If you are a local-based business then you know the importance of people being able to find you with a simple Google or Google Maps search. Knowing how to add keywords to your Google Business Profile is the key to potential clients being able to not only find your business easily, but also learn about your services and even contact you with a simple click of the mouse.
Did you know that just like your website can be optimized for SEO purposes, so can your business profile? Using the right keywords in your profile means your business shows up in searches. If you are wanting to learn how to add keywords to your Google Business Profile to increase your traffic and find new customers, then keep reading and I will walk you through the steps I take as an SEO specialist.
Understanding Keywords
Now what is a keyword, you ask? Great question, a keyword is the group of words or phrases that people type into Google to find you! Think about when you are searching for a lunch spot nearby or a dry cleaner in your neighborhood, what steps do you take? You would either go to Google or Google Maps and type in something along the lines of “dry cleaner near me” or “dry cleaner in (your town)”. These are all location-based searches, and as a local business these are the searches you want to be found in!
If you have a Google Business Profile set up with the right keywords that your ideal clients are searching for then it will increase your visibility in both google map and local search results. The goal is for you and your business to show up when potential clients are searching for services in your area.
For example, when I search on Google for “Texas interior designers”, this is what comes up.
The businesses that are showing up at the top of the search results have profiles and websites that are optimized for SEO. The key (no pun intended) to optimization is choosing your keywords carefully. This process is called keyword research. If you aren’t sure where to begin with keyword research, I would suggest trying out Ubersuggest– it’s a free tool that will help you get keyword ideas.
For your most important keyword, you will most likely be using a location-based keyword with your primary location followed by your primary service or title. Here are some examples:
- minneapolis interior designer
- portland or wedding photographer
- colorado branding photography
- shenandoah valley wedding planner
This is the keyword you want to focus on when you add keywords to your Google Business Profile.
Optimizing and Incorporating Keywords into Your Google Business Profile
There are some very important steps to follow when you are setting up or optimizing your Google Business Profile.
First, make sure you claim and verify your profile. Then make sure you complete all of your relevant business information, write a compelling business description and make sure you include your most important keyword we discussed in the last section.
Next, add all of your services and your most important keyword to your services section. Lastly, add high quality images and choose a cover photo that accurately represents your best work.
Another thing to focus on when optimizing your Google Business Profile is encouraging customers to leave reviews on your Google profile and responding to all reviews. It’s important for Google to see that you are an active business and especially important for potential clients to see multiple positive reviews at first glance since that is what shows up directly under your business name.
Best Practices for Keyword Optimization
Just as with website SEO, there are best practices to follow when you add keywords to your Google Business Profile.
One thing to avoid is a practice called “keyword stuffing”. Keyword stuffing is exactly what it sounds like – when you try and “stuff” as many keywords as you can into your profile. Not only does it make for an unpleasant user experience, but it will not help your chances of showing up higher in search results.
Another technique that is seen as spammy is adding your keyword into your business name on Google. You want your main keyword in the right places – but the section where your business name goes is not one of them.
As you go through the process of optimizing your profile and using new keywords, there is trial and error involved. You will have to monitor your profile (more on that in the next section) and see how different keyword variations perform and tweak them as needed.
Monitor Google Business Profile Performance
As mentioned above, part of optimizing your profile is tracking what keywords are bringing in traffic and which ones are not. The best way to do this is through Google Search Console (GSC)..
Pro tip: To set up your GSC to track your profile’s performance you need to first add a UTM tracking link to your Google Business Profile.
Here is how to do this:
- Start by copying the URL of your website and adding this to the end of your URL: “/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=GBP&utm_content=GBPwebsitelink”
- This is now your UTM tracking link for GBP. It should look something like this: https://mywebsite.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=GBP&utm_content=GBPwebsitelink
- Paste this full link into the website section on your Google Business Profile. You can do this by clicking “Edit profile” and scrolling down to the Contact Information section.
After adding this link to your profile, you will soon see this exact UTM tracking URL when you log in to your Google Search Console (GSC) account. By doing this, it allows GSC to track the impressions and clicks to your website from your Google Business Profile. Because GSC typically lumps all clicks and impressions from Google into one, this helps you better understand how many people are finding you through your profile and how many through organic search results by separating the data. You can then use this information to better optimize your profile!
Why It’s Important to Add Keywords to Your Google Business Profile
Starting out, optimizing your Google Business Profile and finding the right keywords can feel daunting, but it is all worth it when the leads you are chasing start coming in. A strong SEO strategy, both on your website and profile, are essential to successful marketing for businesses looking to target their local area.
By following these tips, you will see your profile showing up at the top of the search results for your most important service in your local area. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me. If you are looking for someone to come in and add keywords to your Google Business Profile for you, we are offering a new GBP add-on service that will do just that (and more!). Check out the new ways you can work with me to discover how Cheyenne Creative can help you meet your SEO goals.
