Google search results are notoriously easy to game. With a decent set of keywords, an SEO-savvy website owner can manipulate their page’s appearance in the search engine’s algorithm to get higher traffic and more sales. This is why it’s so important for business owners to create a solid online presence that houses all the digital marketing materials for potential customers to find. A business profile on Google Business is a perfect way to attract leads, drive traffic and increase sales visibility. After all, what makes customers click through from Google search results to your website is your branding and branding effectiveness. However, with so many businesses claiming they have a Google Business page or being asked by others if they do, how do you know if yours is real? The good news is that there are some very subtle cues that will help you determine whether someone else has created your profile or not. We’ve discovered some of these secrets after speaking with various business owners and account managers who work at Google as well as other experts in the field of digital marketing.
Google Business Profiles Are Always Offline
One of the first things we noticed when we were checking out Google Business profiles was that they are always offline. While some businesses claim they have a profile, they can’t be found when you visit your business’s website address in the search engine. We did an extensive amount of research and found that even if a business has a Google Business Page, it doesn’t mean that the page is actually online. Another sign is that the webpage’s content doesn’t match what you’re seeing when you visit your business’s website address on Google search results. For example, if your website address looks like this: www.yourcompanyname.com/products When you visit this site on Google search results, what do you see? You might see a list of products with images and descriptions like this: But if your website looks like this: www.yourbusinessname.com/contact-us Then the content on that page will likely look different in terms of design and layout than what you see when searching for your company’s website on Google search results. If you’re having trouble verifying whether or not someone else has created your Google Business Profile by visiting your business’s website address, these subtle signs will help solidify whether or not someone else has been working hard to create content for their profile without giving credit to your company.
Google Business Profiles Are Hosted by a Company
One clue that you may want to dig deeper into the authenticity of your Google Business profile is whether or not it’s hosted by a company. After speaking with a few business owners and account managers working at Google, we discovered that most profiles are actually hosted by a company. While some personal profiles are created through the “Business Owner” option in the Google My Business interface, accounts with company branding have one of the following listed in their profile: – Company Name – Company Logo – Company Location – Company Address – Phone Number If you notice an account listing any information other than those four items, it’s likely fake. For example, if someone lists a phone number that doesn’t match what’s on their website or social media profile, this could be another clue that your account isn’t authentic.
Google Business Profiles Are Currently Unavailable to New Accounts
One of the easiest ways to spot a fake Google Business Profile is if it’s unavailable for new accounts. The first clue that something might be amiss with your business profile is if you can’t sign in and create your account. If that happens, it’s likely someone else has already taken over your account. You might also receive an error message when you try to log in.
Google Business Profiles Have an About Us Page
The first step in determining whether a profile is fake or not is to take a look at the About Us page. If you notice that there’s no About Us page, it’s likely that someone else has created your profile. Google Business Profiles are not just limited to websites, but can also be applied to brick-and-mortar businesses as well. This means that you’re able to set up a profile for your restaurant and have people find you through search engine results. Another indicator of whether the business profile is true or not is if the website has been updated recently. Most Google Business profiles have been active for less than six months, which means they are probably fake pages. If you haven’t had an update in the last six months, it might be best to contact Google directly and ask them about creating a new one for your business.
Google Business Profiles Have Videos and Photos on Their Website
The most obvious sign that you have a Google Business profile is that it has videos, images and other multimedia on its website. If you’re not seeing these types of materials, then someone else has created your profile. Another way you can tell if someone else is claiming they have a Google Business page is to look at the URL of their site as it appears in the search engine’s results. If anyone else has claimed ownership of this URL https://www.yourbusinessname.com/ for example, then there’s a good chance that they’re the one who created your business page and not you. Lastly, if you’re using your social media accounts to claim ownership of your Google Business page, it’s likely because someone else is using your name and taking credit for it.
Google Business Profiles Have Blogs and News Feeds
One of the first signs that Google Business profiles are fake is if they don’t have a blog or news feed. It’s not possible for a business to have a blog on their profile and not have it show up in their feed. If your business does not have blog posts or you find that you’re only getting older articles from the past, it is likely a fake. If someone has created your profile using your name and company, they may also use your logo on their own website–which could be seen as an indicator of a fake Google Business page. Another giveaway is if there is no “About” section on the profile–it’s typically right below the “Services” tab with links to social media profiles, company information and websites.
Setting Up Google Business Profile
In another post, I’ll show you how to set up a Google business profile for free, what it does, and how to make sure that it works well for your business.
Conclusion
Google Business Profiles are a great way to get your business noticed online. The downside is that they can be hard to find. Here are some hidden secrets about Google Business Profiles.
Google business profiles can be a great way to promote your business on the web and get more customers, but they’re not as easy to use as you might think.
