![\"\"](\"https:\/\/whitespark.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image-11.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nMaximize the benefits of your profile by filling out ALL of the information possible. Here are our best practices and recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Business Name<\/strong> Don\u2019t keyword stuff. Don\u2019t add city names. Yes you may be located in Seattle, but if your business name is not Seattle Donut Shop \u2013 we recommend you don\u2019t use the city name. This is considered spam. This can create Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) consistency issues and messy data. That being said, some people still add the city name to their business and get away with it. In the end it\u2019s up to your discretion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keyword stuffing is still a problem because, well, it works. Fight the urge to be a spammer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Primary Category & Additional Categories <\/strong> Use the additional categories to your advantage and be sure to add all of the secondary categories that are applicable to your business (maximum of 9)<\/strong>. Check category options regularly as they are often updated and new opportunities may be available for your business (our friends at Sterling Sky keep a log of changes to Google Business Profile categories here<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also step up your game and use this GBP category hack<\/a> to find out which categories your competitors use:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another option is to use George Nenni\u2019s handy Chrome extension, GMBspy<\/a> to do the heavy-lifting for you when it comes to seeing competitors\u2019 categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Description<\/strong> The description does not have an impact on rankings, and it\u2019s not factored into the ranking algorithm (so stuffing it full of keywords and location terms isn\u2019t going to give you a leg up in search results or on your competitors). These 750 characters give you a chance to provide a searcher with a quick paragraph about your company, what you offer, why you\u2019re awesome, etc. If you\u2019re a fan of emojis you can even add them, if that\u2019s your thing.\u00a0 If you want to explore the description field further, check out this video on\u00a0how-to \u201coptimize\u201d your description<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opening Date<\/strong> If you have multiple locations, it\u2019s up to you whether you add the date your business started or the date you opened at that location. Keep in mind that Google often uses this information to display a note on your profile that says, \u201c__ Years in Business\u201d which can build trust with searchers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Phone Numbers<\/strong> Website<\/strong> Tip<\/strong>: Don\u2019t forget to add tracking \u2013 https:\/\/www.YOURDOMAIN.com\/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=local&utm_campaign=google_business_profile<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Note: Making changes to your profile\u2019s core information (name, category, address, phone number, and website) should be approached with caution, as they can sometimes lead to the profile being flagged by Google and suspended, requiring re-verification<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Appointment URL<\/strong> You can link to a: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Short Name (Deprecated as of June 2021)<\/strong> All GBPs still have a unique URL available to share with customers, Google automatically generates the URL with no option to edit it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Address<\/strong> The current recommended best practice for suite numbers is to place it on the second address line and enter it like #300. Google completely ignores suite numbers. They do not factor suites into consistency in any way, no matter where you put them. But, they are important for getting your customers to your store\/office in the least hassle-free way. So adding the suite number is for customer experience. Google normalizes data, which means there are acceptable abbreviations for standard address data (ie. both of these are okay: Junction = Jct) \u2013 here\u2019s a list<\/a> if you\u2019re not sure what\u2019s an a-okay variation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your business is located within another business\/building there is a special feature to add this information to your profile. This feature is within Maps (click here<\/a> to jump down and learn more about the feature). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Service Area Businesses or Hybrid Businesses (1) Service Area Businesses \u2013 If you don\u2019t serve customers at your business address, leave the address field blank and only enter your service area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (2) Hybrid Businesses \u2013 If you serve customers at your business address and you travel to visit or deliver your goods or services to customers, then you can show your storefront address, set specific hours for your store, and designate a service area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your business can set a maximum of\u00a020 service areas\u00a0<\/strong>and should be no farther than up to 2 hours of driving time from your base business location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hours<\/strong> Searchers want to be informed with data they can trust, and the most accurate business hours. There is nothing worse than checking a business\u2019s hours and planning a visit, only to find out it\u2019s closed once you arrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hours For Appointment Only Businesses<\/strong> More Hours<\/strong> Google has also added a \u201cconfirmed by _____\u201d label to some GBP profiles where they are\u00a0verifying the published business information<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Attributes<\/strong> To access the settings for your Business Profile, click the three dots in the top right corner of the NMX:<\/p>\n\n\n\n From here, you can view your Business Profile settings, Notification settings, view other Business Profiles you may own, add a new Business Profile, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To edit your settings, click \u201cBusiness Profile Settings\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Managers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Business Profile settings, you can view all Business Profile Owners and Managers. It\u2019s important to monitor this section regularly and remove any users who aren\u2019t actively managing your Business Profile. Having additional Owners or Managers on your Business Profile puts you at risk of accidental suspensions, inaccurate changes to your business information, or worse \u2014 someone claiming ownership who doesn\u2019t actually own your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To remove a user from your Business Profile, click Managers, select the person you\u2019d like to remove, and click \u201cRemove group\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Advanced Information Settings<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Since you\u2019re already on top of having the ultimate optimized business profile, take it further by adding advanced info to stay organized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We recommend you review this section to ensure it\u2019s set up according to your preferences, and keep a record of things like your Business Profile ID and store code. Google Support is now asking for your Business Profile ID when contacting them, so be sure to record it somewhere safe and have it ready just in case. This is especially important if your profile becomes suspended as the Business ID helps track it down more easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Google Assistant (Only Available in U.S)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Google Assistant<\/a> makes phone calls on behalf of searchers for booking a reservation, an appointment, or confirming business information (ie.store hours) on a GBP. Google Assistant calls your business using an automated voice-calling technology and asks questions and confirms information based on the customer\u2019s request. When the call starts, the person who answers is advised that the Assistant is calling, and then follows a series of questions based on what the searcher\/client wanted to accomplish (ie. dinner reservations for a Tuesday evening or store hours during an upcoming holiday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n This feature is still being tested, but it is available for some profiles. You will see a Google Assistant Calls box in your Info section within the advanced settings, and by default it will automatically opt in your business to participate in this program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For some businesses you may not want this feature for your profile, so you can login and opt out by unchecking the box. For other businesses this may be something you have been waiting for! Businesses also have the option to also opt out when they receive an assistant call by saying, \u201cplease remove my business from your list\u201d or \u201cplease, stop calling my business.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Store Code (optional)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are a multi-location business the store codes you create will help you stay organized and keep on top of your locations . You control how you want the code to appear. For instance, if Whitespark had 3 locations in Edmonton we could label them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You get the picture. Decide how you want to uniquely identify your locations for ease of management.<\/em> Adding keywords doesn\u2019t do anything here; this is strictly a feature to organize all your locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tip:<\/strong> Google best practices suggest that if your business moves locations, be sure to give it a new store code and delete the old one. Don\u2019t recycle codes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Label (optional) Ads Location Extensions Phone (should use if using Google Ads) Located In<\/strong>\u00a0is not a direct Google Business Profile feature that can be triggered by a specific category and show up in your Info section within the dashboard.\u00a0 This is actually a Maps feature and to access it you need to edit the information directly from the Business Profile in Search or Google Maps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You will see the Located In feature for <\/p>\n\n\n\n Examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re located in another building or business and you think this feature would benefit both your business and searchers, here is how to add it to your GBP<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also do this to remove the Located In feature<\/strong> from your business profile if there has been an error in Maps and it\u2019s displaying your business within another location that is incorrect. If your edit is not approved, you can take it a step further and contact business support via Talk to a specialist<\/a>, or Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"Adding Business Information to Your Business Profile - GBP Optimization Guide | Whitespark","_seopress_titles_desc":"Maximize the benefits of your Google Business Profile by filling out ALL of the information possible. 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This is the business name that you use in the real world \u2013 the one on your signs, and business cards. Your Doing Business As Name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/whitespark.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image-12.png\")
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Your category selection is very important and has a direct impact on local rankings<\/a>. Your primary category tells what your business is (Law Firm, Dentist, Plumber, Hair Salon, etc). It is also the only category that will be published publicly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/whitespark.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image-13.png\")
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When it comes to writing your description make sure you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Add the year and month of when your business opened. By adding this information you take the guesswork out for Google as they use multiple sources to determine how long a business has been in operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/whitespark.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image-15.png\")
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Add your primary\/main business line. Also add secondary numbers like toll-free numbers. If you use a call tracking number then you can add this to your profile as the Primary phone number, and put your main business line as a secondary number.\u00a0Learn more about how to add call tracking numbers to your Google<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/whitespark.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image-17.png\")
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Where you link your profile to will depend on how many locations you have<\/a>. We recommend that you link to your homepage if your business has 3 or less locations<\/strong>. Be sure that you equip your homepage with content that relates to your primary category, top keywords, and business. This can make a huge difference in your ability to rank in the local pack. If your business has more than 4 locations, then you should <\/strong>consider creating individual location landing pages<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Use this. Especially for businesses that are appointment only! But also if you have very specific appointment offers for different services or different practitioners within your business. You can add up to 10 appointment links per category<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
While Google removed the functionality of this feature<\/a> (you can\u2019t create a Short Name) if you did create a unique short name and URL before June 2021 g.page\/[YourCustomName] <\/strong>it will still work! You will not be able to edit your existing short name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/whitespark.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image-18-1024x314.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nNeed a review link for your business? No problem! We have a free Google Review Link Generator tool that allows you to create a customer review link to share with your customers. Get your Google review link!<\/a><\/strong><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Location and Areas<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Physical Location Businesses
If customers can visit you in person, then you may publish your address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If customers do not come to you then you will need to set a service area based on the regions, cities, Zip\/Postal Codes, or districts that your business serves<\/strong><\/a>. When updating your business information, you have the option of entering your address, service area, or both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/whitespark.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image-19.png\")
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Add your regular business hours. Also make sure to use the Special Hours feature so that you can prepare in advance for holiday hours, or irregular\/one-off changes in business hours for team days, events, and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/whitespark.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image-20.png\")
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Right now there is no feature available for appointment-only businesses. If you don\u2019t run regular hours at your location, or if someone can\u2019t just come visit at a specific set time you will need to leave the hours section blank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The more hours feature allows you to post special hours for specific services to your business profile, such as senior hours, pickup, delivery, drive-through, or online service hours. You can only add more hours when your regular hours are filled in. This is also a category-dependent feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/whitespark.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image-21-1024x464.png\")
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Your attributes help inform customers on things like what forms of payment your business accepts, accessibility options available, health and safety measures implemented and more. We have a section dedicated to Attributes \u2013 so hop on ahead to learn the ins and outs of this feature<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBusiness Profile Settings<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/whitespark.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image-23-1024x328.png\")
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<\/strong>If you\u2019re using Ads and incorporating local ads into your marketing mix<\/a>, this label will be a major help in keeping you organized in Ads. The label allows you to easily sync your GBP to an Ads campaign, and take advantage of the location extension for your ads. It\u2019s really to help multi-location businesses and agencies to seamlessly manage PPC campaigns linked to Google Business Profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>If you\u2019re investing your money in Ads, then you should ensure proper tracking methods. By adding a call tracking number in this field, you will have conversion data for how many users are clicking to call from your ads, and know how successful your ads really are. If you choose to leave this field empty, then by default Ads will use your Primary Phone Number and you\u2019ll lose the chance to properly track your click-to-call campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\nUsing the \u201clocated in feature\u201d on your Google Business Profile<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/whitespark.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image-28.png\")
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Guidelines for using the Located In feature:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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