How to Get More Customers (and More Cash) with Google Business Profile

Is GBP good for home services businesses?

Yes. Definitely. One-thousand percent absolutely.

Listen, you’re not the only person on the planet who picks their newly delivered phone book off the front porch and drops it straight into the recycle bin. But Google? People use that thing all day, every day. 

And before you come at me, I’m aware there are other search engines out there, but the one people use most often is Google. We’ve even verbed it. No one says, “Let me Bing that.” They say, “Let me Google that.” 

Here’s the point: Google is the ultimate referral site, and it's where your customers are trying to find you. 

So, if you’re not showing up in a Google search, you might as well be invisible. Correction: If you’re not showing up on the first page of a Google search, you are invisible. 

There are loads of things you can do to boost your ranking, all of which generally fall under the category of search engine optimization (SEO) : keyword optimization , pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, backlinks to your website , staying active on social media , and a ton more. But GBP is a major player in search rankings, and too many shops miss it.

7 GBP Benefits for Plumbers, Electricians, and HVAC Contractors

Getting the Most Out of GBP

How to Optimize GBP in Six Simple Steps

1) Complete your profile.
Boosting your search ranking using GBP is a simple cause-and-effect deal: The more information you include in your GBP profile, the higher you’ll appear in a Google search. The more customers who find you, the more business you’ll do. The more business you do, the more cha-ching you’ll have in your pocket. 

Keep these tips in mind as you complete your profile:

• All information should be up-to-date and match your business website.
• Get specific with your business description.
• Explore all the business categories available, and choose the one that best matches what you do.
• Don’t forget the basics: name, address, phone number, and website.
• Use the attributes section to help paint a picture of exactly who you are and what problems you solve. Link out to the services page of your website, and be sure to include a direct booking button.

2) Ask for reviews. 

People trust other people more than they trust businesses. That means reviews are essential, and the more you have, the higher in the search rankings you go. GBP gives you a custom link to share with customers , which makes the process simple and painless. 

Pro-tip: Put together a “Thanks for your business” email that goes out after every service call, and ask for that review right then and there. Include language like, “If you can’t give us five stars today, let us know how we can make it right!” 

3) Respond to reviews.

You may not believe this, but nearly half of people say they're more likely to visit a business whose owner responds to negative reviews (appropriately, of course). The bottom line is, people trust businesses that respond to reviews. And when people trust you, they buy from you. So respond to them . All of them. (I included a chapter on reputation management in The Book on Digital Marketing. Get the first three chapters for free .)

4) Enable direct messaging.

When a potential customer has a question, they don’t want to hunt you down to ask it. When you allow direct messaging through GBP , they don’t have to. Not only can a customer text you directly, but you can also set up pre-written replies for when you aren’t available. You look like the customer service pro you are, and you’ll get more service calls as a result.

5) Share news, updates, and special offers.

If you want to get your phone ringing off the hook (That’s the goal, right?), the quickest way to do that is posting timely and specific information to your GBP profile. On the regular. It doesn’t take that long! 

6) Find out who’s looking for you.

The more you know about your customer, the better equipped you are to reach them. And that means they’ll be spending their cash with you instead of someone else. 

Once upon a time, getting to know your prospective customers was tricky. But GBP solves that problem by automatically gathering all kinds of data to help you edge out the competition.

It’s also easy to measure ROI with GBP because it gives you key data, including the number of customers who:

• searched for you.
• called you.
• clicked on your photos and posts.
• used Google Maps to request directions.

Pro-tip: Actually use this data. For example, if you notice a particular type of post gets you an increase in clicks or calls, do more of those type of posts!

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or just need someone to get you started with GBP, I can help! There’s nothing I want more than to see your shop at the top of every Google search—so you can bring in more customers, make more money, and have the freedom to do… whatever the heck you want to do. Let’s talk !