Have you already claimed your Google Business Page? Congratulations! You’ve taken a huge first step toward helping customers find you online. This blog is all about keeping that page accurate, engaging, and visible so that it continues to work hard for your small business.
Do you want professional help getting your Google Business Page set-up? I offer setup services to make sure your page is done right. As a small business owner, your time is valuable! Getting everything done properly from the start can make all the difference. Contact me to get started!
Now, let’s jump into five quick things that every small business should make sure are accurate and up to date on their Google Business Page.
1. Business Hours & Special Hours
This is how you communicate with Google Maps and tell potential customers when you are open. It’s important to make sure your hours reflect your actual schedule – this includes holidays, seasonal adjustments, and special events. If your hours are wrong, customers might show up when you’re closed or miss you because they think you’re closed. Keeping this updated ensures you never miss a sale or a new visitor!
2. Address & Contact Information
Your address, phone number, website, and email all need to be current. Even a small typo can confuse customers or make Google question your business credibility. Accurate information builds trust and keeps potential customers coming your way!
3. Photos & Visual Content
Photos are one of the most important ways to show customers what your business is all about. Photos can tell a visual story and are like opening up a window into who you are. They help customers know ahead of time what to expect. Make sure that you are adding current photos to your Google Business Page regularly.
It’s important to ensure these two things:
- The photos are geotagged so Google knows they are relevant to your business (turn on location services when taking photos, or use a site like GeoImgr).
- The photos are real and relevant, not generic stock images. You can share photos of your products, team, storefront, or happy customers (with permission of course).
4. Posts & Updates
Regular posts show Google—and your customers—that your business is active. If you are just getting started, try to post 1–2 times per week and include links back to your website. Not sure what to post?
Here are a few ideas:
- Do you have a blog? Share a new blog post with a photo and short summary. Include a link back to the blog page where they can learn more. (Hot tip: Use tracking links whenever possible!)
- No blog page? No problem! Highlight a service or product that you have on your website. Add a relevant photo (geo-tagged of course), include a summary of the service or product, and link to the page on your website with more details.
- Do you have any special promotions or events coming up? Post a relevant photo with details and link back to your website where they can learn more.
Important Note: Anytime you don’t have a specific page on your website with more details, you can always link to your contact page, appointment page, or as a last result, to your homepage. It’s best to link to a page that’s as specific as possible to the subject you are sharing–but don’t let that discourage you from posting when you are just getting started! The most important thing is to start posting. As you add more landing pages or blogs later, you can always use that as an opportunity to make more posts!
5. Reviews & Responses
Reviews are more than just a score—they’re another window into your business for future customers. Each review is an opportunity to tell a story about who you are. Make it a habit to reply to all reviews, not just the negative ones.
When you respond keep these things in mind:
- Respond to positive reviews with a thank you that’s unique whenever possible. Don’t share any personal details about the customer that they didn’t already share themselves. But if possible, share the service or product that’s relative to their experience.
- If a review is negative, don’t argue. Thank them for sharing their feedback and ask them to reach out so that you can make things right. Even better: if it’s possible, follow up with them yourself. It may be true at times that you didn’t do anything wrong, and let’s be real–customers aren’t always right. Sometimes customers lie (shocker). Don’t let this get you down. Keep things respective and professional because other potential customers will read these reviews.
- Remember, potential customers are reading your review replies. Many customers jump to the reviews before trying you out. They will read how you reply and interact with your customers. If you never reply, they’re going to notice. If you get freaked out and rude to negative reviews, they will notice that too. In fact, they will likely read the negative reviews first. Be aware of what story you’re telling them through your reviews!
These are some of the quickest, most impactful ways to keep your Google Business Page working hard for you. They can make a huge difference in communicating with Google that you are relevant; and with telling your story to current and potential customers. They will help people find you and help you find customers that match your vibe! In future blogs, I’ll dive deeper into each of these topics, showing you more ways to boost your visibility and make Google your business ally.