There are many possible factors. We’re going to dive into all the GBP features that may affect conversion rates for Google Business Profiles. Each is something you’ll want to consider when you run a Google Business Profile Audit.

Let’s go!

Review Factors

It’s a no-brainer that GBP reviews impact conversion rates.

Number of Reviews

If you looked at a listing that only had one review and its rating was five stars, would you trust it?

Or would you want to see more reviews to know if the overall review rating was accurate?

That’s why the number of reviews can affect conversion rates.

Make sure to collect as many reviews as possible so that users know they can trust your overall rating.

Overall Review Rating

As we just mentioned, your overall rating is extremely important.

Trustworthy, positive reviews definitely convert!

Also, having negative reviews isn’t necessarily a bad thing as long as there are not tons of them.

According to a study by Uberall, “There are business ratings sweet spots. Locations that improve their Google My Business star ratings from 3.5 to 3.7 can see significant increases in conversions.”

“On the whole, conversion rates peaked when businesses attained 4.9 stars, but it is when businesses improved from 3.5 stars in a given year to 3.7 stars the following year that conversion growth increased by almost 120%, the highest percentage growth jump from any star rating.”

Replying to Reviews

Replying to positive reviews may increase conversion rates.

But so can replying to negative reviews. That’s because users can see how you tactfully handle unhappy customers and it gives you an opportunity to show them your character.

The Uberall study I mentioned above had this to say about replying to reviews:

“Further, enterprise locations that reply to at least 32% of reviews achieved 80% higher conversion rates compared SMBs and direct competitors that replied to 10% of reviews.”

And another 2018 study showed that replying to both positive and negative reviews resulted in better rankings.

“And, perhaps surprisingly, we also found that when managers respond to positive reviews, it has the same benefits as when they respond to negative reviews.”

Here are a few other super-important stats from BrightLocal’s Local Consumer Review Survey:

• More consumers are reading online reviews than ever before. In 2021, 77% ‘always’ or ‘regularly’ read them when browsing for local businesses (up from 60% in 2020).
• 89% of consumers are ‘highly’ or ‘fairly’ likely to use a business that responds to all of its online reviews.
• 57% say they would be ‘not very’ or ‘not at all’ likely to use a business that doesn’t respond to reviews at all.

So, get that keyboard clackin’!

Recency of Reviews

What if your listing hasn’t had any reviews left in months? Will users think you are out of business? Or that you don’t have any customers?

This is a red flag for users and hurts conversion rates.

Product or Service Keywords in Reviews

What about having the product or service mentioned in your reviews? I can tell you from personal experience that it does help users convert.

Allow me to tell a personal story:

One day I was looking for a good eyebrow waxing technician near me. I decided to look on Google Maps, and found several day spas and studios that offer waxing along with many other services.

In a GBP listing, you can search the reviews for keywords. I chose to search for “brows” to see what names popped up in association with that term. I then read the reviews and found a name that kept popping up and scheduled an appointment with that particular technician.

This is a real-life example of how keywords in reviews can help conversions.

Listing Completeness

Obviously, the more complete the GBP listing is, the more information users have to make their decision of whether to contact or buy from you or not.

Making sure to fill out all possible fields in your GBP may help users convert.

Business Name

This is an interesting one. I definitely believe the business name assists with conversions, but how?

Product / Service or Location Keywords in Google Business Profile Business Title

If you were looking for a flooring store in your area on Google Maps, would you click on “KBF” or “The Kitchen, Bathroom & Flooring Store”?

One name basically says nothing, while the other name explains what they have.

This is an example of how the business name can affect conversion rates.

Make sure to use the full business name, especially if it contains keywords.

Some businesses already have a keyword-friendly business name. They should be aware that including the full business name in a GBP listing is a good idea, instead of using the abbreviated name.

To be clear, I’m not recommending keyword stuffing in your Google Business Profile name.

Hours

If users don’t know for sure that you’re open, will they think you’re closed? Will they come by your business location? Will they call? Possibly not.

See how one of the listings below says “Open now” and the other one doesn’t? 

Google calls this out clearly for users to see.

By adding business opening hours, users can know for sure that you are open and that they can come by or contact you.

You can get the “Open now” feature on your listings just by adding your business hours.

Phone Number

If a phone call is counted as a conversion for your business, it should be a no-brainer that not having a phone number listed in your GBP will reduce conversions. How can they complete a phone call conversion with no phone number?

Website Link

Most businesses consider any action taken on their website to be a conversion. Examples include filling out a contact form, making a phone call, or making a purchase online.

If you don’t have a website link listed in your GBP listing, you will reduce the number of conversions here as well. Oftentimes, drastically.

Product/Service or Location Keyword on Google Business Profile Landing Page

When users land on your website from your GBP, does the page they land on match the query they typed into Google?

For example, if a user searched for “accident lawyer in tampa” but landed on the homepage of a multi-location business, the user would now have to take the time to find the Tampa location page or a Tampa accident lawyer service page to get the information they are looking for. Many times, the user will drop off at this point and abandon your website.

Make sure to link to the best page on your site for users. Also, make sure to optimize this page for what they may be looking for.

Products

If you sell physical products, you can list all the products you sell in your GBP listing. Most likely, these don’t help with rankings but users can see your store inventory (essentially) if you add products to your Google Business Profile. If it shows what they are looking for, this can help attract them and they may end up making a purchase.

Google mentions: “Customers will see a more curated showcase of a store’s products on the Business Profile Products tab on mobile, or the Product Overview module on the computer.”

“When customers search your Business Profile on Google Search with their computer, mobile device, or Google Maps app, they can find:

• On the Maps mobile app: A products carousel.
• On Search only: A products carousel and “Products” tab.”

Services

If you sell services (instead of, or in addition to, physical products), you can list all the services you offer in your GBP listing. Most likely, these don’t help with rankings but users can see all your services that are available if you add services to your Google Business Profile. If it shows what they are looking for, this can help attract them and they may end up contacting you.

Google mentions: “In Business Profile, you may get an option to add the services you offer, along with their descriptions and prices. If your business has multiple categories, group services together into sections under the appropriate category to keep your services organized.

When local customers search on Google for a service you offer, that service may be highlighted on your profile. Customers on mobile devices can also find all your services under “Services.””

Photos

Having photos on your GBP listing is a great idea. It’s worth taking the time to take photos of your business (inside and out), your team, your menu, etc. Users will want to see this information when deciding to do business with you or not.

Here’s an example below of what they could see when searching for an HVAC company.

How often do you look at photos of the inside of a restaurant or photos of their food before visiting them? Here’s an example below for a restaurant.

You can see how much GBP photos can help conversion rates.

Posts

Google Business Profile Posts are a great way to increase conversions! These are essentially mini-posts of content on your GBP listing. You can choose to just share an update, show an offer, etc.

They allow you to choose a call-to-action on each post which encourages users to convert. The images in the posts can also play a role.

When you have local deals or offers to post, these are especially effective at converting.

Justifications

If you’re wondering what these are, justifications are little snippets that Google shows in the local pack. They use these to help “justify” why the business is showing up there for that search.

There are several types of justifications. The type you see highlighted in the local pack changes depending on what you searched for.

In the example above, if you were looking for a specific brand of tire, these would be super helpful. Justifications can obviously help with conversion rates.

If you’d like to see all the types of justifications that are available and how you can get them, read our GBP Justification Guide here.

Attributes

Attributes are a way for businesses to show special information/features to users. GBP attributes include all sorts of different things that you may not expect. For example, “veteran-owned”, “mask required”, “curbside pickup”, or  “Wi-Fi”.

If you happen to list an attribute that your users are looking for, then you may be on your way to having more customers.

For example, if I’m a coffee shop, and I have free wifi, I’d definitely want to make sure that it was easily viewable on my GBP listing.

In the example below, I can see that one Starbucks location has a drive-through while the other one does not. So if I just wanted to drive through, this would be useful to me when making my choice.

Business Summaries

These are defined by Google as: “3 types of short business summaries you might see on Google Maps: business descriptions, editorial summaries, and customer review snippets.” Essentially Google is saying there are 3 occasions someone may see a summary of your business displayed in their tools. These are as follows:

• Business Description: You can edit your business description and that is easy to do.
• Editorial Summary: The editorial summaries “give you a snapshot of a popular business our writers compile editorial summaries”. You can’t edit these but you can influence them.
• Customer Review Snippets: Customer review snippets are when “Data from these reviews may be used to highlight certain aspects of your business through Place Topics or review snippets”. You can’t edit these either, but you can influence them.
  • Place Topics: “Potential customers can find the main themes of your business through Place Topics. These main themes are based on the reviews of your business.”
  • Review Snippets: “Review snippets show keywords most mentioned in quotes from Google reviewers. These snippets are selected by an algorithm.”

To recap, having keywords that match what the users are looking for in these areas can get users to take action.

Booking Feature

Online booking transactions count as a conversion for many businesses. If the GBP Bookings Feature is not set up, you are missing out on tons of conversions!

Some businesses that would benefit from this feature are hair salons, spas, massage therapists, chiropractors, etc.

Messaging Feature

Sending an email, filling out a contact form or having a chat should all count as a conversion for most businesses. So if you don’t have the GBP Messaging Feature turned on, you most likely are missing out on more conversions.

Be sure to turn this feature on if you count leads as a conversion. Or if you like to engage with your customers often.

Caution: Only turn on this feature if you will be available to reply quickly. Otherwise, you’ll end up disappointing potential customers.

Conclusion

It may sound hard but it’s worth it to take all these steps listed above. You’ve already worked so hard to get your GBP listing to rank. Now it’s time to convert these folks!

This isn’t search engine magic. Many local businesses shown in Google search results will have done one simple thing: they claimed their Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business). 

You too can harness this powerful SEO tool—and get your business in front of people looking to buy products or services close to your location. 

What is Google Business Profile and what does it do?

Google Business Profile is a free tool used by businesses for better marketing to local customers.

It offers an easy way to create, manage, and optimize the information that appears for their business in Google search results, on Google Maps, and (sometimes) in Google Shopping.

When someone searches for local services or businesses, your details—such as your name, address, business hours, and website—will be shown to an interested audience.

Where does a Google Business Profile show up online?    

Google Business information appears in a number of search properties, depending on the type of search being performed.

Google Knowledge Panel

If your business name is used as the search term, information taken from your Google Business Profile is presented in a box that sits to the right of the search results. This gives the local search user helpful information about your business, such as your physical address, contact telephone number, and opening hours.  

Google Local Pack

Search users turning to Google for a specific type of local business will see information from Google Business Profiles presented in a list below a map in the search results. This area is known as the Google Local Pack. The information shown for each business is pulled from their Google Business Profile.

Local Finder

Clicking ‘More places’ under the Local Pack brings the user to the Local Finder, which features more businesses in the area that match the query, alongside a map. The Local Finder, however, is not the same as Google Maps.

Google Maps

Searching through Google Maps will bring the user to a list of businesses similar to the Local Finder, with the key difference being a greater geographical area. Like the Local Pack and Local Finder, clicking on any of the business names in the list will prompt the Knowledge Panel.

Who qualifies for a Google Business Profile?

Google Business Profile launched in 2014 as a one-stop shop to help local businesses shine. In its official announcement, Google said it was created for businesses as “a free and easy way to find and connect with your people, wherever you are.”

Not all businesses are eligible, so before you rush to get started, you’ll need to confirm that you qualify for a Google Business Profile.

You don’t need to have your own business website to claim your Google business listing. In fact, with Google Business Profile, you can create a basic, mobile-optimized website using purely the details and contents from your Google Business Profile.

But you do need to be a business that has face-to-face contact with customers—either at your place of business or somewhere else, such as in their homes or at another location.

Online-only businesses can not apply for a Google business listing.

Why do I need a Google Business Profile?

Google Business Profile is a free tool, so you can set it up yourself without eating into any marketing budget. In return, it offers a range of benefits that will increase your business revenue by helping you make more sales.

1. Increased Visibility in Google Searches and in Google Maps

Google tells us that four in five people use search to find a local business, and local search ranking factors studies prove that listings information directly influences how visible your business is in Google’s Local Pack, the Knowledge Panel, and Google Maps results.

Think of your Google business listing as a dating profile. It’s your opportunity to win over both Google and local consumers by sharing everything that makes your business unique:

• Who are you? The basics, such as your name, location, and opening hours.
• What do you do? Business categories, both primary and secondary.
• Why should I choose you? Add a compelling description, fancy images, and show off your online reviews.

This data tells Google what you do and where you’re located, helping it decide when and where your business should be shown to users.

2. It Helps You Win More Business

As a local business, the chances are that someone else sells the same items or has the same expertise within your town or city.

Google business listings offer people an easy way to compare similar service providers and retailers. Listings are standardized, so searchers can quickly narrow their selection down and decide who best fits their needs.

This makes a Google business listing an invaluable SEO tool to get seen by people who are new to the area, or a local who needs a product or service for the first time.

3. It Will Show Off Your Reviews

It’s no secret that online reviews are a powerful sales tool. They’re the digital age’s word-of-mouth recommendation, giving people valuable intel about where to spend their money.

Feedback from peers is highly valued when assessing an unfamiliar business and can push a not-so-sure consumer to become a confirmed customer.

A Google business listing makes it quick and easy to reply to reviews and easily monitor what’s being said about your brand.

4. It Offers Useful Information About Your Audience

‘Insights’ in the Business Profile dashboard and ‘Performance’ in the ‘Promote’ section of the direct edit experience offers you useful information about your audience’s behavior and your business performance in search.

This data can tell you whether users are looking specifically for your business name or finding you through other search terms. Insights also make it possible to keep tabs on what action consumers take after seeing your profile, such as requesting directions or making a call.

The Business Profile dashboard is currently limited to six months’ worth of data. If you’d like to look further back, BrightLocal’s Google Business Profile audit tool offers access to 18 months’ worth of Insights data.

What are the features of Google Business Profile?

When you have claimed and verified your Google Business listing, you’ll have access to a whole host of features. Features include: 

• A business description to tell local search users more about your business and what you do.
• Question and Answers from local consumers 
• Reviews 
• Posts to share updates, events, and offers 
• Photos and videos, both from yourself as the business owner and consumers 
• Useful information such as opening times and contact information
• Bookings, reservations and appointment making

How do I use Google Business Profile?

As a business owner, you can use Google Business Profile to share helpful information, news, updates and offers about your business with local consumers. After claiming your free listing, you’ll fill out your listing information providing details such as your opening hours, your contact information, photos of your business, and a description of what your business does, its services, or products. 

Once you have the basics filled in, you’ll then need to check in regularly to respond to reviews, answer questions, upload new photos, and share Posts (small updates from your business, event information, or offers).

How do consumers use Google Business Profile?

Consumers use Google Business Profile to find local businesses, compare them and access helpful information such as opening hours, reviews from other clients, directions to bricks-and-mortar locations, and contact details. Consumers can also share their feedback about your listing in the form of reviews and suggested edits and upload their own images and videos showcasing their experience of your business, products, or services.  

What should I put on Google Business Profile? 

Your Google Business Profile should include helpful local information about your business, including an accurate address, telephone number, website URL, and opening hours. It should also provide details about your products and services, along with helpful imagery and videos. 

With your basic information updated, you should then aim to answer any questions that consumers submit and share regular updates from your business via Posts. These could include any new product or service launches, changes to your opening hours, the addition of new members of the team, company milestones, links to new blog posts, and special offers or promotions you’re running. 

What is the purpose of Google Business Profile? 

Google Business Profile helps to connect local searchers in need of specific products and services with appropriate local businesses. It plays a vital role in local search, with information from Google Business Profiles used to inform search results. Listing information also makes it easier for local consumers to find your business and contact you.

Is Google Business Profile totally free?

Yes, it’s totally free to use Google Business Profile. There is no cost to claim your business listing nor is there any fee to use any of the Google Business Profile features including reviews, Posts, photos, and Insights. 

Is Google Business Profile necessary?

Google Business Profile is hugely beneficial for eligible local businesses. Your listing can help you to appear more prominently in local searches and be more visible to local consumers. If you’re aiming to grow your business and get more local consumers or traffic to your bricks-and-mortar location, Google Business Profile is an absolute must. 

Creating a Google Business Profile for your business, or the local businesses that you’re working with, is an essential first step towards SEO success. Setting this up properly is critical, so this comprehensive guide will show you the best way to set up a Google Business Profile.

Step-by-step: How to Create a Google Business Profile

1. Create a Google Account Specifically for Your Business

Before you can create a Google local listing, you’ll need to create a Google Account. Google Accounts are available to everybody and are simple to use.

You can either use an existing email to set up your Google Account or you can make a new one. Visit accounts.google.com and select ‘Create an account’ to get started.

2. Visit the Google Business Profile Gateway

Once you have your new email address, head to google.com/business and click ‘Manage now’ to get started:

3. Look for the Business

Begin by typing in the business name to see if a profile with this name already exists. If it does, then you’ll see it appear as you’re typing. If the business name doesn’t appear, then go ahead and click ‘Add your business to Google’.

Requesting Access to an Existing Business Profile

If someone has already created a Google Business Profile for the business, then don’t worry. You can request that management of the profile be handed over to you. Simply click ‘Request Access’ and you’ll be guided through the process.

4. Add the Business Name and Category

If you’re creating a new profile, then the next step is to add the business name and category. The name that you use here should exactly match the official business name. Don’t be tempted to add any keywords into the name as this violates Google’s guidelines.

Next, choose the category that most closely matches the business. You’ll have the option to edit this within the profile later, as well as to add additional categories, so don’t worry if you’re not completely sure what to select right now.

For guidance, check out our advice for local businesses on how to choose the best GBP categories.

5. Does the business have a physical location?

If the business has a physical location that customers can visit for face-to-face interactions, then you’ll now need to share this information. If this is the case, then select ‘Yes’ and click ‘Next’. If the business only operates online, or has a physical location but doesn’t receive customers in person, then select ‘No’ instead.

6. Enter the Business Location

If the business has a physical location, then you can now provide the address. You might be asked to position a pin on a map to confirm the location.

It’s important that the address you give is accurate and complete to prevent any confusion to customers or issues with the verification process.

7. Does the business provide home deliveries or services?

If this is a service-area business, or if the business delivers items to customers at home, then select ‘Yes’ on the next step.

If you select ‘Yes’ then you’ll need to enter the areas that the business serves or delivers to. You’ll be able to come back and edit this information later, and you’ll be able to add new locations any time the business expands.

8. Add Contact Details

The next step is to add the contact details for the business. You’ll need to enter the phone number, and you also have the option to add the business website. If the business doesn’t have a website, then tick the box on this page.

If a website is later created, you’ll be able to add this information then.

As an agency setting up GBP for a client, you’ll need to enter the client’s contact details, not your own. It’s a good idea to communicate clearly to your client that they’ll be contacted by Google for the verification process, which we’ll explore shortly.

9. Stay in the Know

Before you move on to verifying the business, you’ll be asked if you’d like to receive helpful tips and recommendations from Google. Although there’s no obligation, you might find it beneficial to receive this information.

To learn more about GBP—and to become a local marketing pro—you’ll also want to sign up for our newsletter!

10. Verify the Business

In this step, you’ll be required to choose a verification method to prove the business is operating at the specified address. Receiving a postcard by mail to the business address is the most common route for verification, but you might also have the option to do so via phone or email.

Postcard Verification

This type of verification is available to all businesses. A postcard will be sent to the business address and will usually arrive within five days.

The postcard will contain a code that must be entered into the appropriate place within the GBP account. If you don’t receive the postcard, then you can request a replacement.

Phone Verification

Some businesses will be able to verify their accounts over the phone, but this option isn’t available to everyone. If you’re eligible, then you’ll see this option on the verification page.

If you decide to use this method, then you’ll receive a code via an automated phone call.

Email Verification

As with phone verification, the email alternative isn’t available to everyone.

If you do have the option to verify by email, then you can request a code to your inbox. This will only be possible to the email address connected to the GBP account.

11. Add Your Business Hours

Adding your business hours is essential so that potential customers know when they can visit or contact you.

It’s imperative that the hours you specify are accurate, and you should always edit this information if your opening hours change—whether permanently or temporarily.

There are several reasons why your hours of operation may temporarily change, such as public holidays or staff illness. In these cases, it’s a good idea to let your customers know. For more information on why this is important and how to do it with ease, check out our guide to managing opening hours in Google Business Profile.

12. Add Messaging

Accepting messages from potential customers within GBP is a great way to connect with your audience and drive sales. However, you should only enable this function if you can commit to managing it consistently. Being unresponsive to messages will create a poor user experience and could harm your business reputation.

If you do wish to accept messages, then simply click the button. You can come back and pause or disable this feature at any point.

13. Add the Business Description

Providing a description of the business will help consumers to know what it’s all about and whether it’s a good fit for their needs.

You can write up to 750 characters within this section, so be sure to use this opportunity to put the most important information across in a clear and concise way.

14. Add Photos

Adding photos is a fantastic way to help searchers visualize the business and to get a glimpse of the brand. Customers can add their own photos to the listing, and some people will choose to do this when leaving you a Google review.

Be aware that you won’t have any control over the order in which photos appear on your listing, so it’s a good idea to have several of your own photos mixed in with the user-generated content.

Make sure you showcase different aspects of your products and services, as well as different areas of your physical location.

Our ultimate guide to looking good online with GBP photos will teach you all you need to know!

15. Add Social Media Profile Links

While Google does tend to pull these from other parts of the web, including your business website, most users will have the option to expand on or overwrite these via a few simple steps:

1. Go to your Business Profile.

2. Click ‘Edit profile’ and then ‘Business information’ and then ‘Contact’.

3. To edit, click ‘Social profiles’ and then the down arrow.

4. In the drop-down menu that opens, select the social media link you would like to add.

5. In the web address field, add the link then click save.

Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Once your listing is good to go, then it’s time to consider how best to optimize GBP to maximize visibility and conversions.

Some essential ongoing tasks include:

• Adding new photos and videos
• Using Google Business Profile Q&A to connect with your audience and answer their questions
• Creating Google Business Profile Posts to showcase offers and promotions
• Listing your services, products, or menu items
• Requesting Google reviews

For expert advice on optimizing your GBP listing, check out this free course by Claire Carlile over on BrightLocal Academy.

What are the benefits of Google Business Profile?

As Google continues to add new features to Google Business Profile (GBP), it’s an increasingly vital tool for local businesses. The list of benefits is long, and continues to grow:

• It’s a powerful local ranking factor
• It’s important for zero-click searches
• It’s a convenient source of useful information
• It’s helpful for business comparisons
• It brings images, reviews, and offers together in one place
• It can generate bookings and appointments
• It’s used on Google Maps for directions and local business lists
• It helps search users find relevant local businesses
• It allows search users to suggest edits and feedback to improve accuracy

Why is Google Business Profile important for SEO? 

It isn’t an exaggeration to say that GBP is the single most important local ranking factor when it comes to ranking in the local pack. Experts agree that how you set up and continue to manage your profile has a direct impact on your local search visibility. 

That importance continues to grow too, with over 6 in 10 marketing pros believing that Google Business Profile is more important year-on-year. 

When it comes to ranking factors, the anatomy of your Google Business Profile matters, with Google taking cues from different parts of your listing profile. The information you provide, from the category you choose for your business, to what customers say when reviewing you, is a treasure trove of information that tells Google where you’re located, what you do, and how customers engage with you. This in turn feeds into the local search algorithm. 

Research confirms that GBP signals make up around 36% of your Local Pack ranking, more than any other ranking factor. That means that your listing performs a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to telling Google when and where your local business should appear in the search results for local consumers.  

Google Business Profile and zero-click searches 

If you carefully study a Google local search results page, you’ll realize that you can get pretty much all the information you need, from a physical address and phone number to reviews and images, from the search results page (SERP). 

You no longer need to click through to a local business website to decide if you want to visit the location, how to get there, when they’re open, what number to call to speak to someone, or what to expect when you arrive. All of those details, plus many more, are available directly from the search results.

The reason why they are available on the SERP is simple: Google Business Profile. Almost all of that information is pulled from your Google Business listing, meaning it puts you in immediate contention for visits, calls, and conversions even if that search user never visits your website. Without a Google Business Profile, you aren’t in the competition. 

As a local business owner, this opportunity to make a conversion at this early stage, without someone ever needing to click through to your site, is arguably one of the most valuable GBP benefits. 

Google Business Profile is a convenient source of useful information    

Just as your Google Business Profile provides Google with a series of useful data points about your business, it’s also incredibly useful for local consumers too. Your GBP provides a range of useful information about your business, from how busy you are at any given time of the day, to opening hours, service options, and health and safety protocols. 

It’s helpful for business comparisons

The process of researching local businesses can be frustrating and time-consuming if it demands individual visits to a range of different websites. For those consumers who are short on time and just want an easy side-by-side comparison, Google Business Profile is it. The search user can access key information, including review-star ratings for any number of local businesses directly from the search results just by clicking on the listing. Moving up and down the list is easy, enabling quicker, more stress-free decision-making.

It brings images, reviews and offers together in one place

Images, reviews, videos and offers can all help a search user to decide on a local business to frequent. Hunting down the various components could be time-consuming, but Google Business Profile collates all of those useful content assets together in one place, making it easy for the search user to access the information they need from a single centralized source. 

As a local business, having the ability to share local updates, post pictures, showcase your best reviews and publish news and special offers from your profile is invaluable, especially in areas where competition is tough. 

By making full use of your GBP listing—sharing professional images, collecting and responding to reviews, pushing promotions and special offers—you will be proactively giving local consumers reasons to choose your business. 

It can generate bookings and appointments

The ability to take bookings and appointments directly from your listing is one of the most prominent Google Business Profile benefits for service businesses. Whether you’re a hair salon, a chiropractor, a restaurant, or a sports massage clinic, making it as convenient as possible to book an appointment can only be good for your bottom line. 

With GBP, the search user can click to make a booking or reservation directly from the search results. This is helpful for the local consumer and potentially lucrative for your business, thanks to the increased convenience and visibility on offer. 

It’s used on Google Maps for directions and local business lists

In addition to options to call or email your business, Google Business Profile makes it easy for consumers interested in visiting your location to arrive directly at your door thanks to a ‘directions’ feature. Google Maps and other properties use this to help local search users plan their journey with ease from their location.

If you’re targeting an increase in in-store visitors or foot traffic, this feature is very useful.

It helps search users find relevant local businesses

Hunting down relevant, high-quality local businesses is made easier with Google Business Profile. Search users are given suggestions and recommendations to find exactly the local business they need, whether searching for a specific product or, a particular type of business such as a women-only gym. 

Lists of suggested businesses, helpful information such as review summaries, questions and answers from other consumers, ‘people also search for’ suggestions, and nearby places all help the user find the local business they need, even if they don’t have a specific business in mind when initiating their search.

Search users can provide direct feedback on listings to improve accuracy

Unlike organic search results where users can’t easily flag up any inaccurate information or suggest changes, Google Business Profiles allow users to ‘suggest an edit’ or provide feedback on a listing. This means that inaccurate or out-of-date information can be easily flagged, allowing the business owner to take fast, corrective action. 

In addition, users can also add their own reviews and upload photos sharing their personal experiences of the business in question, making it much easier for other local consumers to select the right business for their needs.  

Is Google Business Profile worth it? 

It should be clear by now that GBP offers a wide range of benefits to businesses and search users alike. In addition to being the top local SEO ranking factor for the local pack, it also makes it easy to showcase useful information about your business, ultimately making the process of searching for, comparing, and selecting a relevant local business much easier for local consumers. 

With bottom-line boosting benefits such as booking and reservation buttons plus the ability to share offers, news, and imagery, it can also make a notable difference to your local business. 

You can set up a Gmail account in seconds. Ditto for Google Ads. And on the face of it, setting up Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) follows the same principle. 

That is until you’ve registered but aren’t able to make changes to your GBP straight away. So, what gives? 

Well, verification. It’s a pain, we get it. But until you prove who (and where) you are, you won’t be able to do any of these things:

• Edit your business information across Google (e.g. Search and Maps), including business hours
• See your GBP insights
• Upload images
• Respond to online reviews about your business

The verification system ensures that only authorized representatives of the business, and genuine businesses, can create and manage listings, which ultimately safeguards your business. 

How do I get my business verified on Google? 

Google says that most local businesses will need to verify their listing by post. This means they will send you a postcard containing a verification code that you will then need to enter to confirm your listing. 

How long does it take for Google Business Profile verification?

The time required for Google Business Profile verification depends on the method of verification. In some cases, Google will allow instant verification. This may happen if your business is already verified in Google Search Console. 

Other methods of verification vary—the postcard for example takes around a week to arrive on average but it can be longer if the postal service is busy. Google will then need around one week to manually verify. 

If verifying by email, the email should arrive right away but you’ll also need to allow up to a week for manual verification to then take place. 

For video verification, once your video is uploaded it should take around five days for the video to be reviewed by Google. 

If you’re given the option to verify via live video call, you’ll need to check the support hours for your region and then join the line to speak to an advisor, all of which can be frustrating when you’re ready to take control of your local SEO and optimize your Google Business Profile.

You may also find that this process can be more complicated when you are verifying multi-location business listings. Fortunately, additional features, functions, and support are available. 

What if I’m tempted to skip Google Business Profile verification?

If you skip verification, there’s very little point in actually claiming your Google Business Profile in the first place as you won’t be able to access most of its features without first completing the verification process. 

Do I have to verify by postcard?

Postcard verification has historically been the most popular method of verification – it’s also the slowest which is why many local businesses would prefer another option. Thankfully, Google has added new methods of verification in the form of video uploads and live video calls, which are much quicker. In some instances, Google will offer other alternatives to postcard verification.

If you’re a service-area business operating within a specific geographic area, or a hybrid business that both serves customers at your place and visits them at theirs, you may be given the option to complete verification via email, phone, or through Google Search Console.

For businesses with multiple locations (such as a chain of stores or restaurants), there is also a bulk verification option. If you’re eligible for this option, you’ll be asked to complete a form, including a telephone number for verification and a business manager email, to confirm you are an authorized representative. 

If you aren’t given an email, phone, or Search Console verification option, you must verify by post. 

The only way to find out what your available options are is to claim your listing and proceed to the verification stage. 

How do I verify Google Business Profile?

When you have claimed your listing, Google will present you with appropriate verification methods, which may include via email, postcard, or video.

Verify With a Postcard:

1. Log in to Google Business Profile and click ‘Verify’.
2. Ensure your address is entered accurately, with full street name and zip code.
3. Include your floor, suite, or building number.
4. Add a contact name.
5. Click ‘Request Postcard’.
6. Wait for your postcard to arrive, then log back into Google Business Profile and enter the verification code. This code will expire after 30 days so it’s advisable to verify as soon as possible after you receive the postcard.

Verify Over the Phone:

If your business is eligible for phone verification, you’ll see a phone option when you click ‘Verify’. 

1. Log in to Google Business Profile and click ‘Verify’.
2. Click the associated phone number.
3. The code will be sent via an automated phone call or text message.
4. Return to Google Business Profile and enter the code you were given.

Verify Via Email:

Some businesses may be given the option to verify by email, rather than a postcard.

1. Log in to Google Business Profile and click ‘Verify’.
2. If you see the email option, click this.
3. Go to your email and follow the instructions provided in the message from Google.

Verify With a Video Recording: 

1. Log in to Google Business Profile and click ‘Verify’ you must be at your business location).
2. Click the video option and start recording.
3. Your video will need to include your business location (try to film street signs), the business itself, and proof of management (entrance into staff-only areas, for example, or video yourself unlocking the premises with your keys).
4. End the recording and upload your video.

Verify With a Video Call:

1. Log in to Google Business Profile and click ‘Verify’ (you must be at your business location).
2. Select the video call option.
3. Click start call. A text window will open with a support assistant, and they will walk you through how to join the live video call.

Is my business verified on Google Business Profile?

You can check if your business is verified by logging in to your Google Business Profile. If your listing is verified, you’ll see the dashboard and have access to all features. If your listing isn’t verified, the verification options will show. Or, you may be offered no verification options and instead, see a message saying that someone else has verified that profile:

If you see this image, you’ll need to use the ‘request ownership’ option to send an email to the other party asking them to contact you. That person can then confirm or deny your request. 

If the present owner doesn’t reply, your ownership request email will contain a link that will then walk you through a verification process. 

Verifying your Google Business Profile listing can take some time but is necessary to manage and use your Google Business Profile. It’s advisable to start the process as soon as you can as verification can take a while to complete, depending on the verification options presented for your business. 

Fortunately, Google continues to add features and offer support for enterprise brands and agencies, thereby assisting multi-location companies with GBP listings.

One fantastic feature available for agencies working with multi-location businesses is the GBP agency dashboard. This dashboard makes it easy to manage multiple brands and locations with an intuitive interface and bulk features.

Another great feature is Google Business Profile bulk verification. This is an option that chains and franchises can use to get an account whitelisted, meaning that they don’t have to send postcards to verify every new location that they add.

Here I’ll explain the steps to doing this, so you can save yourself time and stress!

Verifying a Business on Google Business Profile

In order to bulk-manage multiple locations in Google Business Profile, the business listings must first be set up and verified. The listings can either be verified one by one, or bulk verification can be used to make the process much simpler. 

Before you can get started with verification, you first need to set up your listing. For details, check out this guide to setting up GBP listings.

Once the listing has been created, the most common way to verify a location is to receive a postcard at the business address.

This usually takes between one week and 12 days for the postcard to arrive, or (in some cases) it’s possible to obtain a verification code via an email or phone call, which will naturally be much faster.

Each location you manage will need to go through the same process. Once the verification process is complete, you can begin making edits to the listing. 

Bulk Verification for Multiple Locations

Google’s guidelines explain that you can bulk manage 10 or more locations of the same business. In order to do this, you need to become ‘bulk verified’.

Being bulk verified means you’ll be able to add new locations and make updates to a listing without having to go through further manual verification procedures. 

In order to use bulk location management, you’ll need to create a ‘location group’ for your business. From there, you can create and upload a spreadsheet with all of the location information and request bulk verification.

When you bulk-verify listings with an individual account, all eligible locations in your account not claimed by someone else will be verified.

If you are a location group, when the main owner of the account is verified, all eligible locations in the group are verified as well. This then means that the locations can’t be owned by anyone else.

Google Business Profile Bulk Verification

Google’s guidelines on eligibility for bulk verification are straightforward: you have to have 10 or more locations belonging to the same business.

Additionally, Google specifies that:

• All of the locations for the brand should be in your bulk account, either published or unpublished
• No duplicate listings should be in your account when you request bulk verification

The business information for each individual location should always be accurate and up to date. Also, if the listings all belong to the same brand, then the business name, domain, and GBP categories should all match.

What about Service-area businesses?

Service-area businesses (SABs) are not eligible for bulk verification. It’s usually the case that a SAB will only have one listing due to only having one physical address.

The areas that the business serves can be added as additional information within the same listing.

Setting up Bulk Location Management

According to the Google Location Group guidelines, a business qualifies for bulk location management if they have 10 or more locations.

They must also meet the Google quality guidelines to be eligible to appear on Maps, Search, and other Google properties.

If an account has not been bulk verified, there is a limit to the number of business listings a company can create per Google Account in a given time period.

Listing creation thresholds for bulk spreadsheet upload are based on the number of verified listings you already have in your account. These limits exist to help maintain the integrity of listings on Google.

According to Google, to manage profiles in bulk you need to:

1. Use an email address with your business domain—an email address not affiliated with a business domain will take longer to verify.

2. Create a business group to manage the locations—business groups allow the GBP manager to safely share management of locations with multiple users.

3. Create a spreadsheet with all of your locations so you can verify them all at once.

a. Within GBP, near the top right corner, click ‘Add Location’
b. Import locations and download the template
c. Add all locations
d. Complete all the fields you can

4. Upload the spreadsheet to Google.

5. Review and fix any errors before locations are published.

6. Request bulk verification to ensure only the business owner or authorized representative of the business can manage and verify locations. Simply submit a form through GBP with information about you and your business.

The form will ask for information about your:

a. Business name
b. Countries/regions
c. Contact name
d. Contact phone
e. Business manager email
f. Google account manager email (if applicable)

7. Double-check all of the information is up to date

Setting up GBP Management with Fewer than 10 Locations

If your business has fewer than 10 locations, then you’ll need to claim, verify, and update each location individually. This is likely the case for the majority of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Verifying each location individually can be challenging when this task is divided between several different team members. Restricting GBP manager access to a small number of people is a good idea and this will help to keep the process organized.

An easy way to simplify the process is to use a general company email, or the business owner’s email, to claim GBP listings. This will avoid potential headaches in the future, and ensure that access is never lost due to employee turnover.

Creating a spreadsheet is a sensible way to keep track of essential information, such as location data, business details, and any errors. This spreadsheet will serve as a convenient central reference point for businesses with multiple locations.

A Note About Account Suspensions

In recent months, Google has been handing out account-level suspensions to GBP account holders. A suspension will often happen because of an issue with an individual Google account, and not necessarily because of any fault by the business itself.

For example, if a business previously worked with an SEO agency, and this agency has later been found to be engaging in bad practices, then this connection between the agency and the business could trigger a suspension.

An account suspension may also be triggered if an account holder makes spammy edits to Google Maps. If a user has several edit suggestions denied, then they could be automatically flagged as a spammer. This will cause the account holder to be suspended and any listings they manage could also be suspended.

When an account is suspended, the user will lose access to all of the listings within their account. Furthermore, separate users who also manage these affected listings will lose access to the listings, and they’ll be able to see that a suspension has been given.

How to Deal with a Google Business Profile Suspension

Listing suspensions will either be hard or soft, and the severity may vary based on Google’s assessment of the violation (although this has not been confirmed):

• A hard suspension will result in the GBP listing not being visible at all.
• A soft suspension means the listing is still visible, but you can’t access or make edits to it. 

It might sometimes be the case that you log in to your GBP account and see that one of your listings has been suspended but that the rest of your listings are active as normal. In this instance, it’s likely that another manager of the affected listing has been suspended.

When this happens, you’ll have to attempt to identify the suspended user so that you can remove them from the listing. Due to privacy reasons, Google will not let you know which user has been penalized, so you’ll have to investigate yourself.

Once you know who is responsible, you should remove them from the listing and contact GBP support to explain the issue. This is the fastest way to get your listing live again.

In order to avoid problems with potentially rogue account managers, it’s a good idea to audit your Google Business Profile account semi-regularly to determine if anyone should be removed. Having a listing suspended when you’re not personally at fault could be incredibly frustrating, and detrimental to the reputation of your business.

Verified Google Business Profiles

If you want to use a spreadsheet to verify more than 10 listings, a Google team member will review the information, verify the listings, and then you’ll see them in your Google Business Profile account. It’s worth being aware that this process could take several weeks.

If you’re verifying less than 10 locations, your listings should be verified within two weeks via postcard, phone, or email.

Be sure to stay organized, allocate resources, and be patient. Once your listings are verified, your team can begin the process of GBP optimization.

Wrapping Up

Google Business Profile continues to evolve and this extends to its features for multi-location businesses.

Verifying multiple business locations has gotten easier over the years, especially for bulk listings. Whether a business has three locations or several thousand, GBP provides guidelines and tutorials on how to effectively verify these listings.

Remember, always follow the guidelines when completing this process to avoid creating a headache for yourself, or risking a suspension on your account.

Your business presence across Google Search and Maps is managed from within a single Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) platform. It’s a great system for small businesses, but how can you ensure consistency, accuracy and the greatest degree of optimization across hundreds or even thousands of locations? Multi-location businesses, including franchises, corporate chains and service-area businesses, face unique challenges when it comes to local listings management.

Over the last few years, Google has added more features and support for enterprise brands and users to manage locations in bulk. Most recently, they rolled out an agency dashboard that makes it easier to manage multiple brands and locations in a simpler interface. In this guide, we’ll explore some of Google Business Profile’ bulk features and provide tips on how to maximize efficiency and manage locations at scale.

The Basics of Google Business Profile Bulk Import: Step-by-Step

While it’s helpful to use both bulk importing and bulk verification, you can use one without the other.

Bulk importing your location data is a simple way to make updates to existing locations, or create new ones, in bulk. For enterprise brands that are managing dozens, hundreds, or thousands of locations at a time, bulk importing data and updates based on your internal system or CMS is likely the most efficient method. This gives you the ability to impact a large number of locations in a relatively short period of time, rather than clicking through each location manually within the dashboard.

1. You have two choices for getting started

You can either create a new template for uploading, or download your existing locations. To download existing locations to build or edit your bulk template, simply click on ‘Download Locations’ located underneath your account summary within the Google Business Profile dashboard.

This gives you the option to download all ‘downloadable’ locations in an excel or .csv format. Locations ineligible for downloading have errors or are not published (e.g. duplicates, request access, etc.). Once these errors have been resolved, these can be included in your downloads.

Google Business Profile will also give you the option to ‘include Google Updates’ in your export. Including this data is helpful if you want to review Google and user-suggested updates alongside your current data. If you chose to include the updates, when available, they will be in a neighboring column for each field prefaced with ‘[UPDATED]’.

The export provides your list of locations, as well as a summary of Google Updates and each location’s status. This is helpful for auditing your locations, as you can focus on just those locations that may need attention or that users have suggested changing.

Outside of the basic location elements, you’ll also see your list of attributes included in the export. Keep in mind that because you have bulk-exported all locations (which may be separate brands and have varying categories), all available attributes will show. However, if a particular attribute is not available for that location or category, you will see ‘[NOT APPLICABLE]’ in the column for that location.

2. Edit your attributes in keeping with Google Business Profile formatting guidelines

When editing attributes, you can export the Attribute Reference Spreadsheet to see which values are accepted for each attribute. These can only be included when the field is blank and does not show the [NOT APPLICABLE] notice.

Be sure to follow all Google Business Profile formatting guidelines for the bulk import spreadsheet. Once you’ve reviewed any errors and made the necessary changes, you are ready to import your corrected file. Remember, if you are making a change to a single or a small number of fields, it is not necessary to include all columns in your import. If you are only making updates and not creating new locations, the only column required is Store Code.

In order to bulk edit, each location is required to have a unique store code. Because this is the required association field, it’s also the one field you are unable to change in bulk. When creating new locations, you must include the Store Code, all address fields, and primary category.

3. Import your corrected file

Next, to import your file, click the blue plus sign button and select ‘import locations from file’.

This is also where you’ll find the template and sample file to download for building files from scratch.

4. Verify your changes in the Import Summary

Once you’ve loaded your file, there is one last step before the changes are published to your locations. Google will review your spreadsheet and provide a summary of changes that will be made to your listings, so you can review before you import.

The Import Summary lets you know how many locations and changes you are making by completing the import, and flags potential errors or missing locations. If your summary includes changes you weren’t anticipating, you can select the ‘Download Details’ option which will download a summary by location for you to validate before continuing. You can also ‘Cancel’ the import if you do not want to continue.

When all changes are correct, click the submit button to process your file. From here, as long as your changes are valid, your data will save and publish to Google. If there are any errors with your data (such as address formatting), these locations will be flagged in red as formatting errors and require a manual update in order to save changes.

While many changes publish in a matter of minutes, some larger changes to fields like name, address, and URL may take up to 48 hours to publish. Additionally, if you do not have bulk verification, some of these larger changes can trigger a re-verification flag.

Google periodically adds and changes fields, acceptable values, categories and attributes, so it’s important to review available options for your locations by downloading your existing locations.

The Road to Google Business Profile Bulk Verification

In order to manage your multiple locations on Google, you first have to claim and verify your business locations. This process exists to ensure that you are associated with the business and have the authorization to manage location updates. Standard business verification requires that the user receives a postcard, email, or phone call with the verification code. Once you’ve completed the verification process, you can make location updates to your listing. This process must be repeated for each additional location you’re managing.

Bulk verification in Google Business Profile differs from standard verification in that it was created for brands with 10 or more locations. With bulk verification, you don’t need to manually verify each new location.

Who is eligible for bulk verification in Google Business Profile?

Google’s published eligibility guidelines are fairly simple: you must have 10 or more locations belonging to the same business. However, there a few other things you should know before applying for bulk verification:

1. All of the locations for the brand should be loaded to your account. Your location statuses can show published or not published.
2. You should not have any duplicate or access-needed locations in your account when requesting bulk verification.
3. You can still request bulk verification if you’ve previously manually verified some of your locations.
4. You will still be able to benefit from bulk verification for future changes or locations.

To prepare for bulk verification, ensure that all business details (primarily name, address, website, and categories) are as accurate as possible and match what is published on real-world signage and marketing material. If your listings are all of the same brand, then the name, domain, and categories should all match.

Verifying locations with name or category variations

If your brand has variations of names and categories (example: banks with ATMs, or apartment communities), they can still be bulk-verified as long as Google can prove they are all managed under the same business/company. Some things you should have prepared for these types of businesses in particular are:

1. A corporate website showing all location details as you have in Google Business Profile
2. Current storefront images of at least 5 locations. These images should show the business name and address number and street name, if possible. It’s also helpful if you can see surrounding businesses in your images, so Google can reference their data. If Google has trouble verifying your locations via Street View or other methods, they may request this data for a sample set of your locations.

Ensure that you have a corporate domain email account available to access, as Google requires a response from a corporate domain in order to approve your account. You can sign up for bulk verification with a generic email address (such as Gmail), but the corporate domain needs to respond to a Google request. When applying for bulk verification, keep in mind that the email address you verify can not be changed.

You should not register an employee’s personal email for this verification, as there is a chance they may move on and that would interfere with the company’s access to the Bulk Verified Google Business Profile account. Additionally, if at any point in time you transfer ownership of locations that were bulk verified, they will lose verification if transferred to a non-bulk verified account.

Of course, there are other potential delays and issues when applying for bulk verification. Most importantly, Google wants to ensure that the data you are publishing is correct and representative of the business in the real world, and that you are authorized by the business to manage these updates.

Google Business Profile Bulk Management FAQs

Which fields cannot be edited in bulk?

You cannot edit store codes or map pin location/coordinates in bulk. You also can’t add or edit Google Posts via the bulk import function.

Can you apply for bulk verification for Service Area Businesses?

No, because Google requires that Service Area Businesses are manually verified. If you have a bulk-verified account that includes brick-and-mortar locations and try to change a location to a service area or add a new location that is a service area, it will revert to ‘manual verification required’.

Do you need to be bulk-verified in order to bulk upload your locations?

No, all Google Business Profile users have access to bulk-import their data.

How do I add managers to my locations in bulk?

Only location owners can add managers. While you can add single managers in bulk, if you have different managers you will want to add by location, and it must be done manually (or via API).

If you have a manager that you want to add to all or a set of your locations, you simply need to move these locations to a subfolder in Google Business Profile. This doesn’t impact any location data or verification. Once your locations are in a subfolder, edit the subfolder and ‘manage users’, adding the Google Business Profile email address of the desired manager.

Can you close locations in bulk?

Yes, but not via import. You can multi-select a group of locations that you wish to close and ‘mark as permanently closed’. From here, you can either keep or remove the locations from your account. You can always store the closed locations in a subfolder separate from active locations, to avoid publishing incorrect data.

I hope I’ve been able to explain the ins and outs of Google Business Profile bulk verification and bulk upload in a way that makes this process much easier.

Just like your website, you want to actively manage and optimize your business profile in order to keep your customers informed of any changes or updates to your business. And, to give you the best chance of converting potential customers into leads and ideally lifelong advocates of your business!

Editing Google Business Profile via Google Search and the Google Maps app

There have been recent changes to how Google allows businesses to edit their Google Business Profile (GBP), and there are a number of ways that people have referred to this new way of editing your business listing—from ‘direct edit experience’, to ‘NMX’ (new merchant experience) through to ‘In SERP editing’.  

Whatever you decide to call it – this is how it functions across the following platforms…

Editing your GBP via the SERP on a desktop

The in-SERP editing experience currently looks like this:

We’ll run through what happens in each of these sections below – as well as what’s hiding under the ellipsis (shown above with an arrow).

Edit profile

• About 
• Contact
• Location
• Hours
• Attributes

You can use the tabs across the top, or just scroll down the page to see ALL fields that are updatable:

Read reviews

• Read and respond to reviews

Reviews are ordered by ‘most relevant’ as the default. In this section you’ll be able to view, edit and respond to reviews.

Messages

If you have messaging enabled you can do the following here:

• Respond to messages
• Block users and mark messages as spam
• Change your ‘chat’ settings:

• Turn chat on or off
• Opt to send read receipts
• Set your welcome message
• Add your FAQs

FAQs is where you can set up automated replies to your customers’ most frequently asked questions. So, if someone includes one of these questions in their message to you, they receive an automated message that you have written:

There’s a lot more to Google Business Profile’s messaging system, and it’s always evolving. 

Read our complete guide to Google Business Profile Messaging here.

Add photo

Add photos, add your logo and choose your ‘cover’ photo.

Logo

This surfaces the same ‘upload public photos of…’ box as per the ‘photos’ tab shown above—but this populates the ‘logo’ for your business. 

Your logo is displayed here (see below) in your Business Knowledge Panel, and also in other parts of GBP, such as next to your review responses.

Cover Photo

Again, this surfaces the same ‘upload public photos of…’ box as per the ‘photos’ tab—but this populates the ‘cover photo’ for your business, which may (or may not—such are the whims of Google!) be shown as the primary photo in your Business Knowledge Panel.

You can also upload photos by clicking ‘add photos’ in your Business Knowledge Panel:

Performance

‘Performance’ is the new iteration of what we used to call ‘insights’, including the following metrics:

• Total business profile interactions
• Calls
• Messages
• Bookings
• Directions
• Website clicks
• ‘How people discovered you’
• Searches breakdown

Advertise

This links to Google Ads (quelle surprise)

Edit products

Links back to the editing interface in the old Google dashboard:

You can also click here on the business profile on a desktop to get to the product editing interface:

Edit services

• Edit your services

Don’t forget to check this regularly to see what new services Google is scraping from who knows where.

Booking

If you have online booking tools you can link to them here:

This could be a page on your own website, but it might also be one of Google’s supported scheduling providers.

Q&A

Click to manage your Q&A

Add update

In this instance ‘update’ means ‘Google post’.  Click here to add a new post to your listing:

You can also add ‘updates’ (posts) here on a desktop:

Ask for reviews

You can copy and paste the review link for your review solicitation process.

N.B. You’ll need to be logged into the relevant accounts on your device to share via these other platforms.

The email, Whatsapp, and Facebook links when clicked auto-populate a review request, for example on Whatsapp:

Before using any of these 1:1 messaging options (email, Whatsapp) check if you need express consent before contacting your customers in any of these ways.

Did you know? You can also use BrightLocal’s free Google Review Link & Place ID Generator to generate this link—the tool is a lot easier to bookmark, and it’s much quicker to use when you need to generate review links for multiple clients and locations.

What’s under the ellipsis in the top right corner?

In the ellipsis section you’ll find:

• ‘Business profile settings’ which includes managers, messaging (chat and FAQ additions), notifications, and advanced settings (business profile ID, Google assistant calls, option to show or not show your phone number, business labels, shop code, and Google Ads phone number for location extension ads)
• ‘Notifications’ – select which types of email alerts you’d like to receive
• ‘Add a new business profile’ – takes you to https://business.google.com/create
• ‘Your business profiles’ – takes you to a pop-out window showing all of the businesses that you manage.  Click on the link to ‘manage multiple profiles’ to take you to https://business.google.com/locations
• ‘Help and support’, ‘send feedback’, and ‘terms of service’ are all the same as in the ellipsis when viewed in Google Maps on a mobile device as per the above.

Google CTA carousel

Whether you’re updating via Google maps, in the SERP on a mobile or on a desktop – you’ll find a carousel of related Google CTAs, such as:

• Complete your profile
• Add photos
• Get custom email
• Add update
• Get more reviews
• Create an offer
• Claim your credit
• Set up booking

It’s worth keeping an eye on these notifications and CTAs from Google to give you an insight into which parts of your profile might need some attention, and also to gain an idea of which features of GBP and related Google services Google is looking to promote or increase uptake of.

Editing GBP via the Google Maps app

If you’re using the Google Maps app, you simply click on your profile image in the top right of the screen, select ‘your business profiles’ and then select the business you want to update:

Once you’ve done this, you’ll see the business listing displayed as usual, with the following section at the top.  

Your editing options are organized under these three labels:

• Edit profile
• Promote
• Customers

Plus you’ll find a number of options underneath the vertical ellipsis:

These settings are as follows:

• ‘Business profile settings’ which includes user management, messaging (chat and FAQ additions), notifications, and advanced settings (business profile ID, Google assistant calls, option to show or not show your phone number, business labels, shop code, and Google Ads phone number for location extension ads)
• ‘Edit business information’ – this links through to the standard editing dash we’ve gotten used to on a mobile device with tabbed options for about, contact, location, hours and more
• ‘Add photos and videos’ – add photos and videos to the profile

The other labels are specific to your personal maps profile rather than functionalities for editing your business profile.

Editing GBP via bulk edit

You can access bulk editing functionality via the GBP dashboard (business.google.com).  To use bulk edit your business profiles will need to be in a location group and they’ll each need to have unique store codes.  Bulk edit allows you to upload your updates via a file.  So much easier when you’re updating 100s (or even 10s) of locations at a time!

Read our guide to multi-location editing here.

Managing Google reviews in bulk

Even if you no longer have access to the ‘old dashboard’ and it instead redirects you at business level to the in-SERP editing experience all is not lost.

You can currently manage ALL reviews for ALL of the businesses you manage in the dashboard at:

https://business.google.com/reviews

Here you can choose which locations reviews you’d like to see – just choose the location group and you’ll see all reviews from all business listings in that location group:

If you’d like to ONLY see reviews that need a reply then click here on the listing in question:

Google will then open (as a new tab) the OLD dashboard for that business, where you can select reviews according to the following:

Editing via the SERP on a mobile device

This looks and functions very similarly to the Google maps app, apart from the vertical ellipsis which looks like this:

These settings are as follows:

• ‘Business Profile settings’ including managers (add and remove managers), advanced settings (business profile id, accept Google Assistant calls, show or don’t show your phone number, labels, shops code, and Google Ads phone number), remove business profile (stop managing this profile, mark this business as closed, ‘remove profile content and managers’ – more on this below…)
• ‘Notifications’ (choose which email address to use and which email notifications you’d like to receive from Google re GBP)
• ‘Add a new business profile’ (links to https://business.google.com/create)
• ‘Your business profiles’ (lists the GBP profiles to which you have access)
• ‘Tutorial’ (quick carousel run-through of the direct edit experience)
• ‘Help and support’ (links to https://support.google.com/business/answer/7039811)
• ‘Send feedback’ (opens a form where you can report an issue or suggest an idea and attach a screenshot)
• ‘Terms of Service’ (links to https://support.google.com/business/answer/9292476)

Remove profile content and managers – proceed with caution!

This section allows you to basically remove your business profile (read what Google says about this here: https://support.google.com/business/answer/4669092) as far as possible.  

You can also export the contents of the Google Business Profile to Google Takeout:

Once you’ve done this you’ll be able to access various elements of your Google Business Profile, downloadable in zipped folders (this was added in Dec 2022):

Roundup

Editing your business profile via Google Search and/or Google Maps looks set to replace the previous ‘Google Business Profile’ dashboard option of managing and editing your business for smaller businesses. This guide runs through the current direct edit interface and how businesses can use it to complete the most popular and common tasks for businesses.

It’s worth noting that many aspects of the Google Business Profile dashboard have not yet been duplicated via Search or the Google Maps app, including managing Google’s free business websites, for example. Only time will tell whether this will happen, but in the meantime, I hope you’ve now got a good understanding of how best to access various Google Business Profile edit and management functions.

The free profile makes it easy for businesses to connect with customers across Google Search and Maps, and is pretty much essential if you’re hoping to source new customers online.

Gaining visibility among a local audience is important for any type of business, but especially so for a service-area business (SAB). A business of this nature may see its reach cover a very specific geographical radius, as well as offering targeted expertise or solutions to local consumers at a distance from its own home base.

What is a service-area business?

The term ‘service-area business’ (also known as an SAB) sounds like it refers to any business that, well, ‘serves an area’, right? But no, as far as local SEO needs are concerned, a grocery store that pulls in customers from the local ‘area’ does not count as a service-area business.

So, to further refine the definition, we turn to Bing, which prefers to use the term ‘businesses without a physical store’. But hang on… that could mean e-commerce, right?

Confusingly, ‘service-area business’ and ‘business without a physical store’ both refer to the same type of operation. A service area business (SAB) is a business that:

• Provides a service at the customer’s location (they come to you)
• Serves a wide area beyond the service provider’s immediate location
• Has no physical location which customers can visit*
• Needs to ‘hide’ (i.e. not display its address in business listings)

* Having a physical location with ‘office hours’ was actually a requirement for Google Business Profiles, but these examples are why Google had to start to change its guidelines to suit these kinds of businesses.

If your business satisfies the above conditions, then it’s a service-area business, and that means there are plenty of online marketing tools, specifics, and processes that apply to you.

Examples of these kinds of businesses include:

• Garage door contractors
• Window cleaning companies
• Locksmiths
• Pest control professionals
• Cleaning companies
• House painting businesses
• HVAC providers

N.b. It’s worth noting that the definition is still subject to change, with some using ‘service-area business’ to also include businesses that have a physical location and the ability to deliver a service at your home or office. For the purposes of this piece, I’ll be talking about service-area businesses with no physical location, or what Google refers to as ‘pure service-area businesses’.

How Do Local Search Services and Products Differ for Service-Area Businesses?

No Address, No Listings?

The lack of publishable address is the key thing differentiating service-area businesses from other local businesses. In local SEO, we often point out that having accurate and consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) data displayed across multiple relevant business listings is very much ‘table stakes’ for online visibility.

Although there are some key business listing sites (or ‘citation sites’) that don’t allow you to hide your address, the good news is that there are plenty of citation sites out there that are a perfect fit for service-area businesses.

Google Business Profile makes it easy to set up a profile without an address. Simply toggle ‘Show business address to customers’ on setup:

Ranking Outside Your Area

By and large, businesses in the same vertical and location compete for the same audience. Two hotels nearby each other, two Italian restaurants in the same neighborhood, two beauty salons on the same road, they’ll each be targeting the same people, be they visitors to the area or residents.

They’ll also be targeting the same localized keywords in their online marketing: phrases like ‘hotels near me’, ‘Italian restaurant Baltimore’, and, if the search engine knows the searcher’s location, simply ‘beauty salon’.

Things are slightly different for service-area businesses. Their customers don’t have to travel anywhere to provide their custom, and so they’re a lot less likely to base their search requirements on business location. This leads to the proximity of searcher to business being much less critical a factor in local search rankings.

So more weight gets put on the other key pillars of local search rankings: prominence and relevance. While Google has some information on the area the business serves (see below), it’ll be much more inclined to rank service-area businesses with a good reputation and great reviews.

After all, if I’m booking a home visit from a pest control company, I’m far less interested in how far they’ve had to drive to get to my house and much more concerned with how many satisfied customers they’ve served.

There are other tips and tricks to help you rank outside your local area, but starting with fantastic reputation management (and leaving a trail of happy customers in your wake) is a good move.

Define a Service Area in Google Business Profile

Google Business Profile is still trying to figure out the best way to let service-area businesses set up their business profiles in a way that allows them to best highlight the accurate area of work.

Until 2019, businesses could define a service radius around their hidden address in Google Business Profile, enabling Google to better serve local searchers. However, in its updated guidelines on adding or editing your service area (which you can while you’re setting up your GMB listing or afterwards), it states that “you can set your service area based on the cities, postcodes or other areas you serve”.

If you define the service area and you have no physical location, Google encourages you to leave the ‘business location’ field completely blank in your Google Business Profile, and you should not enter an address under the ‘Info’ tab in the Google Business Profile dashboard. Google’s verification process for these businesses is also slightly different, as they’re unable to send a physical postcard to the address.

Local Services Ads

Because service-area businesses don’t have the capability of showing up with a map pin in Google Maps, they can sometimes lose out to searchers who prefer to browse the local map when looking for a business.

This is one of the reasons that Google launched Local Services Ads, a feature of Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) specific to searches that return service-area businesses as results.

Local Services Ads is a listing type that sits atop SERPs and provides reputation and service information prominently for the searcher. It’s a changing product, with some elements coming with a charge from Google (such as the ‘Google Guaranteed’ badge), but it’s worth reading this guide by service-area businesses specialist Tom Waddington for a good overview of the opportunities presented by Local Services Ads.

If you’re interested in how the presence of Local Services Ads in SERPs affects click-throughs, and what consumers think of the features in this search results type, take a look at our comprehensive Local Services Ads study, which looked at the behaviour of over 5,000 searchers.

Local SEO for Service-area Businesses

As a SAB, you’ll naturally have a geographical area where you can deliver your services. 

It’s up to you to determine what that range is, but whether you serve clients within a 30-mile or 100-mile radius, your business will nonetheless operate within a particular zone and not beyond it.

Because you perform your service at your customer’s location, they don’t have to travel. That means they simply need to find a garage door installer who covers their zip code. 

This means the customer is therefore less likely to perform a local business search for a garage door installer within a specific distance of their location—as would be the case if they had to travel to a physical store to obtain their new garage door. 

Boosting Visibility on Google Maps

SABs, like other local businesses, can appear in Google Maps and in the Local Pack. How they are set up, though, is a little different as you’ll need to specify the zip codes and cities that fall under your service-area boundaries. 

This may mean an extra step is required in the traditional process of setting up and optimizing a Google Business Profile, but it will benefit you in the long run. 

Why doesn’t my business show up on Google Maps?

With a standard GBP listing, your profile is built around your physical location, which may not accurately reflect the wider geographical area you serve.

Being able to specify those areas makes your GBP listing more accurate and more likely to rank for prospective clients further away from a physical store address, while still being covered by your service business zone in Maps and local search. 

Let’s say your garage door business is based in Rochester, New York. A traditional Google Business Profile listing could mean that you don’t show up in local search for a homeowner looking for an installer in Buffalo, 66 miles away, even if it’s company policy to travel up to 100 miles to offer your service.

So in that case, you’d potentially miss out on winning a customer.

A service-area Google Business Profile places less emphasis on proximity and allows you to tell Google that you do service Buffalo and should be visible in local search for that customer. 

The business description wasn’t always an available field. Before its launch in 2018, local business owners could only input basic information such as company name, address, phone number, hours, and types of payments accepted. 

As Google Business Profile has taken up a more important role in local search, new additions and features have been rolled out, making it a much more valuable tool for business owners, the search engine, and local consumers. 

Key Updates to Google Business Profile Over the Years Include:

• Posts
• Questions & Answers
• Booking and reservation buttons
• Menus/Services
• Videos
• “Save” feature so a person can save a business’ Knowledge Panel to refer to later
• Health and Safety attributes
• Call history tracking (in beta) 
• Messaging / Chat

Google Business Profile Examples: Posts

Google Business Profile Examples: Q&A

Google Business Profile Examples: Save

Google Business Profile Examples: Book a Table 

The History of Google Business Profile Descriptions

Originally, Google Business Profile and Google+ were “connected,” meaning local businesses could add a detailed description about their business. However, Google removed that option, making it impossible for business owners to tell search users what their business did, its history, or its values.

The most that a local business could hope for was that Google created an editorial summary (shown at the top of some but not all Knowledge Panels and Map listings):

Google added the description field in 2018, enabling owners to add more meaningful information about their business in a compelling and engaging format.

Google Business Profile Description Guidelines

Before you put pen to paper (or your fingers to the keyboard), make sure you read over the Google Business Profile Description Guidelines. These set out what you can and can’t include in this part of your listing. For instance, you shouldn’t add details of promotions but can refer to the history of your business.

You must adhere to these rules because Google will review your Google Business Profile description and could suspend your account if you’re found to be in violation of its policies.

How long should a Google Business Profile description be?

You will need to adhere to the Google Business Profile description character limit when crafting your description. This is currently 750 characters. 

How do I write a Google Business Profile description?

Before you sit down to write your Google Business Profile description, keep in mind that you may need to draft several versions. This will provide you with a backup option should your description be rejected due to a guideline violation. Having a different description to hand also allows you the freedom to experiment with different text and measure its impact on your local SEO performance. 

First, think about the one to two keywords you want to optimize your business description for. Make sure you use those keywords early in the paragraph and then talk about what makes your business stand out and explain why people should visit your business.

If you’re lacking inspiration, the about page on your site can be a good starting point. A lot of time and effort likely went into creating this page and distilling your brand’s credibility, achievements, and product or service offering so it’s often a helpful starting point when drafting a Google My Business description for the first time. 

Tips for Writing Your Google Business Profile Description

• Tell the visitor what differentiates your business from your competitors
• Include a brief history of your business if that’s appropriate (for example if you have recently reached a notable milestone such as X years in business)
• Don’t add URLs/Links
• No keyword stuffing
• Include a call to action such as ‘Visit us today’
• Don’t refer to sales or special offers (use Posts to communicate that kind of information)
• DO NOT USE ALL CAPS
• Include your business name, keyword, and location (naturally) in the first couple of lines. Google’s Vicinity update means keyword stuffing is no longer effective so don’t force multiple keywords into your description.
• Write for your audience. Business description gives you a chance to allow your business’ personality to shine. The information you convey, and how you convey it should resonate with your target audience. 
• Add social proof where possible.

Adding a Google Business Profile Description to Your Listing

Adding a Google Business Profile description is very easy to do. Simply login to your Google Business Profile dashboard and click on your company’s listing.

Once you’re in the main GBP dashboard area, click on Info and you’ll see the option to “Add business description”. Click on the pencil to edit your business description.

Only the first couple of lines are displayed before a user needs to click to read more, so your most important information should be placed towards the start of the description.

Remember, you only have 750 characters so every character counts. Just like you carefully craft your meta title and description tags for your website thanks to limited character counts, you need to take the same amount of care when writing your GBP business description. Only 250 characters will be displayed in the knowledge panel and then people will have to click to see the full description.

Once you have your Google Business Profile description inserted, click “Apply”. You’ll then need to wait for Google to review and approve your description. 

If it isn’t approved, double-check to make sure you followed Google Business Profile guidelines. 

Google Business Profile Description Examples

To get inspiration for your own description, try checking out how your competitors have approached the task. To do this, perform a Google search for a rival business and then review their descriptions, noting down what works well and what stands out.

If you’re searching on a desktop, you’ll find the description in the company’s Knowledge Panel, towards the bottom:

On mobile devices, you’ll need to click the “About” tab:

Knowing how to write a strong Google Business Profile description can seriously elevate your local search presence. It’s the search equivalent of your elevator pitch, outlining your credentials and spelling out why a consumer should choose your business.