Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) offers companies a fantastic opportunity to appear in Google search results and it’s free!!! As Google remains the most popular search engine, with over 90% of the search engine market share, you should be setting up your Google Business account now.

You can display important information about your business, including the opening/closing times, contact details or a link to your website.

Get Your Description Right
Take the time to write a good description to add to your listing and try make it as local as possible where you can so it’s more relevant to the user.
The description is used as an overview about what your business does and keywords related to your business can be used here. Your description can be up 750 characters but it’s worthwhile getting the most relevant information in the first few sentences. Try to include 2-3 relevant keywords here that describe your business best.

Reviews
If you want to rank higher in search and map results then collect business reviews. They are true reflections of what people think about a business and are a key factor when it comes to ranking in local search. Not only this, but they act as proof to your potential customers and help them decide on whether to do business with you or not.
The best way to collect reviews is to ask for them. Seek out more customers who you know who have been satisfied with your product or service.

Respond to Reviews
Try and make sure you respond to all of your reviews, good or bad, so your customer knows you’re serious about them and their experience with your business. This will also help other customers build trust in you as a brand. Acknowledge and thank customers who leave a good review as it shows a level of engagement at the post-purchase stage.
Finally, as a business owner, you can use your reviews as an opportunity to improve; learning what people like and what they didn’t like and improve upon it. Reviews are valuable data to any business.