How To Set Up Your Google Business Profile For The First Time

To set up your Google Business Profile listing go to this link: https://www.google.com/intl/en_au/business/

Click the manage now button (outlined below) which will take you to the claiming process of your GBP.

Google may have your business in its index already or you may have to set it up brand new. This step lets you find out which path to follow. There are 3 things Google looks at in terms of your business's identity in its local ecosystem. 

Business Name
Business Address
Business Phone Number

Ensure you get the spelling of your business name right. Do not try to push any "keywords" into your name to game the search engines. Keep your name exactly on brand that the market knows you for.

Categories describe your business and help you reach your target audience.

Choose a category that best describes your business and be specific.

So if you are a restaurant specialising in pizza, choose a “pizza restaurant” as your category.Some example of business categories include:

• • • • Accounting School
      • Acupuncturist
      • Air Conditioning Contractor
      • Air Conditioning Store
      • Fencing School
      • Advertising agency
      • Car Dealer
      • Cattle Farm
      • Electrical Repair Shop
      • Fish & Chips Restaurant
      • Health Club
      • Fish Spa
      • Fruit and Vegetable Store
      • Flower Delivery
      • Liquor Store
      • Vegan Restaurant
      • Pizza Delivery
      • Pizza Takeaway

Choosing the business type is straight forward. Stay honest and best represent what your business actually does!

This is the second critical part of the information to get right.

While this is simple, from an SEO perspective this is one of the most critical parts of the listing.

Make sure you get your address exactly correct the way it will be displayed on your website as well as any other profiles or citations around the Internet for consistency.

The last one of the 3 critical things to keep consistent in your Google Business Profile set up is the phone number.

Ensure the phone number is the same as the one you'll display on your website and other profiles across the Internet.

Once you have added all the information, you may have to wait a few days to get a post or a phone call to verify your identity. When you receive your code, enter it into your profile and your profile will be activated.

But that’s not enough, you need to optimise it to be discovered by your customers and improve brand engagement.