This post was originally adapted from the April 2022 webinar ‘Using Google Business Profile Management to Increase Your Agency’s Recurring Revenue’ with Tricia Clement. You can watch it in our DAO community or catch the replay here.

Do your clients want to get more online visibility for their business? A Google Business profile does the trick.

It will interest you that 97% of people learn more about a local business online than anywhere else. With a Google Business Profile, you can help potential customers find your business, giving them all the information they need about your products and services—you’re missing out on opportunities to increase your recurring revenue without one. 

We had an insightful chat with Google Business Profile expert and founder of Your Biz Watchdog, Tricia Clements, who shared valuable tips you can explore to increase your agency’s revenue.

Want to learn more? Keep reading—we’ve got goodies for you towards the end. 

How important Google Business Profile (GBP) is to local SEO

Let’s analyze a case in point, shall we?  

Open a new Google tab and type the word GoWP into the search box. The result of that search on a desktop will look something like the image below:

On the right side of the image is GoWP’s Google Business Profile. It contains a link to our website, directions to a physical office on Google Maps, a phone number, opening hours, and reviews. With a simple click, potential clients can discover all they need to learn about GoWP, enough to know what the brand is about and make a decision. 

A Google Business Profile is crucial for local SEO. Its relevance and popularity among business owners went from 15% to 36% between 2015 and 2021, while citations, links, and other behavioral signals declined in importance—they no longer carry as much weight as they once did.  

Some of the benefits of a Google Business Profile include:

• Increased reach and search visibility. 
• More opportunities for revenue generation. 
• Review generation.
• It serves as an information source for old and new customers.
• Optimized location-based SEO.
• It generates website traffic.

Still speaking about importance and relevance, Google Business Profiles and reviews made up over half—36 & 16%, respectively—of the local search ranking in 2022. Commendably, a google business profile is a fusion of customer reviews and business information, making it a one-stop solution for your visibility needs.

A Google Business Profile is called the new ‘homepage’ for businesses. However, it should not replace your business website. Without a well-optimized business website, you may not achieve as much with a Google Business profile and vice versa. Your goal should be to make them both work hand-in-hand. 

So if you or your clients are looking for where to invest marketing capital for good returns on investment, a Google Business Profile is the way to go.

Review management

Reviews are a big deal, so much so that they can influence buying decisions. Nine in every ten consumers read reviews before engaging with brands. 

Reviews show prospects that you are trustworthy and can deliver on your promises. They give your potential clients insight into the quality of your service through the experiences of customers who have previously engaged with your brand. Take the above review as an example. Any brand looking to hire an outsourcing agency will most likely be drawn in by such a positive review.  

With Google Business Profiles on the top of the Search Engine Result Pages, there is a high chance your prospects will start checking for reviews there. How you manage your Google reviews—positive or negative—is just as important as the reviews themselves.

Here are a few ways you can manage your reviews for better results:

• Pay attention to both applause and criticism. 
• Respond to all reviews as much as you can.
• Dispute fake reviews.

The last thing you want to do is delete or block negative reviews from your Google Business Profile because this act can attract penalties from the Federal Trade Commission(FTC). In a recent case between the Federal Trade Commission and Fashion Nova, the latter was fined $4.2 Million for blocking negative customer reviews of their products. 

What businesses can’t have a Google Business Profile (GBP)?

As useful and valuable as Google business profiles are, not all businesses are eligible to create one. As a general rule, any business with a provision for in-person contact with customers during business hours can apply for a business profile on Google. In other words, any business with a physical location that customers can visit or travels to customers where they are is eligible.

The following businesses are not eligible to create a business profile:

• Online-only businesses.
• Rental or for-sale property services.
• Lead generation agents or companies.
• Brand, organization, and artists.

Why a set-it-and-forget-it approach won’t work for a Google Business Profile

It is one thing to set up and verify your Google Business Profile and another to keep it up-to-date and in line with the constant algorithmic changes. Most business owners fail to realize that a Google Business Profile needs regular optimization to be effective and result-producing. Beyond a beautiful-looking profile, you also want new leads and conversions.

A set-it-and-forget-it approach never works, and here’s why: 

• Google algorithm changes impact ranking.
• Search results change.
• Introduction of new features that can impact ranking.
• How buyers search and buy online changes all the time.

Google is constantly updating its algorithms to provide better services for its users—businesses, and consumers. Your best bet to make the most of your Google Business Profile is to keep your fingers on the pulse and optimize your profile as the updates roll out.  

Tips for keeping your Google Business Profile from being suspended

A few things are as dreadful as having your Google Business Profile suspended. A profile suspension would mean disrupting a valuable lead source and pushing potential customers to take their business to your competition.

Google issues profile suspensions to protect its unsuspecting users from potential fraud. There are several reasons for profile suspensions.

Some common ones include:

• Duplicate listing.
• Inappropriate content.
• Keyword stuffing.
• Address sharing. 
• Spammy or suspicious business information.

Whatever the reason for the suspension is, it is not always easy to find out. You may need to contact Google directly to know why your profile got suspended. The process of finding answers and reinstatement solutions is not rosy. You are better off exploring tips to avoid a suspension altogether. 

Here are some tips to avoid a suspension:

• Follow Google’s guidelines.
• Don’t have too many users on one account.
• Stay away from black hat tactics.
• Get help sooner rather than later with problems.

Business Profile Management made easy—Your Biz Watchdog.

A Google Business Profile is a goldmine waiting to be explored. The possibilities it has to generate new businesses and income sources are endless. 

For instance, you can offer Google Business Profile management services to increase your agency’s recurring revenue. All you need to do is assemble the right team of experts. Thankfully, with the Google Business Profile White Label Services offered by Your Biz Watchdog, you can create a new income source, helping businesses manage their profiles and boost their online reputation.   

Guess what?

You can tap into this recurring revenue source for your agency too. By offering Your Biz Watchdog’s Whitelabel service, you are expanding your territory and the value of your service to your clients. The good part? The heavy lifting gets done for you. All you need to do is build and strengthen quality relationships with your clients while the money rolls in on a platter.

Benefits of Your Biz Watchdog’s GBP white label services

• Stable recurring revenue.
• GBP experts on your team.
• 100% white label without any setup fee.
• Increased client retention.
• New income stream. 

Ready to boost your client’s online presence and leads while increasing your recurring revenue? Now is a good time to book a call with Your Biz Watchdog to get started. 

This post was originally adapted from the April 2022 webinar ‘Using Google Business Profile Management to Increase Your Agency’s Recurring Revenue’ with Tricia Clement. You can watch it in the DAO community.