Business

Google Business Profile: Free, Easy & Effective Marketing typography
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For Your Pet Care Business typography
By Duane Carey
Did you know that one of Google’s best marketing features is free? That’s why it’s surprising that 36% of businesses have not verified their Google Business Profile (GBP, formerly Google My Business) and 40% of businesses have never published a social post on their GBP. What a missed opportunity! And although digital marketing is admittedly complicated, properly utilizing your GBP is an easy way to reach prospective clients. Let’s look at some key steps, best practices and tips to optimize your GBP.

Getting Started with GBP

Claiming and verifying your business on Google is essential to making sure your GBP is working for you as a business tool. Here are the steps to follow to get started:

  1. Open Google Maps.
  2. Enter your business name in the search bar.
  3. Click on your business name and then click “Claim this business.”
  4. Verify this claim through email, phone, text or video. (Note: Once you choose a verification option, this cannot be changed.)
  5. Wait for verification approval from Google, which may take up to five days.

Once approved, make your pet care business as “searchable” as possible by starting with the basics, which are Business Name, Address, Phone Number, Website, and Hours. Then, specify your business category. Primary and secondary categories will show customers all you have to offer. If you offer boarding, daycare, training and grooming, pick whichever one makes you the most money as your primary. Choices applicable to our industry include Pet Boarding Center, Kennel, Dog Day Care Center, Dog Trainer, and Pet Groomer.

Avoiding Fraud

It’s hard to believe, but other people can fraudulently claim your business. If this happens, follow these steps:

  1. Click “Own this business?”
  2. Wait for the “owner”—the fraudster who is squatting on your profile—to approve your request.
  3. When they fail to grant you access within seven days, appeal through the confirmation email.
Also be aware that this can work in reverse; you might legitimately own your GBP but someone else might try to claim it. Therefore, when you receive an email from Google saying that so-and-so is requesting access to your GBP, do not ignore that email! It’s not SPAM. You need to disapprove the request because an unanswered request can be approved, and someone unauthorized could control your profile.

Special Hours & Opening Date

Always keep your holiday hours and closings updated to not only show consideration for clients, but also to earn valuable brownie points with Google. They view businesses who are really on top of their hours as more credible and worthy of higher rankings in the search engines.

Also be sure to include the date you opened for business (or the date you will be opening for business). Google uses this information to let searchers know how long you’ve been around, adding to your credibility. All things being equal, a business with two decades of experience will rank higher than one with two years.

Post Frequently
Ideally, you should update your GBP weekly to increase your visibility and improve your SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Post to GBP by clicking “Add update” while logged into your GBP. Here you can upload photos, videos, events, offers, and even buttons, such as Book, Buy, Learn More, Call Now, etc. However, if you have something to promote, such as a special discount or an event, don’t embed it inside a photo or video because your ability to post may be revoked. Instead, do it through the accepted method of clicking “Add Update” and then either “Add Offer” or “Add Event.”

It’s easy to simply drag photos or videos into the interface. When posting photos on your GBP, prioritize those that accurately depict your pet care services and that show off anything that makes your business unique, including any amenities like splash pads or gourmet treats.

Your photos should set the tone for your facility. Posting happy photos of your furry guests at play with a grassy (or turf) background will do better with Google’s algorithm than an off-center photo with a chain-link fence or a parking lot in the background. Just as you have amazing content for Facebook and Instagram that you post at least every week, you should be doing the same for GBP.

Two overlapping speech bubbles, one blue with white lines, and one yellow with a white star

Responding to all reviews—even the not-so-great ones—shows current and potential clients that you are attentive and care about their experiences.

Customize Your Description
The Description, which has a 750-character limit, is your chance to write about who you are. It shows up on GBP as “From (your business)” so that it’s clear to web users that it is not user-generated content. This where you’ll highlight the best parts of your business that make it stand out amongst the competition.

Include keywords to help increase how much your profile is displayed to potential clients that are typing “pet grooming” or “dog daycare near me” into their search bar. Among other differentiators to include, use this space to mention if you are a family-owned business, have been in business a long time compared to competitors, or if your business is veteran- or veterinarian-owned. If you train difficult, aggressive dogs, say that here.

Mind Your Qs & As

GBP’s Questions & Answers section gives you the opportunity to answer frequent or one-off questions from your GBP visitors. First, be sure that you are regularly monitoring your GBP so you can be the one to answer any questions asked by the community. Just as anyone can ask a question, anyone can answer them. You’re better off if you can provide the answer to control the narrative and provide more accurate information than the general public.

Second, feel free to seed the questions. You know your business’ FAQs, so this is the place to add them to your GBP, and then provide the answer. Some examples could include:

  • Do you have special accommodations for older dogs while boarding?
  • Can I bring my dog’s own bedding?
  • What is your staff-to-dog ratio?
  • Do pets need to be spayed/neutered before they enter your facility?
  • Will you administer medication?
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Arguably, the two most important Google tools for businesses are Google Ads and GBP, because these are the first two categories of content that a web searcher sees on a search results page.
Respond to Reviews
Responding to all reviews—even the not-so-great ones—shows current and potential clients that you are attentive and care about their experiences. This will build trust with prospective clients while they research why they should trust you with their furry family members.

We all know that most of the people who post negative reviews are just plain wrong; they are often totally off-base and often have an axe to grind. But, whatever you do, stay calm, withhold your response for a day to allow yourself a better chance of being unemotional and have a trusted adviser read/edit your response before posting. Also, rest easy that the average consumer takes those reviews with a massive grain of salt when you have a multitude of positive reviews to offset them.

Making it on the Map
Arguably, the two most important Google tools for businesses are Google Ads and GBP, because these are the first two categories of content that a web searcher sees on a search results page. Typically, one to three ads are shown (identified as “Sponsored”) followed by the map pack. In most cases, the ads and the map pack show up “above the fold” so the user does not have to scroll down. If they can find what they’re looking for, they simply won’t scroll down to see the organic listings of your competitors, so it is very important that you show up on that map.

Follow these simple steps, and you’ll likely appear on that coveted map and receive lead-generating clicks without spending a penny.

Duane Carey is the founder and lead strategist at IMPACT Marketing, a digital marketing firm specializing in pet care. With a science background and an MBA in finance, Duane brings a decidedly no-nonsense, bottom-line, and data-driven perspective to marketing for his 50+ pet-care clients throughout the U.S. He can be reached at DCarey@ImpactMarketing.net