The only Google Business Profile Features That directly Make Your Listing Rank Higher

The only Google Business Profile Features That directly Make Your Listing Rank Higher

After working with small business owners for years, I figured out which Google Business Profile features directly help your listing rank higher on Google Maps, and today I’m going to share them with you. Lucky you! But first, why should you listen to me? Over the last 10 years, my YouTube channel has helped thousands of small business owners claim the top spot on Google Maps using the features I’m about to show you. These features have evolved over time, and this is the most up-to-date list. So let’s not waste any more time and start with the first.

Business Categories
Choosing the right business categories is essential if you want your listing to rank high on Google Maps, especially your primary category. Get it right, and you’ll soar up the rankings; get it wrong, and you’ll be virtually invisible. The key to selecting the best primary category is to search for the most important keyword you want to be found for on Google Maps. Check out the top-ranking businesses and see what primary category they’re using—that’s the one you want to use for your business. You can also add up to nine secondary categories to help your listing appear for relevant keywords. If you’re unsure about which ones to add, download the GMB Everywhere extension and search Google Maps again for your main keyword. GMB Everywhere will show you the secondary categories chosen by top-ranking businesses. Add these to your listing, too, if you feel they are relevant.

Business Name
Google uses your profile name to rank your listing on Google Maps. If your business name includes the keyword you want to rank for, you’ll score high rankings for those keywords. If not, you’ll fall behind businesses that do. Unfortunately, you can’t just change your business name randomly; it has to match how you reference and present your business in real life to fit Google’s guidelines. To take advantage of this, change your business name so it includes the keywords you’re trying to rank for. You can easily do this by filing for a DBA . There’s a small cost attached to this, but it’s well worth it.

Reviews
Google uses reviews as a ranking factor—the number of reviews you have, the ratings, how often you get them, and how recent they are all matter. So, make sure to ask every satisfied customer to post a review on your profile. This will help your listing climb the rankings and build a solid reputation for your business. Finally, don’t forget to respond to customers who post reviews, good or bad. While it won’t help with rankings, it will help convert prospective clients who are reading them.

Website Link
Google also considers where you link your listing to when ranking it on maps. To make the most of this, ensure your listing links to a strong page on your website that highlights your main service and location and matches your primary category. If you’re a business with a single location, link to your homepage, as it’s likely to be the strongest page on your site. For businesses with multiple locations, create dedicated pages for each location and link each specific profile to those pages. Avoid linking to a Facebook page or other social media networks, as this won’t give you a ranking boost. If you don’t have a website, I strongly recommend you invest in one—otherwise, you’ll be missing out on tons of customers.

Services
Adding the services you offer to your listing helps it rank for those services and related keywords. You can add the services Google suggests based on your business categories or add your own custom ones. Both types will boost your rankings. Just make sure not to add services you don’t actually provide—you don’t want to mislead potential customers.

Opening Hours
Your opening hours matter. When your business is closed, it will rank lower on Google Maps, but it will bounce back to higher rankings when open. To avoid missing out on topping Google Maps results while your business is closed, consider setting up a 24-hour answering service. However, don’t claim to be open 24 hours if you can’t support it—it could backfire and result in negative Google reviews if prospective customers try to get in touch only to find out you are closed.

Identity Attributes
You can add special tags called identity attributes to your listing. These tags are useful because they help you connect with the right audience and boost your rankings and visibility on Google search results when people look for businesses with specific ownership characteristics, like Asian-owned or women-owned. If these attributes apply to your business, you should definitely add them.

These are the only features within your Google Business Profile that will directly impact your listing’s rankings when you change or add them. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. If you think I’m wrong, let me know in the comments below and tell me if I’ve forgotten any. Does this mean that other features don’t matter? Not at all! You should still take care of every part of your Google Business Profile, as they will all help with your rankings and turn visitors into customers. The features I’ve just gone through are the ones that will have a direct impact on your rankings, while the others will only help indirectly. To get the most out of all your Google Business Profile features, check out our website: https://hvacbrief.com