Google My Business profiles offer local businesses with great opportunities to drive traffic to their local stores or to their websites. It is essential however to keep your profile updated and make use of all the features to optimize your profile.

Here’s how you can optimize your business listings to get the most out of your GMB profiles

Enter complete data for your listing

In your Google My Business profile, don’t leave anything to be guessed or assumed. Local search results favour the most relevant results for the searches. So, those businesses that offer the most accurate information will be served in search results. Your listing should communicate what your business does, where it is and how they can acquire goods and services for your business.

 Include Keywords

Similar to traditional SEO, Google uses various signals to serve search results. If you include important keywords and search phrases in your listing, it will directly impact your website’s search results. This will in turn drive traffic to your website – as it is mentioned as a part of GMB listing.

 Business operating hours

It is essential that you keep the business operating hours accurate. Also, remember to update them whenever they change. You can also customize the hours for holidays and other special events. Google has also offered a lot of flexibility to add COVID-19 messages to make your GMB profiles more customer friendly. Users who search your business and land on your GMP profile, get all the information they need at one place.

 Add Photos

Photos help a business listing’s performance more than you think possible. Businesses with photos on their listings receive 42% more requests for driving directions on Google Maps and 35% more click throughs to their websites.

Manage and respond to customer reviews

If you interact with your customers, it shows that your business values its customers and the feedback they leave. Positive reviews will have a positive impact on your business.

 Let customers message you

Messages from customers are solely enabled through the Google My Business app. Once enabled, customers will be able to message businesses through their Business Profiles with the Message button that appears on your profile. To make the most of this feature, make sure that you keep message response time under 24 hours.

 Stay connected during COVID-19

This year has provided us with plenty of surprises and COVID-19 was one of the greatest. With the world locked down, GMB profiles provide the most accurate information to customers during times of crisis. It restores trust in the brand in the eyes of your customers and keeps them informed about what services you can offer.

Use the product catalog

For those businesses with products to showcase, GMB product editors allow them to do just that. Most business types are eligible to showcase products so long as they are small and medium sized businesses.

 It is essential to keep your GMB profile updates and take advantage of all the features that it offers.