Is your Google Business profile working for you?
Google is still the most-used search engine by far, and there are a few ways it presents your business to clients and new opportunities. While most of the attention goes to optimizing your main search listing, that isn’t always where users see you first.
Because they’re anchored at the top of Google’s search results (the top right, for desktop searches) and include visuals as well as text, Google Business profiles often capture that first online impression. So it’s important to get it right.
Once you verify your identity with Google, you’ll be able to start editing and adding to your profile. This should start with your basic business information, such as your address, website link, hours, phone numbers and logo. Make sure your logo is formatted correctly, and, if you have one, use an icon or variation that works in this small, circular space.
You’ll also find options for descriptive elements, including a service category and location that appears at the top of the profile, and a paragraph or so of text that’s shown further down. The latter could match your home page’s meta description, or you could make it a little longer, just to give users a general idea of what you do and how you do it.
A few images will improve the overall look of your profile, especially if you have a professional photo of your team or office space.
Finally, you have the option to add posts to your Google Business profile, and these posts can link to landing pages, blog articles or other content sections on your website. This can be an excellent way to encourage traffic to promoted content and add backlinks to your site. If you decide to take advantage of this feature, be sure to update habitually as you post on other platforms.
Social media marketing, for the most part, is optional for financial advisors and teams. But a missing or underdeveloped Google Business profile will be a stumbling block for anyone searching for you online, so consider these basic steps to help ensure it’s working in your favour.
