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. Helping to get information online and provide easy to use tools for learning, gaining information and building trust for businesses around the globe. From an early stage, Google has always put a focus on supporting all sizes of businesses to grow online, and not always through paid advertisements. Google Business is one of these free to use services, that helps businesses reach their clients quickly, with useful tools for listing details, services, methods to contact the business and reviews that build trust.  

Put simply, your Google Business profile is shown across many of the Google services, in search and on maps. You might have already seen other businesses appear with a box to the right of the search page, with photos, information, and reviews; or all those pins on the Google maps, as you zoom in and out of a location. It isn’t a requirement to have a physical location for Google Business, and this is why your profile will show differently in each service, depending on the setup of your profile.

Improving your search ranking and rating will elevate your business further. Whether you provide services online, or through 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 will always prefer to show trusted local businesses to searchers.

A large element of building trust, as you grow your coaching business is through reviews and experiences, helping future potential clients decide which business suits them the best. Google Reviews has a system combining a star rating and text-based review that is widely becoming a “go to” for online reviews. Reviews are public, and can’t be chosen by the business and therefore, businesses that have the best and most reviews are often put above others in searches, as they are shown to be more trustworthy and credible.

When I started focussing 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

To get started, you will need to have a Google account. You can always add and edit the ownership of the Business profile once you are setup. Head to Google, type in “Google Business” and click the “Google Business Profile” link, that 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. Check your Google account is correct if you are instantly redirected, by viewing the photo or initials of the account in the top right.

You can now type in the name of your Google Business Profile listing. Sometimes, if you are registered already online, your business name and location will show. Or click “create a business with this name”. Follow the steps, uploading any photos, logos, and business information. Add your business address, you can say if you provide services at that location or not 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 you have the business profile setup, you can manage it by searching for your business in Google, on the Google account used to setup the profile. We would recommend that you keep heading back here often and adding new posts, updating information and responding to your reviews! Remember to send reminders for people to add new reviews to your Business, by searching on Google for you!