In the world of local SEO, Google Business Profile (GBP) audits are one of the most powerful tools for understanding how well a business is performing on Google. When prospecting new clients or leads, conducting a thorough GBP audit can help uncover valuable insights and identify areas for improvement. By mastering the process of running a GBP audit, you can enhance your ability to deliver effective recommendations and build trust with potential clients.
At GMB Briefcase | Help Center, we provide you with all the tools you need to conduct a comprehensive GBP audit that will help you assess your prospects’ current standing and suggest strategies to improve their visibility. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through the process of running a GBP audit for a prospect and show you how to leverage the insights to win over clients.
A Google Business Profile (GBP) audit is an in-depth analysis of a business’s Google listing. This audit evaluates several factors that contribute to a business’s visibility and performance in Google search results, specifically in local searches. A GBP audit looks at how well a business’s profile is optimized, how complete the listing is, and how effectively it engages customers.
By performing a GBP audit, you can assess a business’s:
Profile Completeness: Ensuring all essential information is provided, such as business name, address, phone number (NAP), hours of operation, website, and more.
Category Optimization: Analyzing the categories chosen and making sure they accurately represent the business.
Reviews and Ratings: Checking the quantity and quality of customer reviews.
Photos and Media: Evaluating the visual content added to the profile, such as images, videos, and virtual tours.
Insights and Performance: Reviewing the performance metrics available on GBP, including search queries, website clicks, and direction requests.
Now that we know what a GBP audit is, let’s dive into the steps of conducting an audit for a prospect.
The first step in conducting an effective GBP audit is logging into your GMB Briefcase | Help Center account. If you don’t have one yet, signing up is quick and easy. Once you’re logged in, navigate to the GBP Audit Tool within your dashboard.
This tool is designed to simplify the audit process, providing you with a comprehensive report in just a few clicks. It offers automated analysis and highlights the critical areas that require attention.
Once you’ve accessed the GBP audit tool, you’ll be prompted to enter the Google Business Profile information for the prospect you’re auditing. This includes:
Business Name: The exact name of the business as it appears on Google.
Business Address: Ensure that the address is listed correctly and matches the information on the business’s website.
Phone Number: Verify that the phone number is current and consistent with other online listings.
Make sure you have the correct URL for the prospect’s GBP profile. This information is essential for GMB Briefcase to analyze the business's online presence effectively.
Once the business details are entered, click on the "Run Audit" button. GMB Briefcase will begin scanning the prospect’s GBP listing to evaluate its performance. The audit tool will analyze key factors, such as the completeness of the business profile, the optimization of the categories, and the presence of customer reviews.
The audit will provide a detailed report highlighting any areas of concern. The tool will categorize these findings based on their impact on SEO and business performance. Issues will be flagged and prioritized, making it easier for you to take actionable steps.
Once the audit is complete, you’ll be presented with an easy-to-read report. Here’s what to look for in the audit:
Profile Completeness: Check if any critical information is missing. This might include the business address, website URL, business hours, or services.
Category Optimization: Review the selected categories to ensure they accurately represent the business. Improper or missing categories can hurt search visibility.
Customer Reviews: Evaluate the number and quality of reviews. A lack of reviews or negative feedback can be a major area of improvement. If reviews are sparse, you can recommend strategies for gathering more positive reviews.
Photos and Visuals: Inspect the number and quality of photos uploaded to the profile. Adding high-quality images and videos can significantly boost customer engagement and rankings.
Performance Insights: Review metrics like search queries, clicks, calls, and directions. If performance is below average, this could indicate a need for further optimization.
GMB Briefcase makes it easy to spot areas that need immediate attention, and its straightforward report helps you prioritize the most impactful changes.
After reviewing the audit report, it’s time to create a strategy for improving the prospect’s GBP listing. Use the findings to develop a list of actionable recommendations. These might include:
Adding missing information: If any details are incomplete, such as business hours or services, make sure they’re updated.
Optimizing categories: Revisit the categories selected for the business and ensure they align with search intent and the business’s offerings.
Increasing the review count: Recommend strategies for collecting more positive reviews, such as asking satisfied customers to leave feedback or offering incentives.
Enhancing visual content: Encourage the prospect to upload high-quality images or videos that showcase their products, services, or premises.
Improving website integration: Ensure the website URL is correctly linked and working properly, and suggest improvements for better user experience on the site.
By implementing these recommendations, your prospect’s GBP listing will become more optimized, driving higher visibility in local search results and ultimately boosting engagement with potential customers.
Once you have analyzed the GBP audit and developed your recommendations, it’s time to present the findings to your prospect. You can easily share the report generated by GMB Briefcase with your client in a clear, professional format. Use the insights from the audit to demonstrate your expertise and explain how these changes will benefit their local SEO efforts.
Provide a clear action plan and timeline for implementing the recommended changes. Highlight how these adjustments will lead to higher rankings, increased visibility, and more customer interactions.
Running a GBP audit for a prospect is a vital step in offering valuable SEO services. With GMB Briefcase | Help Center, you can streamline the process, providing detailed reports and actionable insights that will improve your prospects’ online presence. By mastering the art of GBP audits, you position yourself as a trusted advisor who can help businesses succeed in the competitive world of local SEO.
Start running GBP audits today with GMB Briefcase and take the first step toward improving your prospects’ search visibility and conversion rates.
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