Creating a Google Business Profile: Uses and Benefits for Your Business Visibility

Improving the visibility of a business online is essential to attract a larger number of users and/or potential customers for the company. For this, Google Business Profiles (formerly known as Google My Business) are one of the most interesting tools to consider. Let’s see why it is important to create a Google My Business profile and what benefits it brings to businesses online.

Uses of Google Business Profiles

Among the uses of Google Business Profiles, we can highlight the following:

Public Information

In the profile, the business can describe itself by providing information, as well as its product and/or service offerings, its physical location, its online address, or the different contact methods through which users can request information or resolve doubts with the company. This way, the company appears open to the public, and the online reader quickly identifies if it is what they are looking for or not.

Content Publication

Publishing content of interest to users is another use of Google Business Profiles. We are talking about posts, video content, business photos, photos of the company’s products, or representations of its services. Additionally, the company can include possible promotions it is running, temporary offers, or announcements of events that may be of interest to users.

Customer Feedback

A very common use of Google Business Profiles is to allow customers to leave their opinions and reviews about their experience hiring the services or purchasing the products offered by the company. Through these reviews, the company receives feedback that can be useful for improving in areas where negative comments arise.

Responding to Customers

The company can respond to questions posed by customers regarding its products or services, offer solutions to possible comments or reviews with complaints, or write thank-you comments for positive ratings left by satisfied customers. It is a powerful tool for staying in touch with customers and understanding their viewpoints about the company.

What Types of Businesses Can Benefit from GBP Advantages?

Local Businesses

Hair salons, restaurants, hardware stores, pharmacies… They have a physical location, and users must travel to purchase their products or enjoy their services.

Businesses with Multiple Locations in the Same City

For example, chains like Mercadona supermarkets or Starbucks cafes.

Businesses That Are Not Purely Local

You can also have a GBP profile even if your business does not have a physical address as long as you have direct contact with customers. For example, if you have a local service business and visit your customers or deliver orders directly to them, but do not serve them at a physical address.

This is known as a service area. This is the case for a private tutor, a plumber, etc. It can also be a marketing consultant who lives in a specific city and, although offers services online, can meet with clients in their own offices or in a coworking space.

You can also have a profile if your business is hybrid, meaning you serve customers at a physical address and visit or deliver orders directly to them (food delivery service).

Advantages of Creating a Google Business Profile

Google Business Profiles offer interesting advantages and benefits to businesses, among which we can highlight the following:

Greater Visibility

By completing the business profile, users find it easier to locate it. This is possible because the profile contains information of interest such as the establishment's location, its website where users can consult more in-depth information, or a contact phone number for any reason.

Receive More Clicks

Companies with a profile on Google Business receive a higher percentage of clicks compared to organic results. This is possible thanks to the Local Pack and Google Maps, which increase the visibility of the business and positively influence its positioning online.

Geolocated Keywords

These profiles are very helpful for positioning keywords of interest to the company in a specific location, that is, geolocated. For example: “dog grooming” in the location of the grooming salon “Getafe”. This way, when an online user searches for such a service in Getafe, the company will be better positioned.

Greater Credibility

The reviews and comments left by customers in the profile are essential for improving the company’s credibility in the eyes of potential customers who consult these reviews before deciding on the company’s products or services. Additionally, it is a way to enhance trust and avoid potential doubts from prospective customers.

Brand Positioning

Google Business Profiles improve brand positioning online and make it easier for users to recognize and remember the company when searching for its services or products. It also allows showcasing photographs through which potential customers can be attracted easily.

Geolocation

The Google Business Profile allows the company to geolocate itself quickly and easily. You just need to enter its physical location and address so that both Google and users can immediately find where the company is located. This is essential because Google always shows nearby businesses in online searches for various products or services.

Data Collection

Through these profiles, companies can collect more data about their audience and use it for decision-making. For example, to know how users find the company and direct advertising actions accordingly.

For All Types of Businesses

These profiles are designed to be used by a wide variety of businesses. We are talking about small shops or local businesses, such as hair salons, hardware stores, or restaurants. Also for those businesses with different locations within the same city (multi-location businesses) that need to introduce the different addresses of their locations. Not to mention businesses without a physical address but that offer their services locally, for example, a private tutor or a lawyer.

In the following video, you will find a podcast that explains these advantages in depth and how you can take advantage of them:

Frequently Asked Questions About Google Business Profile

If my business already appears on Google, do I need to create a Google Business Profile?

The truth is yes, it is important to create a profile, as the Google search engine is not the same as the Local Pack, which only activates with local searches and helps improve positioning in these.

Is it necessary to have a website?

No, it is not necessary for a business to have a website to create a profile. You just need to enter information about your business and contact methods to be more accessible to users.

My business is small, does it need this?

Creating a profile on Google Business Profile is recommended for businesses of all sizes and sectors. It is a very useful free tool that provides numerous benefits and will help you gain more customers. As can be seen, Google Business Profiles are very useful and beneficial for companies. Therefore, it is not surprising that SMEs around the world have created a business profile.

Do you already have your Google Business Profile created? Are you taking advantage of all the benefits we have discussed?

See you in the next post!