If you own a property management company, it is absolutely crucial in this day and age to have a solid digital marketing strategy. This includes having a well-planned listing on Google Business Profile. But what exactly does that look like?
Google Business Profile is a platform that is free for business owners to use in order to boost their SEO and allow potential clients to find them faster. Your profile will have all of the information needed for clients to be able to reach out to your business, including your contact information, your business hours, a link to your website, and more.
This essential information is then used by the platform to get your business in front of people who are searching for keywords that are related to your services.
But how can you optimize your Google Business Profile in order to truly make it as effective as it can be? In this article, we will give you all of our tips and tricks to help you boost your SEO, grow your audience, and gain clients.
So, keep reading to learn more about how your property management company can get the most out of your Google Business Profile!
What Is a Google My Business Profile?
Google Business Profile is a tool that property managers can use to better manage their online information and presence across the entirety of Google’s landscape. This includes Google Maps and the Google search engine.
Your profile can help you to control what information prospective clients will see when they search for your business, in addition to posting content to keep your current clients engaged with your company.
Why You Should Use a Google Business Profile for Your Property Management Company
There is an endless list of benefits that come with using a Google Business Profile to boost the visibility of your property management company. Here are just a few of them:
- You can improve your SEO (search engine optimization). By having a verified and listed profile for your property management company on Google, you will be able to boost your website’s rankings on search results that use keywords related to your company.
- You can attract prospective clients. Many rental property owners who are on the lookout for a new property management company to work with will end up using Google to find you. By setting up a listing for them to find, you are increasing the chances of being found by your next client.
- You can get insight on your clients. Google Business provides users with endless amounts of data to help them improve their marketing strategies and services.
How to Optimize Google My Business in 8 Steps
Now that you know just how beneficial it can be to put time, effort and strategy into your Google Business Profile, here is a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to optimizing your listing for your property management company.
1. Claim Your Business
Now, the first step in this process is obvious: you have to create your Google Business Profile.
This allows you to do all the other necessary steps in order to meet your business goals using your Google Business Profile listing, such as posting updates on your company, editing your business information to make sure it is always 100% accurate and consistent, and even replying to client reviews that are posted to the platform.
You can create your profile by going to Google and searching for your business. Then, if it shows up, click on it and select “claim this business.”
2. Verify Your Google Business Profile Listing
In order to claim your property management company on Google Business Profile, you’ll need to verify that it is in fact your business. In order to do this, Google will send you a postcard with a verification code.
This is to confirm that you are truly the owner of the company. Once you receive the verification postcard in the mail, you will need to enter the code that is included on your listing.
If you’re in a rush and don’t want to wait for a postcard to come in the mail before you are able to set up your company’s listing, you may be able to speed up the process and verify your business via phone call or text.
To do this, simply choose “verify now” on your business’s listing and choose “verify by phone.” Google will then call your business and provide you with a verification code that you may then enter.
3. Fill Out the Information on Your Listing
Once you have created and verified your business profile, you will need to take the time to fill out your listing with all the information that is relevant to your property management company. The more information that you can provide, the more effective your profile will be!
This will help anyone who is coming across your company for the first time on Google have a full understanding of who you are, what you do, and how exactly you can meet their needs.
Here are some essential things to include on your business profile:
The category of your business: Choose a primary category for your business that best describes what you do. There will be a few options provided to choose from. While you are able to have multiple categories, we recommend sticking to one or two.
Your services: Go to the services section of your Google business page and take the time to enter each and every service that your property management company offers.
You can also include a brief description of each service, which we recommend doing. During this process, make sure to include strong keywords to boost your visibility, such as the city your property management company is located in.
However, sometimes, too much of a good thing can backfire, and this is especially true with SEO. Make sure to avoid using too many keywords.
Your description: The business description section of your Google Business Profile is essential. This is where prospects can really get to know your company and become clients. Write a few paragraphs detailing what your company does and why you do it better than other businesses.
Your operating hours: It is crucial to make sure you include your company’s hours of operation in your profile. This allows potential clients to know when they will be able to reach you.
Your company’s phone number and website: Adding your phone number will allow prospects to get in touch with you directly and become real clients. As for your website, adding the link to your homepage is a sure way to generate traffic to your business.
Areas you serve: You can (and should!) list the areas that your company serves on your Google Business Profile. This can help you narrow down your audience to prospects who are specifically looking for property managers in your area.
Photos: High-quality photos are an excellent way to show off the properties that you manage and give your prospects a better understanding of everything you have to offer.
3. Make High-Quality Content
Aside from simply providing basic information about your property management company, your Google Business Profile can allow you to share relevant and high-quality content that can reach new audiences and strengthen your company’s online presence.
You can use your profile to post blogs, write articles, and post engaging video content. All of this will ultimately help to boost your search engine rankings and show off your expertise and credibility as a property manager.
4. Feature More Reviews
Another excellent feature that Google Business Profile has to offer is the ability to get reviews from your clients and respond to them. Positive reviews help to solidify your business’ credibility, reach new clients, and boost your search engine rankings.
To get more positive reviews, try reaching out to your current and past tenants or clients and asking them to leave a review on your profile.
Further, it is always a good idea to respond to the reviews that are left on your page. It is a great way to show your clients that you care about their experiences with your company and that you value your relationship with them. Remember to always remain professional and to take the time to craft a valuable response to each review.
5. Use as Many Forms of Communication as Possible
While your listing should include your company’s phone number and email address, it’s important to keep many lines of communication open for prospective clients to get in touch with you and learn more about your property management company.
Google Business Profile has a messaging system that you can use to do just that. Using the messaging feature allows prospects to get in touch with your company directly without needing to be redirected to your website or picking up the phone to call you.
6. Feature a Q&A Section
Featuring a Q&A section on your Google Business Listing is a great way to add depth to your profile and show rental property owners that you truly know what you’re doing! This is an engaging way to show off your expertise and expand your online presence.
To set up your Q&A section, log into your business account and locate the “questions and answers” tab. After that, you will be able to start answering questions from potential clients.
7. Post on a Regular Basis
Our final tip for optimizing your Google Business Profile is to post on a regular basis. When it comes to boosting your SEO and reaching new clients, Google will always tend to favor fresh, high-quality content. This means that you are more likely to be rewarded by Google’s algorithm by ranking your listing higher on the search results page.
When you post content to your Google Business Profile, make sure you use high-quality photos, videos, articles, or blogs that are relevant to your niche and will pique the interest of prospective clients.
At the end of the day, the ultimate goal of your Google Business Profile is for rental property owners to be able to find your property management company and see that your company is better than your competition. By keeping this in mind while posting your content, you are more likely to succeed.
Google My Business Optimization: Bottom Line
As a property manager, it is crucial to maintain a strong online presence in order to reach new clients and grow your company. Truly taking the time and energy to optimize your Google Business Profile can help you achieve this!
