The Basics: Why Your Google My Business Profile is Important

How are people going to find your business? For the most part, it’s Google.

When people want to find a new groomer, boarding facility, or veterinarian, they turn to Google first. And while your business may eventually establish word-of-mouth, it’s always going to be Google bringing the brand-new customers in. 

Your Google My Business listing controls what Google knows about your business. The more detailed it is, the better.

When people search for things like “dog grooming” or “pet supplies,” Google returns the businesses that have those keywords in common. And businesses that have complete Google My Business profiles are more likely to be clicked on.  

Improving Your Google My Business Profile

Now that you know why your Google My Business profile is important, you can start improving it. Here’s a step-by-step guide to making your Google profile shine. 

• First, claim your Google Business listing.

  Google Business listings are pre-generated based on information that Google has, so don’t be surprised if your business already has a listing. Claim your listing so you can edit your profile and take control of the information presented.

• Add all the relevant information about your business.

  Your address, phone number, website, and hours need to be accurate. Today, pet owners can ask their phone something like “Siri, get me a veterinarian that is open right now.” If your hours aren’t uploaded, you won’t show up on this type of search.

• Optimize your Google Business description. 

  Google shows a very brief description of businesses along with its business listing. Make your business description as clear and concise as possible, and make sure the most important keywords (such as “boarding” or “grooming”) are featured first.

• Choose your category of business.

  Your category of business is likely the single most important thing because it controls when Google will show your listings. You want to make sure that Google knows that you are a pet bakery, not a human bakery, or that you sell toys for pets, not for children.

• Upload clear, attractive photos of your business.

  Otherwise, Google is going to rely on random images that are uploaded by people who visit your business. These may be less than flattering.

• Encourage reviews.

  Google keeps an archive of positive and negative reviews for your business, and these reviews matter. Encourage customers who have been satisfied with your work to leave a review for you, because these reviews are going to encourage others to come to your business. 

• Add posts to your Google Business account.

  You can post to your Google Business account just like any other type of social media account, and you should! This boosts your activity a little and gives potential customers more information to review. Think about pet-friendly tips, alerts, or information about your business. You can reuse information from your blog or your social media accounts.
  
  

It may take a little time, but it goes a long way. With a Google business listing, Google will send profiles a large amount of traffic towards these businesses, without any advertising cost to you. 

Start Boosting Your Marketing Today

Your Google My Business profile is the first step towards improving your company’s search engine optimization.

To get started, claim your profile and update it today at Google.com/business or if you’d like a walkthrough of NextPaw which does all of this for you and more, simply click here to request a free tour.