Digital marketing – Put yourself on the map

When a potential customer hits Google to find the right local estate agent to sell their home or manage their rental property, chances are they’ll start with a search like ‘estate agents near me’ or ‘letting agents in MyTown’.

It’s also likely they will visit the website of, or make a call to, one of the top three local companies whose Google entries they see. To manage and control your businesses presence on the top search engine, you need a Google Business Profile account, which you monitor and update frequently. If you’re not sure what this is, how you get one or why it matters, we shall explain.

What is a Google Business Profile?

Google Business Profiles are the listings that appear alongside a map when you search for a local organisation. They are so important because they are highly visible and directly respond to the user intent when someone searches for a service in their local area. You can set up a listing for your estate agency – and add it to Google maps. What you may not realise is, so can anyone else, whether they have a connection to your business or not.

You can optimise your profile to rank higher.

To be able to manage and update your listing you need a Google Business Profile account. Without that, the information in your listing will be pulled from elsewhere on Google – it may not be up-to-date, accurate or presenting you in the right way for the customers you want to attract.

How do I get a Google Business Profile account?

The Google Business Profile account is free to use. Access it via google.com/business and create your account using the ‘manage now’ menu. If your agency doesn’t already have a Google listing, you’ll need to create one. Connect the two by locating your company on Google Maps then selecting ‘claim this business’.

What are the benefits of having a Google Business Profile account?

There are four ways that a fully-optimised Google Business Profile account can boost traffic to your website and brand awareness.

1 It’s great for customer engagement

A Google listing allows users to leave reviews of your business. These are hugely important to your reputation as they are one of the first things other customers notice. Linking your listing to your Google Business Profile means you can respond to reviews, answer questions and direct message customers. You can even post to your account in the same way as with other social platforms. This is all good for showing the human face of your brand, creating dialogue and responding to negatives if you need to.

2 You control how you showcase your business locally

By controlling the information contained on your listing you can make sure everything fits your brand and key messaging. You can add great photos and ensure information about opening hour etc is up to date. You can also tweak the information to suit current campaigns – if you are running a promotion or local event, for example.

3 You can optimise for search

As with your website, you can optimise your business profile to rank higher in searches. Business profiles are dynamic, meaning which ones you see and how highly they rank will depend on what the searcher is looking for. As with the search engine results page, Google will prioritise the listings that respond to keywords in the search and for the quality of information you provide.

To make this work for you, be sure to incorporate the keywords you’re trying to rank for into both your business description and your response to reviews and questions.

4 You’ll get insights about your audience

Google Business Profile comes with analytics so you can see how your agency performs. Use the dashboard to find out what questions customers are asking when they see your listing, and the actions they are taking. You can do this on Google Analytics too. As with any part of your digital marketing strategy, analysis and measurement are key to understanding your customers and boosting awareness of your business.

How else should I get the most out of Google Business Profile

Our main advice is to keep on top of your listing – don’t just set it up then ignore it. When you create your profile, fill in every section as this will help you rank. If things change, such as hours, contact details or what you’re offering, update these regularly. This is crucial to building trust in your brand – among customers but also the Google algorithm. By posting and continuing to respond to reviews and feedback, you’re signalling to Google that your business is alive, active and responsive.

Got a question? Visit www.artdivision.co.uk