Google Business, for Online Visibility

We all love to search for services on the internet, especially for local businesses.

We are in a testimonial age, testimonials and reviews hold a lot of power and influence over buyers and sellers. Statistics say that 80% of the general public trust a profile they read online.

With many people ranking Google as the most reliable source of information, it's important to ensure you can be found easily on google and that you have the reviews to show you are professional, knowledgeable and trust worthy.

Google Business Profile is a must-have for all service providers, and highly effective for generating leads and improving community awareness for any real estate business. With Google reaching over 90% of the search engine market as of 2022, and a reported 3.5 billion daily google searches, there is no argument that a google business profile should be a logical business step for every real estate advisor.

Having a Google business page allows potential customers to easily find and learn about your business. It also provides a platform for you to showcase all your business information, such as your address, phone number, hours of operation, and customer reviews. This can help increase both your visibility and credibility, which can lead to more customers.

This page can also allow you to interact with customers as well as showcase your listings. Be sure to keep your profile up-to-date with the latest news and offers of your real estate business. This can be accomplished in different ways, such as by connecting a business blog where you post your updates, you can directly link it to your Google Business Profile page via automation, or by scheduling posts regularly in advance.

By having a well-optimized Google business page, potential clients can easily find your business in both search results and on google maps, making it easier for potential customers to find you. It also allows you to manage your business information and engage with customers by responding to reviews and posting updates. Additionally, having a Google Business page will help establish credibility and legitimacy for your business online.

There are millions of real estate searches done on google every day!

Let’s jump in and get your profile set up now:

SETTING UP A GOOGLE BUSINESS PAGE:

To get started you are a:

• Service-area business: A business that visits or delivers to customers directly, but doesn’t always serve customers at their business address. 

  • For example, businesses like HVAC contractors, painters, remodelers and real estate advisors. 

  • Service-area businesses can only create one profile for the metropolitan area that they serve.

• STEP #1

  • Sign in to your real estate business - G-Mail account.

  • Head to this link: https://business.google.com/create 

  • I would suggest naming your Business Profile using the format: FirstName LastName - Realtor - Brokerage Name

• STEP #2

  • On the next screen, make sure your business name is correct, and add “real estate agent” as the category.

• STEP #3

  • When google asks you if the brokerage is your business you will want to answer no because you are setting up your individual google profile and not the brokerage profile.

I suggest advisors use their home address and avoid using the address for the brokerage when setting up their profile.  If you’re worried about privacy, Google will allow you to hide your address once your business profile is verified (again, you are what they consider a “service area business“). 

Using the real estate brokerage address will likely cause filtering issues within google since there are other realtors using the same address. It also causes confusion for when a member of the public is trying to directly contact the brokerage.

Additionally, it’s hard to get the listing verified because Google sees that there are already other listings in that category at that address and will often throw it into a pending state.

• STEP #4

  • Select the days and hours that you want to show as being open. I would suggest 7 days a week and 24 hours a day.

• STEP #5

  • Add / select the areas you service, as many areas that apply.

• STEP #6

  • Add / select the services you provide, as many services that apply.

• STEP #7

  • Add a good business description. Making sure to be warm, authentic, professional and driven.

  • If you used your home address to set up your business make sure that in your description you include at the top your brokerage name, brokerage address and brokerage phone number.

  • It is very important that you do not make the public look for this information. In all marketing it should always be as front and center as possible.

Use the business description field to provide useful information on services and products offered, as well as your mission and history of your business.

You should be upfront and honest about the information provided, focusing on content that's relevant and useful to your customers to understand your business.

Be sure not to:

• Mislead users. Do not provide inaccurate or false information about your business or the services and products offered.

• Display links. No links of any type are allowed.

• STEP #8

  • Decide all the contact details you will need to share. Yes, be sure to include all the ways people should get a hold of you. Including your brokerage phone number.
    

• STEP #9

  • Add photos into your profile. Google would like you to have 100 photos in your profile page.

  • Some suggestions:

    • Your Professional Headshot

    • Your Niche or Farming Area of choice

    • Previous reviews from other sources

    • Award photos

    • Pictures of homes

    • Your business card

    • Your Brand Card

    • Pictures of the shop

    • Pictures from closings

    • Red Bow Days

    • Community Events

    • Community Landmarks

    • Etc.

• STEP #10

  • Add the ability to accept messages through your google profile page.

• STEP #11

  • Once you have completed your profile information choose a way to get verified. My suggestion is text.

• STEP #12

  • And it is that simple. You’re on your way to being verified. Note, this step may take a day or two.

• STEP #13

  • Once you are verified you will need to go back in and verify all your information is correct. To edit any of the fields you will just click on edit. Just make sure you are signed in to your real estate g-mail that you used to set your profile up with.

NOW you are ready to start getting reviews!

You will do this by going to "get reviews", finding your review link, copy and paste and sending to your past clients, sphere, business associates, etc.

Be sure to suggest some thoughts on what that testimonial should contain by reflecting back on your relationship with the person you're requesting the testimonial from. Any specifics that were important to that client, such as price or that they transferred in from out of town and didn't know the city well.

This will help you maintain well rounded testimonials and not just a bunch of testimonials that state "Amanda is the best"

When you receive a testimonial always respond to the individual thanking them for their testimonial. Your interaction shows the level of care you have for your customers.

Example Testimonial:

"Working with Amanda was an absolute pleasure! Her knowledge of the local market and attention to detail made the home buying process smooth and stress-free. She was always available to answer any questions and provided valuable insights that helped us make informed decisions. We highly recommend Amanda to anyone looking for a dedicated and professional real estate agent."

Example of the Reply:

Thank you so much for your testimonial. I very much enjoyed working with and getting to know the things you value in a home and a community. I think we got a perfect match! I am honored that you would highly recommend me and my services!

The key is truly acknowledging what they stated in their testimonial and repeating that back in your reply.

Now that your profile is set up I also recommend jumping into reviewing and recommending other businesses that you enjoy working with or frequenting.

As you start reading more reviews you will notice that not all testimonials seem genuine. You do not want the reviews you give or receive to come across as non-genuine or insincere.

I hope this helps you jump into the world of Google Business! Remember to be mindful of the impact that leaving a testimonial can have on others and to always be honest and fair with your reviews. Overall, navigating the testimonial age requires critical thinking, authenticity and a discerning eye.