How to Optimize Your Google Business Profile and Choose the Right Category for Your Business

Establishing a Google Business Profile is essential for guaranteeing your business appears in relevant searches. With consumers living in micro-moments and over 33% of searches being related to location, optimizing your profile can help guarantee you appear when potential customers are searching for you.

How to Optimize Your Google Business Profile and Select the Appropriate Category for Your Business

Optimizing your Google Business profile and choosing the appropriate category is essential if you want to succeed with online sales.

When creating a Google Business Profile, you’ll be asked to select either a primary and up to nine secondary categories. These categories determine the features available on your profile as well as how well you rank in search engine results. Selecting an inappropriate primary category could result in decreased rankings; thus, make sure it is pertinent to your business operations.

Once you’ve selected your primary and up to nine secondary categories, you can access the dashboard for managing your profile. Here, you can add business hours, configure messaging, and more for added convenience.

Make sure the contact information and operating hours on your Google Business Profile are correct so customers can find them quickly. Additionally, update any details related to your business if something changes such as operating hours or product/service availability.

You can also post updates, news and promotions on your profile to attract new customers. Doing so will increase the visibility of your business and drive more traffic to its website.

Uploading photos to your Google Business Profile can give customers a better view of what you offer and boost your online reputation. Furthermore, you can automatically reduce image size these photos for further advertising special offers and discounts.

The reviews section of your Google Business Profile is another opportunity to connect with your audience and encourage positive feedback. Receiving positive reviews on your GBP could improve the authority of your brand, increasing its likelihood of appearing in local searches.

Google Business Profile categories span over 4,000 and each one represents a particular type of business, making it essential to select the ones most pertinent to yours. Navigating this vast list can be intimidating; fortunately, you only have to select a few relevant ones that pertain directly to your venture.

When creating your business plan, it is essential to take into account both your goals and services offered. For instance, if you operate a bakery, consider including “birthday cake decorators” and “wedding cake bakers.”

You can further subtype your business type for a wider customer base. For instance, if you run an independent boutique, consider including “clothing outlet.”

In addition to selecting categories, you can also utilize keywords and phrases people are using when searching for your type of business. For instance, if you run a home service business, include terms such as “house cleaning” and “vacation rental.”

In addition to selecting categories, you’ll also be asked for photos and a brief description of your business. These can be beneficial to customers who may not be familiar with you yet and want to learn more before making a purchase.