABs with a well-optimized GBP often appear on Google Maps, helping customers find you easily.

2. Builds Trust and Credibility

  • Reviews and Ratings: Positive customer reviews build trust with potential clients.
  • Business Details: Display accurate business information (contact details, service areas, hours), making your business look professional.

3. Drives More Leads

  • Click-to-Call Feature: Mobile users can call you directly from your profile, leading to more immediate inquiries.
  • Website Link: Direct traffic to your website for more information or to book services.

4. Targeted Reach with Service Areas

  • Custom Service Area Settings: You can define the specific areas you serve, ensuring your business appears in relevant searches without requiring a physical address to be visible.

5. Improved Customer Engagement

  • Posts and Updates: Share updates, offers, or service announcements to keep customers informed.
  • FAQs: Address common questions directly on your profile.
  • Messaging: Enable direct messaging to quickly respond to customer inquiries.

6. Valuable Insights

  • Performance Analytics: Google provides data on how customers find your profile, what actions they take, and what keywords they use to discover your business.

7. Free Marketing Tool

  • Cost-Effective Advertising: GBP is free to set up and maintain, offering significant ROI for local visibility.

8. Competitive Edge

  • Stand Out Locally: Many SABs fail to fully optimize their GBP, so leveraging it effectively can give you an edge over competitors.

Check out our blog on how to fully optimize and manage a Google Business Profile Listing…

Tips on How to Post the Best Images on Google Business Profile

Posted on by Brian Loebig

Your Google Business Profile is the first impression potential customers have of your business. One of the most important aspects of this profile is the images you post. High-quality, relevant images can boost your profile’s visibility, engage viewers, and enhance your brand’s image. However, poor-quality or irrelevant images can turn customers away.

So, here are some essential tips on how to post the best images on your Google Business Profile to bring you referrals.

  1. Focus on Image Quality. You cannot post poor-quality, blurry, dark, or grainy images! High-resolution, crisp images will attract attention and create a professional impression. Blurry or pixelated images may be rejected by Google and can also reflect poorly on your brand’s professionalism.

How to get high-quality images:

  • Use a high-resolution camera or a modern smartphone. 
  • Use proper lighting to avoid dark or overexposed shots. Natural lighting works best.
  • Edit your photos to adjust brightness, contrast, and sharpness, but avoid over-editing, which can make images look unnatural.

Google recommends uploading images in the profile that are at least 720 x 720 pixels in size, with a file size of no more than 5MB. JPEG and PNG formats work best for this platform. (720 x 540 are recommended for updates.) 

  1. Highlight Your Products and Services. Your images should accurately represent the products (services) that you offer. If you manage a restaurant, post photos of your most popular dishes, the interior ambiance, and any special events you host. If you offer catering services, show your team in action, working with clients or performing key tasks.

Tips for professional images:

  • Diversity of images: Show different aspects of your business. Include pictures of your products, your workspace, and your team members. (Make sure that you get written consent to post images of your staff members.)
  • Consistency: Your images should be consistent with your brand’s visual identity (e.g., logo colors, filters, or backgrounds).
  • Context: Show your products or services in use. For example, a retail store could highlight a customer using or wearing a product to give viewers an idea of how it looks or functions in real life.
  1. Optimize Image Composition. Well-composed photos stand out from the crowd. Be sure to consider the balance, perspective, and layout of your images that will improve their overall appeal and impact.

Tips for better composition:

  • Rule of Thirds: You have a grid with two horizontal and two vertical lines, dividing the image into nine sections. Place the main subject where the lines intersect for a more balanced and visually appealing shot.
  • Focus on the subject: Make sure that the subject of your photo is clear and central. Avoid overly busy backgrounds or objects that might distract the viewer.
  • Use depth and angles: Avoid flat, straight-on images. Experiment with angles and perspectives to add dimension to your photos. For example, shooting slightly from above or below can make a product or space look more dynamic.

      4. Post Consistently. Like other social platforms, regular and consistent updates on your Google Business Profile keep your audience              engaged and signal to Google that your business is active. Posting new images regularly keeps your profile fresh and provides      potential customers with the latest visuals of your products, services, and business environment.

What to post:

  • Seasonal updates: Show how your business is celebrating holidays or adapting to seasonal trends.
  • New products or services: Every time you introduce a new product or service, post a high-quality image to showcase it.
  • Special events: If your business is hosting or participating in any events, post images to highlight these activities.
  • Before and after shots: If applicable to your business (e.g., home improvement or beauty services), show before-and-after photos to highlight the impact of your work.
  • Use coupons or special offers: Post coupons or special offers just as you do with other social media. Google loves specials!  
  1. Leverage User-Generated Content. Encourage your customers to take and share photos of your business. Customer photos provide authentic representations of your brand and carry more credibility than professional photos. Google Business Profile allows customers to upload images directly to your profile, and these can help attract more attention.

How to encourage user-generated content:

  • Request customer photos in post-purchase emails or during checkout.
  • Offer incentives like discounts or giveaways for customers who post photos and tag your business.
  • Make your space “Instagrammable” by adding visually appealing décor or backdrops that inspire people to snap a picture.
  1. Avoid Stock Photos. Stock photos might look professional but they are generic or inauthentic. Google does not like stock photos! In fact, they may reject any and all types of stock images. Instead, people want to see real representations of your business. Google’s algorithm wants original content. Unique images of your business will improve your profile’s visibility.

So, take your own photos or hire a professional photographer. Authenticity makes your profile stand out. (And may help you avoid being put on suspension.) 

  1. Regularly Update Your Cover and Profile Photos. Your cover and profile photos are the most prominent images on your Google Business Profile. These should be updated regularly to reflect your current offerings and brand aesthetics.

Best practices:

  • Choose a profile photo that clearly represents your logo or branding.
  • Select a cover photo that showcases a key aspect of your business, such as the storefront, a signature product, or an appealing interior shot.
  • Use high-resolution images which are consistent with your brand image.

Reference research data from search engine land and link to Loebig ink blog…

      9. Set a goal to publish at least 100 photos over the course of one or two months. Research by Search Engine Land and    Bright Local that shows profiles with 100+ photos get 520% more calls than the average business! Your Google Business Profile should have photos of your business offices, products, staff, and other pertinent images. The photo section should be refreshed with new images monthly.   

Your Google Business Profile images are a key component of your online presence, helping you stand out in local search results and attract potential customers. Implement these tips, and your profile may have more visibility, credibility, and customer engagement!

We can set up, optimize, and post on your Google Business Profile as it is crucial to any search engine optimization strategy. It can bring your company leads and help people find you more accessible from their smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Loebig Ink offers Google Business Profile Setup and Management Services. For more information and a free consultation, contact us today. 

Optimizing Your Google Business Profile Listing

Posted on by Brian Loebig

Updated 5/30/2024

Google Business Profiles (GBP) has become one of the most important online properties for a business on the web. In June of 2019, for the first time in history, more than 50% of Google search traffic ended without a click to a paid ad or a *website! This means your Google Business Profile page is even more important than your website from a Google Search perspective. Since Google eliminated the Google Plus social media platform, they have integrated social elements to the GBP product making it a key social media platform as well. On a well-developed GBP, users can see a business’s products and services, it’s latest news, events, hours of operation, staff photos, 30-second videos, and more!

What follows are some basic but crucial tips for optimizing and actively managing your listing for maximum visibility!

  1. Enter Complete Data for Your Listing
    • Local search results favor the most relevant results for searches, and business offering the most detailed and accurate information will be easier to serve in search.
    • Don’t leave anything to be guessed or assumed; make sure your listing communicates with potential customers what your business does, where it is, and how they can acquire the good and/or services your business is offering.
    • Include Keywords
      1. Just like traditional website SEO, Google uses a variety of signals to serve search results, and including important keywords and search phrases to your business listing will be incredibly helpful, especially since your business website is listed directly within your GMB listing.
    • Keep Business Operating Hours Accurate
      1. It’s important to enter your business hours, but equally important to update them whenever they change.
      2. Google offers the ability to customize hours for holidays and other special events, and it should always be used to keep your site accurate and users happy.
    • Add a COVID Notice
      1. This new option in 2020 is featured prominently on the GBP public profile when used and should include a link to a COVID notice web page on the site.
  2. Add Business Information
    • Business name, detailed description, opening date, business categories, service area, address, hours of operation, special hours, phone number landing page URL, appointment links and more are all areas of the Google business profiles that should be included. Retail operations have additional information such as store code, label and Google Ads location extensions phone number can be entered as well.
  3. Create Regular Posts
    • Google provides several different types of “posts” on a Google business profiles and occasionally changes the post options available. The COVID-19 support and update options are recent additions in 2020.
      1. COVID-19 Support
      2. COVID-19 Update
      3. Add Offer
      4. Add Update
      5. Add Event
  4. Publish Photos
    • Photos help business listings’ performance more than most business owners and marketers probably expect. Businesses with photos on their listings receive 42 percent more requests for driving directions on Google Maps and 35 percent more click-throughs to their websites than businesses without photos, according to Google.
    • The most important piece of imagery in your GBP listing is obviously your profile photo. There likely won’t be an image that gets more exposure, and there likely isn’t one that will have more of an impact either.
      1. Your business profile photo should not be the brand logo itself, but of something appealing and encompassing of the brand, what it stands for, and/or what it offers.
    • Set a goal to publish at least 100 photos over the course of one or two months. Research by Search Engine Land and Bright Local that shows profiles with 100+ photos get 520% more calls than the average business! Ref: https://searchengineland.com/new-research-shows-strong-link-between-google-my-business-photo-quantity-and-search-performance-320199
    • Types of photos/video that should be added to your GBP listing are:
      1. Identity images 
        • Logo: Google recommends businesses use their logo to help customers identify your business with a square-sized image.
        • Cover photo: The cover photo is considered an “identity” image on Google My Business. It should showcase a brand page’s personality. It is the preferred photo to be shown on your listing in Search and Maps.
      2. 360 Photos: 360-degree photos allow users to experience an immersive and interactive view of your business both inside and outside. Use 360 imagery to showcase important rooms and public areas of your business. 360 photos must be at least 4K: 3840 x 2160 pixels or greater.
      3. Video: A 30 sec., 100Mb maximum video can be uploaded directly to the platform. One video is a minimum, but multiple over time helps with visibility on Google
      4. Interior: Provide photos of the interior spaces of your business. These are often the most viewed images on a google business listing. Photos should not include people in the pictures.
      5. Exterior: Exterior photos help visitors find your business and provide additional opportunities for branding if you have signage. Photos should not include people in the pictures if at all possible.
      6. At work: Action shots of the business that include people and/or customers in public areas help set the stage for your profile.
      7. Team: Showcase headshots and group photos of employees and team members on this page.
      8. Additional photos: Other, different kinds of photos are used to spotlight features of your business that customers consider when making purchasing decisions. These photos will differ and are dependent on the kind of business you manage. These photos may include the goods and/or services your business offers, business staff working and/or assisting customers, the interior and exterior of the business, and other general photos that summarize the business and what it can do for its customers.
      9. See format-specific criteria by Google: https://support.google.com/contributionpolicy/answer/7411351
  5. Get Reviews!
    • Reviews are a major ranking factor on Google My Business. Businesses with a higher quantity of reviews and reviews that are more positive rank higher. 
    • Reply to all reviews, both positive and negative. The reply you give to a review becomes keyword searchable so reply with a statement about the service provided.
  6. Add Services
    • Add all discreet services provided by the business. Enter the service title, then open the service to add pricing and/or a detailed description. 300 characters max are allowed for each service.
    • Review your Google Business Profile periodically for any relevant Google-suggested services. Add the services to your profile. (this is a new major visibility opportunity as of mid-2023)
  7. Add Products
    • If your business also provides physical products, include product categories and individual products. Photos, product name, product category, product price or price range, description and a call to action button are available for populating the listing.
      1. Button options include: 
        • Order Online
        • Buy
        • Learn More
        • Get Offer 
    • If your business doesn’t have physical products, add your services as products instead! This will provide extra visibility in search results since Google adds a section for products on the business listing directly below the phone number. See our Loebig Ink listing with services listed as products: https://goo.gl/maps/mXjSGt44n9sY8GuN8
  8. Add FAQs
    1. Preload frequently asked questions and add answers to those questions yourself. This helps increase conversions from a Google Business Page. If a customer sees their question and a direct answer to it, they are more likely to enlist your services or purchase your products!
  9. Add a Booking Link
    • If you provide discovery calls for clients, add a link to your ‘contact us’ page or booking page in the section called “bookings” in GBP. Whitespark, a leading SEO research agency, found that adding a booking feature on a GBP profile results in a measurable increase in email form submissions and click throughs to the website.
  10. Add Social Media Profile links
    • In late 2023, Google provided the ability to add social media links directly to the profile. Be sure to add the full, secure version of each social media profile that is owned by the business, e.g. https://www.facebook.com/loebigink/.  As of June 2024 these are the 7 social media profiles that can be added: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Pinterest, Tiktok, Twitter, Youtube
  11. Post Content Regularly
    • Begin posting content at least weekly with links back to your blog or website. Photos taken at your business from a mobile device get maximum visibility. Go for authenticity over highly produced content on GMB.

Check out these references and resources too!

* https://searchengineland.com/now-more-50-of-google-searches-end-without-a-click-to-other-content-study-finds-320574

https://theinkblog.net/2019/03/10/how-to-associate-an-email-address-with-a-google-account/

Benefits of Claiming and Optimizing Your Google Business Profile

Posted on by Brian Loebig

Benefits of Claiming and Optimizing Your Google Business ProfileFor SEO purposes, claiming and optimizing the Google Business Profile listing creates a strong signal to Google that your business is active and allows you to rank higher in local Google searches for your industry. Google has a strong preference for local searches which allows small businesses to compete with national brands when someone is searching for a business or services from your community. Prominently featured Google Local Pack results are populated by businesses that have Google Business Profile listings. The more accurate and active your listing, the more likely you will appear on page one for your industry locally!

Here are some of the top benefits and reasons to claim your Google Business Profile listing:

  1. Claiming and optimizing your listing allows you to manage the information that Google users see when they search for your business or the products and services that you offer. When you verify your information with Google Business Profile, you are *twice as likely to be considered reputable by consumers (source: Google).” Also, when people find your business on Google Maps and Google Search, you can make sure they see the right information including hours of operation, website, and street address.
    1. NOTE: If you are a home-based business or if you serve customers at their location, users will just see a red line encompassing your chosen service area.
  2. Claiming the Google Business Profile listing will allow you to read and reply to reviews from your customers and post photos related to your business such as the logo, business owner, office building, ad graphics, products, etc.
    1. NOTE: *Businesses that add photos to their listings receive 42% more requests for driving directions on Google Maps and 35% more clicks through to their websites than businesses that don’t. (Source: Google)
  3. You will also be able to see detailed insights on how visitors have searched for your business and where those customers searched from. You will see information including how many people have called your business from the phone number listed on local search results in Search results and Google Maps.
  4. Many people use the Google Maps app for driving directions. Ensuring that your address is correct will allow them to easily navigate to your location from their mobile device.
  5. Making sure the phone number is available and valid will also allow customers to call your business directly from the Google Search results page. If they are searching from a mobile device, they can tap directly on the phone number and call.
  6. Your Google business listing is considered a primary data source by many data aggregators and directory listing services such as Moz.com and Yext. Ensuring your listing is accurate and up to date will help improve and validate your other directory listings.

CHECK OUT: How to Optimize your Google Business Profile Listing!

remove-button magnifying-search-lenses-tool