Did you know that your Google Business Profile (GBP) is often the first impression customers have of your business? While a well-managed GBP builds trust and keeps your business top of mind, making just a few easy-to-miss mistakes can cost you visibility, business, or even your GBP listing. That’s why understanding the ins and outs of GBPs or hiring a pro to professionally manage your GBP is crucial.
Here is more information on the five most common mistakes we see people make in their GBP management and how you can fix them to stay competitive.
Mistake #1: Setting Your Service Area Too Broad 🌎🚫
Have you ever heard the term, “If you’re marketing to everyone, you’re marketing to no one?” Many businesses try to make their service areas as broad as possible to appeal to the largest number of prospects. They may even list their service area as “the entire United States” in the hopes they will get customers from far and wide.
The risk in doing this is that Google will flag this behavior as spammy and your profile can get penalized or suspended even if you serve a national customer base. It’s best practice to keep your service area within a two-hour radius of your brick-and-mortar address or service-based area to stay compliant with Google guidelines.
Pro tip: Clarify that you serve nationally on your website instead of your GBP.
Mistake #2: Choosing the Wrong Primary Category 📋❌
Choosing the right primary category is key when it comes to maximizing your Google Business Profile. If you pick a general category or accidentally choose an inaccurate one, it can hurt your search relevance and Google may not show your listing when it matters most. The best practice here is to choose the category that best matches your core service. For example, if you are a chiropractor, make sure you choose “chiropractor” vs. “medical clinic.”
Pro Tip: Use secondary categories wisely!
Mistake #3: Not Claiming and Verifying Your GBP 📇⚡
If you don’t claim your GBP, you can’t control and manage your online presence on Google. Even worse, someone else may be able to claim and control it FOR you. Claiming and verifying your GBP means you can always ensure your business information is accurate and up-to-date, allows you to access features like managing reviews, updating hours, and lets you post content to increase customer engagement. It also prevents someone else from claiming it for their own purposes. Not sure how to claim and verify your GBP? Our team would be happy to help.
Mistake #4: Ignoring Your Reviews 📝👀
Everyone loves a good review, right? However, just letting a good review sit and hoping people will read it is a mistake. You need to thank the customer and perhaps even add some context to their review to make it even more impactful.
And what about a negative review? While no business wants to see this, it’s important that you respond to negative reviews as well. A simple, “We’re sorry you experienced this, we’d be happy to reach out offline to see if we can make it right” can go a long way.
If you don’t respond to your reviews, it makes it appear you are disengaged and can hurt customer trust and affect your rankings. It’s always best practice to respond to every review within 2-7 days to show you care and to boost your local SEO authority.
Mistake #5: Neglecting Regular Posts and Updates 📣🗓️
So you’ve set up your GBP and filled in all the information… congratulations! However, it’s a mistake to think you’re done with your work once your profile is correctly set up. When you don’t update your GBP, Google–as well as potential customers–may think your business is not active or trustworthy.
It’s always best practice to post to your GBP at least once a week. You can share updates, promotions, tips, FAQs, or seasonal announcements to show that you are active and to boost your ranking.
Remember, your Google Business Profile is not just a listing, it’s a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal that needs regular attention. It’s also one of the most underutilized FREE tools available for all businesses. If you’re not sure how to keep your GBP updated or optimized, it’s important to reach out for help from an expert. If you want assistance in this area, the Pixel Fire Marketing team (and our resident Google Gal!) has you covered!
