Welcome to our Zen Digital Toolkit, a place where we break things down into simple, actionable steps that you can use in your daily marketing efforts.

In this series we'll guide you with practical roadmaps that will bring calm and clarity to your marketing journey. Whether you’re working on lead generation, digital campaigns, or setting up your ads, these tips will help you stay on track.

A Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is a free tool that allows businesses to manage how they appear on Google Search and Maps. It includes vital information like your business name, address, contact details, hours of operation, and customer reviews. 

Optimizing your Google Business Profile is crucial for improving your local search visibility, attracting more customers, and building credibility online. By keeping your profile accurate and engaging, you ensure that potential clients can easily find, learn about, and interact with your business, leading to increased foot traffic and sales.

Now, let’s walk through the process of optimizing your listing.

First, ensure all essential business information is accurate and up-to-date.

1. Head over to the Google Business Profile site and click on “Manage now.” 

   

2. Sign in using the Google Account associated with your business. Once logged in, click “Edit profile” on your Google page.   
   1. Under “About,” ensure your business name is correctly displayed. 
   2. Choose the primary category that best fits your business. If you're unsure, look at what your competitors have selected as their primary category. Don’t forget to hit “Save.” 
      
   3. [Optional] Add additional categories for other services or products you offer, but avoid unrelated categories to prevent a high bounce rate and potential damage to your search rankings. 
   4. [Optional] Include descriptions such as a CEO message, About Us summary, or your business's opening date. 
   5. Verify and update contact details, including your website link. 
   6. Ensure your business address is accurate, and update if necessary. 
   7. [Optional] If your business provides services beyond its physical location (e.g., delivery), add a service area by typing the geographic region you serve.
3. Next, update your business hours.
   1. Click “Open with main hours,” toggle the days your business operates, and input the opening and closing times. 
   2. [Optional] Add special hours for services like delivery or happy hour by selecting “More hours” and adjusting them accordingly. 
   3. Confirm holiday hours if applicable. 
      
   4. [Optional] Add more details under “From the business,” “Planning,” and “Service options.” 
4. Fine-tune your services by clicking on “Edit services.”
   1. Services depend on your selected business categories, and Google often provides predefined options. 
   2. If necessary, add custom services. 
   3. [Optional] Include pricing information and descriptions for each service.
5. If your business takes bookings, add your booking link by clicking “booking” on your Google page and inserting the link into the pop-up.
   
   1.  To further engage customers, add offers, updates, or events under “Add updates,” including relevant details and photos. 
6. Photos are crucial to optimizing your profile. 
   
   1. Add images by selecting “Add photo” on your Google page.
   2. Ensure all images meet Google's recommended dimensions (720x720 for general images, 1024x576 for cover photos) and formats (JPG/PNG).
   3. Upload a logo for updates, a cover photo for your profile, and product, interior, exterior, or team photos where relevant.

When optimizing your Google Business Profile for the first time, take time to respond to all unanswered reviews. After this initial round, it’s important to stay on top of new reviews and reply promptly.

1. On your Google page, click “Read reviews” and then “Unreplied.” 

   

   1. Make sure to respond to as many reviews as possible, particularly negative ones. Address these reviews calmly, crafting responses that will appeal to other potential customers reading through your reviews.

2. On your Google page, click “Q&A,” then click “See all questions.” 

   

   1. The first time you optimize your listing, reply to all unanswered questions. After this, monitor and respond to new questions as they come in.

   2. For any unanswered questions, click the “Answer” button and respond as the business account owner.

To ensure you never miss a review or question, it's essential to enable notifications for your Google Business Profile.

1. On your Google page, click the three dots and select “notifications.” 

   

2. Enable notifications for customer reviews, messages, and Q&A, or any other relevant alerts to ensure you're always up-to-date.