by Seth Stacey
Why your Google Business Profile matters
When someone searches for what you do, like "plumber in Soldotna" or "coffee near me" in Anchorage, Google usually shows a map with a few businesses on it before anything else. Your Google Business Profile is what puts you on that map.
A lot of people never go past it. They see your hours, your photos and your reviews, and they call or get directions right from there. For a small business in Kenai or Soldotna, that profile can be the first impression, before anyone ever sees your website.
It's also free. There aren't many places you can show up in front of people who are looking for exactly what you do, right now, without paying for it.
Get the basics right first
Google wants to show people information they can trust. The more complete and accurate your profile is, the better.
- Claim and verify your profile, so you're the one in control of it
- Use your business name exactly the way it's on your sign, without extra words added
- Pick the category that best describes what you do, because it's one of the biggest things Google looks at
- Keep your hours right, including holiday hours and any seasonal changes
- Add your phone number and your website
- Show your address, or set a service area if you go to your customers instead
Your name, address and phone number should match everywhere, your website, your Facebook page and any directory you're listed in. When they don't match, Google trusts your information less. That's a big part of our digital presence work.
Add real photos and keep them current
Photos are one of the first things people look at. Add pictures of your storefront so people know what to look for when they pull up, the inside of your place, your team, and your work.
Real photos beat stock photos every time. People want to see what it actually looks like. Add new ones every so often, especially when something changes, like a new space or a new season.
Reviews matter
Reviews are one of the first things people read before they call. They also help Google decide who to show.
- Ask happy customers for a review, and make it easy by sending them the link
- Reply to every review, the good ones and the bad ones
- Keep your replies calm and kind, even when a review isn't fair, because future customers are reading how you handle it
- Never buy reviews or write fake ones, it's against Google's rules and it can get your profile taken down
Post updates
You can post updates right on your profile, like news, offers and events. It's a simple way to show you're open and active, and it gives people one more reason to pick you.
It doesn't have to be much. Holiday hours, a new service, something happening this week.
Keep track of what's working
Your profile shows you how people are finding you and what they do next.
- How many people called you from your profile
- How many asked for directions
- How many clicked through to your website
- What people searched to find you
If calls go up after you add photos or start posting, keep doing it.
Your profile is one piece of the system
Your Google Business Profile works best when it's connected to everything else. It matches your website and your social pages. Your website gives Google more to go on. The calls and messages that come in get answered and followed up on, instead of getting lost.
That's what we help small businesses in Soldotna, Kenai, Anchorage and across Alaska put together, with our digital presence and marketing and SEO work. We run a small business too, so we know how easy it is for the profile to fall behind.
We'll never promise you'll be number one on Google, because nobody can honestly promise that. What we will do is tell you the truth about where your profile is at and help you fix what's holding it back.
If you'd like us to take a look at your Google Business Profile, reach out below. We reply personally.
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