Why does my Tour or Rental Company need a Google Business Profile?

Google Search is the undisputed champion of search engines with +91.5% of the market and its closest competitor, Bing, has a 3.19% global search engine market share. Having a Google Business Profile (GBP) ensures that people find your business when looking for products and services like yours in their local area. Your Google Business listing helps you stand out. It shows searchers what you offer, where you are located, hours of operation, contact information, customer reviews, and how to visit your business. Your GBP will also improve your local SEO rankings.

The best part is it is FREE and easy to set up. If you do not have a Google Business Profile, click START HERE and begin to stand out. 

Best Practices to a Manage Business Profile

Did you know that Google changed how they display search results? They used to show up to seven company listings, today Google displays just three.  To improve your local SEO rankings, you need to keep your GBP relevant and continually update it. 99.9% of US companies are small businesses with limited budgets and resources. By actively working on your free business profile, you will improve your company’s exposure on the local level. 

Google’s algorithm for ranking Business Profiles does not just consider proximity and relevance but also activity and quality of information. Optimizing your GBP signals  Google to rank you higher in local results. And higher rank, as you know, means more visibility and engagement with your business.

We know the importance of doing this through our own experience.  We had ignored our GBP for years thinking it had no relevance to our ranking. We were wrong. Since updating our profile and instituting regular updates with new content, we have seen an 181% increase in people viewing our profile and our website.  

Follow these 5 steps to increase your visibility on Google

1. Check that your GBP has completed as many sections as possible. The completeness of your GBP not only helps Google rank you higher in local search results but also increases the number of actions customers can take when they find your profile.  

2. Using the right keywords will improve relevance in search criteria. Not sure where to start?  We use SpyFu, which is free and offers SEO information that we find useful at Indexic. Click HERE to start a free account. 

3. Add real images and videos to your business. Your GBP includes a logo and cover photo. Use images consistent with those on your social profiles to make it easier for people to recognize your brand. But do not stop there. Add images and videos to highlight your location, work environment, and team.

4. Your tour reservation software should have a feature to send automated thank-you emails.  In that email insert your Google Review link and start asking your customers to review you. This is one way to keep your profile updated. It will also influence your future customers. A recent study by Dimensional Research showed that 90% of consumers say online reviews impact their buying decisions.  It is also another way to keep your business listing relevant. Google will notify you by email soon after a new review is submitted. This allows you the opportunity to respond to all reviews. As we wrote in our earlier newsletter, responding to reviews is important – good reviews as well as bad ones.  

5. Set up a task reminder to update your GBP monthly. Add a new article, pictures, or company updates.  Adding new content is one of the keys to your SEO Rankings with Google.  Optimizing your GBP monthly will result in Google ranking you higher in local results.  This generates more eyes on your business which leads to more sales.

Google Business Profiles Top Tips

Here are a few updates you should consider when updating your Business Profile on Google:

• Do not “set and forget” about your Business Profile. Tend to it constantly adding posts, updates, latest photos, responding to reviews, and adding or updating your tours. This matters a lot.
• After 6 months your most recent posts won't be highly highlighted.  To keep attracting customers and be noticed, get into the habit of sharing updates, exclusive events, and more 
• Use the new features of the Business Profile, including "Business Posts" to announce discounts and product updates. These posts show up on your Business Profile and in search results. (50% of customers look for promotions and discounts when searching for a business online.)
• Create an FAQ in the “Questions and Answers” section of your profile to save you time and help your customer.
• You can now add links to your social media accounts. Up to 7 accounts, and they'll display 5 of them.
• Update your photos at least monthly, and make sure they’re authentic—not staged, not overly edited.
• Load your tours on your profile using the new Ticket Editor! Could you do it now, it's so easy. If you're using booking software, chances are they might be connectivity partners with Google Things to do. But if not, go into your Business Profile, click on Activities, and load your tours, with links to the individual tour pages. Now your Business Profile becomes a one-stop shop for the customer, linking directly to your tours.

• Mobile, mobile mobile: with 97% of the United States population over the age of 18 now owning a smartphone, you must make sure your site is fast and friendly for phone users. Several Googlers brought this up, so it's clearly on their minds.

• Use the analytics from your Business Profile! It's quite powerful. Google shares a lot of useful analytics with you, such as where your guests are coming from, the highest activity times and days, search queries that led them to your profile, and much more.

Maintaining a Google Business Profile allows potential customers searching for your tour or rental company in your local area to gain insight into your business and the services you offer. Keeping your GBP regularly updated with photos, articles, events, and reviews is essential for maintaining and improving SEO rankings and sales too

For more information on setting up or updating your Google Business Profile click Google Business Profile Help or 13 Steps to Rank Higher. 

If you have any questions about updating your Google Business Profile, contact the Indexic team by clicking the button link below and we'll gladly assist.