Google Business Profile (Earlier called Google My Business) is an application that lets the business be represented in Google Search and Maps. When you create the GBP listings, you can decide how your company appears in search results and maps, from your company's name and phone number to pictures and posts. It's an official Google product. It's free at that listing and must adhere to the Google Corporate Profile guidelines.
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We'll show you precisely what you need to do to be eligible to get a Google Business Profile and how to interpret the guidelines for your company to safeguard your listing from violations of the guideline that could result in having your account suspended.
Some businesses are not qualified for Google Business profiles. A general principle to follow? Your company must be direct with customers. This interaction could occur at your office or the customer's place of business (e.g., their customer's home); however, there must be in-person interactions. This means that eCommerce businesses rentals, for-sale or rental homes (not including the leasing or sales office) and lead generators, agents and so on aren't eligible for the listing.
Google Business Profile Guidelines for firm Name, Address & Phone Number.
N.A.P. is a shorthand for name, address, address and phone number. N.A.P. Consistency is a key factor in ranking properly on searches. Alongside consistency, Google has strict guidelines regarding presenting your N.A.P. on your listing.
Similar to all N.A.P., consistency is essential in the case of Google Business Profile -- your business needs to be presented just as it would be operating. Your business's name must be consistent with how you describe your company on everything from stationery to signs, your website, etc.
If a shorter name is used frequently for referring to your business, we'd recommend keeping your full name in GBP because that full name is the way it's utilized in the real world.
If they are not part of your actual business name, Your Business Name on GBP must not include:
Store codes
Trademarks and registered symbols
Full-capitalized words (unless the word is an acronym)
Information on business hours
Websites or phone numbers
Specific character or terms in law that are irrelevant
Product or service information
Information on the location
Information on your company's contingency that indicates it is located in a different company
Addresses on Google Business Profile must accurately and accurately reflect your business address. Are you thinking of using a postal business address or virtual office to create your business profile? Beware. Google doesn't accept P.O. Mailboxes and boxes at remote places as addresses.
Coworking spaces are extremely popular with small-sized firms, but there are some restrictions regarding what constitutes an acceptable address for your business's website. If you do not have an office within the space with an official, well-lit sign that your customers can view and staffed by employees during your hours of operation, the co-working space or virtual office won't be used as a business address.
When you add your address to this listing, the address must reflect the location you offer your clients. If your firm is in an office building or has a unit number or suite number, you should include it to show your exact location and avoid duplicate listings. You should use the street address of "Address Line 1" on your listing. You can also use the unit or suite numbers on "Address Line 2." Also, it would help if you altered your map pin as needed to permit Google Maps to easily bring users to your location.
If your company doesn't have a physical address or office and instead provides services to customers from its premises, it is eligible for a service-area company. A business in the service area is represented by an inventory of cities and postal codes, counties, and other areas. There are at least 20 different service zones within your profile. These designated areas assist in defining the boundaries evident on your profile.
According to Google services-area-based businesses, they have to make one profile per metro region they service. While Google acknowledges that bigger areas might be required for certain businesses, a service zone shouldn't normally extend more than two hours of driving from your company's location.
When you first create an account as a service-area business, you'll probably be asked to enter an address like a home address to verify the validity of your postcard. However, you can leave the "business address" field unfilled on the Info tab of the Business Profile Manager. Instead, fill out your details in the "service zone" field.
If there's no signage visible on your property, but go to your customers to meet them are eligible for a profile in the service area. Your address must be concealed, and your location must be clearly defined. You're a hybrid business if you've got signage and a well-staffed office and also make deliveries, calls to homes, or make trips to your clients.
Hybrid companies should not have distinct listings for the address and service area and address but rather reflect each on one account. Hybrid companies fill in the "business address" and the "service zone" fields on the Info tab of the Business Profile Manager.
When you have several locations for your service-related business with distinct service areas and different staff for each site, Google allows one profile for each location.
Your website should be easy to create. It's supposed to be your website for your company. If you operate an office franchise or a company with several websites, use the one that is the one that represents the area of your listing.
Tracking Tip! Utilize the UTM code to monitor visitors visiting your Google Business Profile link. Utilizing the UTM code on your website allows you to track traffic through the listing(s) through Google Analytics and other tools, obtaining more precise information than Google Business Profile gives you through Manage.
The hours you work during business are a way to let your customers know that you are available to business via your page. Google identifies whether a company is operating or not based on the hours of operation. This is why your hours of operation must be in line with your operating hours accurately.
If your business is operating with seasons, you can make sure your hours of operation be consistent with these times. You may adjust the hours to accommodate other seasons or mark your company as being closed temporarily.
If you're only available for appointments, Google does not yet offer a way to show this. Instead, Google's guidelines suggest that you should not include hours for your website.
Have you been closed on holidays or changed timings to accommodate an occasion? Utilize Google's special hours feature to verify your modified hours to anyone who sees your profile. Use the more hours feature to confirm hours you've set according to services, such as pick-up, drive-thru, and senior hours. These hours can't be given the same title as your primary hours. Instead, you can give them a custom title, so you must select from Google's options. The additional hours must be considered part of the principal hours.
The selection of the right categories can help you categorize businesses easily. You should pick a few categories to represent your company's overall operations. The more specific you achieve with the category you choose, the more precise. If broad categories seem redundant to your section, you don't need to include them in your profile.
If the category you select doesn't specifically reflect your business, you can choose an alternative category that is more general. You can't make your categories. Be sure to check back on your category regularly since Google constantly adds categories to its database.
Your categories should holistically describe your company. Google provides helpful guidelines with the following: "Select categories that complete the sentence: "This business is a', not "This business is an.'"
The accuracy in your categorical categories is crucial as they will impact the types of features offered to you. For instance, restaurants could include menus. Hotels can include check-in hours, etc. Google keeps updating these features too.
The business description is a chance to present your business's mission, your products and services, and your company's mission or background. There are 750 characters that you can use to describe the details of your business, which may not be included elsewhere on your website.
What you can offer What you offer: Your service lines or products
What makes you stand out? Your distinctiveness in the marketplace, and why do you stand out from the competition?
The background of your company How long have you been operating? Is it family-owned and managed?
Other factors that set your company apart.
The content in your business description should not:
A false claim misleads users.
Show content of low-quality Use of gimmicky characters,
Concentrate on special offers Prices, sales, or special offers
Link display
Contain content that is offensive or inappropriate (specific guidelines are provided)
If Google detects a violation of its policies for your listing, the listing may be removed. This could mean that your business may be deemed untrusted or that your listing is no longer visible through Google Search or Maps. Google doesn't provide a reason for why it has removed your listing, which is why it's increasingly crucial to know and follow the guidelines of Google. It is possible that your Google Business profile can be an effective source of leads and traffic for your company, So don't let a rule violation slow your business from progressing.
Read Blue Corona's advice on what you can do if the Google Business Profile listing is suspended.
Our SEO Blue Corona team Blue Corona is well versed in Google's guidelines and has the tools to boost your position within the local pack. Bring your lead in volume to the next level by contacting us today.