Lesson 1: Increase GBP Conversions by Answering the 10 Questions your Prospects are Likely Asking

If you haven’t already, be sure to read through our GBP 101 learning track to ensure you’re up to speed before we dive into some more complex subject matter.

In GBP 101, we cover:

1. Setting up your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business - GMB)
2. Adding your GBP information
3. Publishing posts through your GBP
4. Getting started with customer reviews
5. The ways customers can communicate with you via Google

In the GBP 201 learning track, we will cover mid-level GBP marketing techniques and tactics.

In our first lesson of GBP 201, we’ll be discussing how you can optimize your GBP to convert random searchers to paying customers.

We’ll help you fill in information gaps that currently exist within your profile and ensure the content you’re putting out into the world is informative, evergreen, and intriguing to prospective customers. To identify areas of your GBP that can benefit from these tactics, we’ll work to answer 10 questions that your prospects are likely asking. The answers to these questions will help gauge whether you’re using the full scope of GBP tools at your fingertips.

1. What’s in it for me?

For starters, accept that people seeing your Google Business Profile don’t owe you a thing. You’ll need to put in the work to capture their attention by positioning your products and/or services as solutions that will solve the customer’s problems. Instead of writing extensively about your niche features or company history, highlight the benefits that come with using your solutions. (i.e What's in it for me?)

If you're a cybersecurity expert, avoid discussing the intricacies of your technology solutions and instead highlight how your services can help you stave off fraud and avoid account breaches (somewhat fear-based, but you get the idea).

Do you own a real estate company? Talk about the financial value that comes with owning your home versus renting an apartment. Maybe get people excited about all the renovations and possibilities they'll have at their disposal once they're homeowners.

Or maybe you manage a car dealership. Highlight your vehicle's very best features and lead with those in your pitch, as opposed to getting bogged down about the boring stuff.

There are a few different ways you can communicate this information through your GBP, including:

• Review responses
• Q&A content
• The “From the business” section
• Posts

Start with the "From the business" section, as this is an open-ended opportunity to explain your business.

2. How does this fix my problem?

We’ve all aimlessly scoured the web in hopes of stumbling upon something we need. Seeing as consumers don’t always know exactly what they’re looking for, work to position your products or services as the obvious solution to their underlying problem.

As Henry Ford once said, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” This is to say, customers know exactly what problems they're experiencing, but they might not have a clue as to how to solve them.

How can you accomplish this through your GBP? We’d recommend starting with making a list of all potential problems your customers might be faced with. Work to whip up answers to all listed questions, and then post each question within your Q&A section, followed by an answer from your business. You can even repurpose FAQs into Google posts, giving you an easy way to churn out valuable content on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

3. What will others think?

For the most part, humans like to stick with the pack. We use the decisions of others as mental shortcuts in our own lives. A proven concept within behavioral science, popularity is a good proxy for quality. If a whole group of people is saying positive things about a particular company then we’ll likely accept that as true.

Within GBP, lifetime review volume = popularity.

We recommend a minimum of 100 to get started, but there is really no limit. A productive way to estimate target lifetime review volume is to make note of your local competitors' review volume and try to beat those numbers.

4. What’s the price?

If it makes sense for your business, include price information that will catch the eyes of high-intent shoppers. This can be accomplished through the “Products” tool in your GBP account.

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5. Is this what I’m searching for?

As a consumer, ask yourself — are you paying any attention to content that isn’t relevant to you? Of course not, so you can’t expect to capture the attention of a broad spectrum of consumers. Focus on your niche audience and embed industry and product category keywords throughout your GBP listing to ensure your profile is getting in front of the right people.

6. Are you open right now?

If you’ve followed along with our previous lessons, you should already have your normal business hours listed. But what about your holiday hours or other special circumstances?

GBP enables you to update your “Special hours” field within your account to input unique hours throughout the year. This enables you to plug in all of your irregular business hours a single time and ensure customers don't have a frustrating experience because of inaccurate information.

7. What’s your best seller?

If you have a product that’s constantly flying off the shelves, take note. Get your best sellers front and center on your GBP and ensure the products/services that are commonly driving in business are easily accessible and visible to prospective buyers. Better yet, make it easy for buyers to identify which of your products are most likely to be what they need.

To make this happen, head into your Q&A section and add the question, “What are your best sellers?”, and provide the answer. You can also add a “Best Sellers” category to your products section, which will show up on your GBP listing upon relevant searches.

Additionally, you can utilize product reviews on Google to indicate the popularity of certain products, and you can even add a note within a particular product to identify it as a best seller.

8. Where’s the nearest location?

Even in the wake of the pandemic, customers still prefer an in-store shopping experience as opposed to a purely digital one. 

With this in mind, be sure to include your address, service area, and location keywords in review responses, Q&A’s, and other GBP sections that will help communicate to both customers and Google what geographical area you work in.

9. Is there an alternative?

You can’t avoid being compared to your competitors, so instead, lean into the ways you outperform them. Consumers will almost always look for alternatives just to make sure you really are the best option they have - use the GMB to make your case.

Prospects will likely start by checking out your reviews, so make getting reviews and responding to reviews a priority for your business. They will lean on the positive feedback of others, and with great reviews, Google will actually show your business above the competition in SERPs.

It may sound shallow, but perceived popularity (aka, a lot of positive reviews), goes a long way towards making a good first impression with customers.

10. How can I contact you?

Having multiple communication channels with prospective customers can go a long way in establishing your online presence. While the trusty telephone is likely your primary channel, it’s worth exploring the messaging and video conferencing tools Google offers.

For a refresher on the ways customers can connect with you via Google, check out lesson 5 of our GBP 101 learning series.

Next Up: How Your GBP Helps You Rank in Local Search

That’s all for lesson 1, thanks for reading! If you're ready, move on to lesson 2, where we'll be discussing how your business can rank better in local search through effective GBP optimization.