The Google Business profile is an effective and easy-to-use tool that helps businesses perform better inorganic Google searches. It goes without saying that any company hoping to perform as well as possible on Google needs a profile. But it’s not just setting up a profile and forgetting about it. Business owners need to maintain profile information so as to ensure it remains accurate and relevant.
Webtek Digital Marketing is a Utah SEO and marketing firm based in Salt Lake City. Creating and maintaining Google Business profiles is something they normally do for clients. We can look at their practices to better understand the types of information that make for a strong Google Business profile.
The key is regularly checking one’s profile to make sure the information is up to date. Outdated information certainly doesn’t help organic search rankings. In some cases, it can even hurt. Assuming your company already has an active Google Business profile, here is some of the information Webtek recommends checking on a regular basis:
Name, Address, and Phone (NAP)
Name, address, and phone (NAP) seem to be pretty basic stuff that any company would know to keep up to date. But you would be surprised how many companies establish Google Business profiles yet never go back to update them when NAP information changes.
It’s not likely that most businesses are going to undergo name changes. Address and phone changes are more common. Phone numbers are especially important inasmuch as Google allows a total of three phone numbers in a business profile – a primary number and two additional numbers. It’s the additional numbers that tend to change.
Business Category
All businesses need to select a primary category when establishing a Google Business profile. Unfortunately, category choices are not always straightforward. That’s why Google allows the selection of eight additional categories along with the primary category. Over time, you might find that adjusting categories improves your local search rankings. Also note that Google recommends not using “categories solely as keywords or to describe attributes of your business.”
Business Attributes
Speaking of attributes, Google defines them as things that “tell customers more about your business.” They list things like outdoor seating and the availability of Wi-Fi as attributes. In Webtek’s case, an important attribute would be something like ‘serves clients throughout Utah’ or ‘Utah SEO firm’. However, it should be noted that only factual attributes are allowed. Anything that is a matter of opinion is left to reviews and visitor comments.
Operating Hours
If your business operates only during specific hours, it’s important this information be entered in your Google Business profile. It’s also important to update operating hours whenever changes are made. Google stresses correct operating hours because they directly impact the user experience. Nothing frustrates a user quite like attempting to contact a business they believe is open only to find out that it’s not.
Website and Social Media
Finally, it’s important to keep website and social media links up to date. Doing so shouldn’t be much of a problem except for the fact that companies often change website URLs when they secure more attractive domain names. They also forget to update social media links when they join a new platform. Given that Google is a search engine that ultimately points customers to external links, it’s important this information be up to date.
Whether you operate a Utah SEO firm or a local restaurant with free Wi-Fi and outdoor seating, your Google Business profile plays a role in determining how well your site performs in local search. Be sure to maintain your profile with accurate and up-to-date information.
