If you haven’t set up your Google Business Profile, you are leaving money on the table…
Google is the most-visited website on the internet, with a large search engine market share. It helps people get information online and provides easy-to-use tools for learning, gaining information and building trust for businesses around the globe. From an early stage, Google has focused on supporting businesses of all sizes to grow online, and not always through paid advertisements. Google Business Profile is one of these free services. It helps businesses reach their clients quickly, with useful tools for listing details, services, contact methods and reviews that build trust.
Put simply, your Google Business Profile is shown across many Google services, in search and on Maps. You might have already seen other businesses appear in a box to the right of the search page, with photos, information, and reviews, or as pins on Google Maps as you zoom in and out of a location. You don’t need a physical location for a Google Business Profile, which is why your profile will show differently in each service, depending on how it’s set up.
Improving your search ranking and rating will elevate your business further. Whether you provide services online or at a physical location, the business profile helps people find your business when searching for your services. Setting your location, or an area that you are prepared to work in, will also improve your local search rankings, as Google prefers to show trusted local businesses to searchers.
A large element of building trust as you grow your coaching business is reviews and experiences, which help potential clients decide which business suits them best. Google Reviews combines a star rating with a text review and is widely becoming the go-to for online reviews. Reviews are public and can’t be chosen by the business, so businesses with the best and most reviews are often shown above others in searches, as they appear more trustworthy and credible.
“When I started focusing on collecting reviews, the number of local clients I attracted picked up, due to my ranking rising. I am now ranked number one for ‘Life Coach’ in the Chichester, West Sussex area.”
Angela Cox
Setting Up Your Profile
To get started, you will need a Google account. You can always add and edit the ownership of the business profile once you are set up. Head to Google, type in “Google Business” and click the “Google Business Profile” link, which should be towards the top of the results. Click “Manage now” or “Sign in” and you will be redirected to a page to start adding your business. If you are instantly redirected, check you’re using the right Google account by looking at the photo or initials in the top right.
You can now type in the name of your Google Business Profile listing. Sometimes, if you are registered online already, your business name and location will show. Otherwise, click “Create a business with this name”. Follow the steps, uploading any photos, logos, and business information. Add your business address (you can say whether or not you provide services at that location) and submit your profile. Google will likely ask you to wait a period of time to verify some of the information, which might include sending you a postcard with a code to enter.
Once your business profile is set up, you can manage it by searching for your business in Google while signed in to the Google account you used to set it up. We recommend coming back often to add new posts, update information and respond to your reviews. And remember to remind people to leave reviews, by searching for you on Google!
Want to work this way with your own clients? Explore our coaching pathways.
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