There’s no doubt that Google is the most powerful search engine in the world but it offers so much more. Among the plethora of tools is one true gem that many people underestimate and that is Google Business Profile. In this two-part blog series, you will learn how Google Business Profile has helped a Garage and Tyre Depot take their marketing to the next level. We will share some expert knowledge, real-life examples and real data with astonishing results.

Optimising Google Business Profile (Google My Business)

As any digital marketing expert will tell you, a well-optimised Google Business Profile listing can significantly boost your chances of showing up in a Google search while increasing local search traffic. This is something you would normally expect from running costly PPC campaigns and yet, Google Business Profile is free (at least for now). 

Whilst anyone can create a Google Business Profile listing, partnering with the right agency, such as WSI eMarketing, means you could greatly improve your online reputation and boost sales in the process. If you’re a garage or tyre depot, buckle up as this case study will reveal the true power behind this platform. 

What’s The Purpose Of This Case Study? 

Google Business Profile can benefit any business but this case study focuses on Garages and Tyre Depots with one or two sites up to 20+ locations or centres. You will discover how WSI eMarketing helped a prominent UK Garage and Tyre chain save big on ad spend while generating more business. But first, let’s briefly look at how Google Business Profile works and why it’s important to have an optimised listing. 

Please note that for confidentiality purposes, we are not using any imagery from our own clients. All of the examples are from North America and based on completely different industries to avoid portraying anyone from the Tyre and Car Servicing sector in a bad light with bad examples. Thanks to WordStream for some of the North American examples.

How Does Google Business Profile Work? 

An essential part of Google Business Profile is that it provides a certain amount of social proof. That means it collects feedback about your business from unbiased third parties – from reviews and photos to experiences of customers who have visited your premises.

In addition to giving you incredible search visibility, it also provides you with a business information page. Think of it as a mini-website which has been laid out with the type of information Google understands people want to know when searching for a local business.

As a result, a Google Business Profile listing provides a clean, uniform way of displaying things like business hours, special offers, a menu and description of services, prices, photos, and customer reviews. It also provides other info Google injects from their own data like how busy the location is at different times of the day and days of the week.

Recommended: ‘Google My Business: Tips For Beginners

Example: Bark City Doggy Daycare

The Google Business Profile of Bark City Doggy Daycare is a great example of how effective it can be as a ‘mini-website’. This profile has all the basic information plus a whole lot more. From showing popular times (which means customers can more easily book at quieter times!) to customer reviews and a 10% discount offer, all of which adds to their ‘searchability’.

Google My Business good example Doggy Daycare
Image: WordStream

Why You Should Have A Google Business Profile  

Google Business Profile is particularly powerful for local businesses and those focusing on location-based marketing strategies. If you look closely at search engine results, the top ones are most often Google Maps Listings which come directly from effectively utilising this platform. 

A particularly appealing attribute is that Google Business Profile is free. That means even without a PPC budget, you can still get your name out there and achieve impressive results. PPC is an on-going commitment and even though it’s a big success for many, once you stop spending, your leads and phone calls start drying up. 

On the flipside, these business listings may not cost anything in advertising but it does require an investment in time and effort. This involves managing the listing with a focus on weekly posts, reviews, products and services etc. However, the investment is far less while the returns can be much greater. 

Unoptimised Versus Optimised Business Profiles

On the left is an unoptimised Google Business Profile, Carl’s Electric. It’s merely a small box with very limited information and while it still serves a purpose, it’s nowhere near what the fully optimised profile offers. Remember, the more details that are on your business listing, the better your search results will be. Good content and setup will encourage engagement as it signals to customers that you are a trustworthy establishment.

GMB optimised vs unoptimised post
Image: WordStream

Google Business Profiles And Google Maps

In this example, posts were created in the Google Business Profile dashboard from where they will appear on the “Updates” section toward the bottom of the profile. Depending on the search term, you could show up on Google search results as shown below and Google Maps on the screenshot in the next section.

GMB Optimisation with Google post appearing in Google search
Image: WordStream

Also, it displays “People also searched for…” directly below your business listing (where competitors for the same search will appear), so having weekly posts here pushes your competitors further down the page, often ‘below the fold’ where they won’t be seen without scrolling!

The Power Of Google Search And Google Business Profile 

Here’s a closer look at how people typically search for garages or tyre depots. For the most part, the primary focus is on “garages” or “tyre depots” but there is more to it, especially for location-based searches. Some examples of common search terms you can rank for without any ad spend include: 

Optimising your business listing is not an easy task as it takes time and effort to get right. As you’ll see in Part Two of the case study, we show some fascinating results but it came from putting in the hard yards. Some investment is indeed required but you don’t have to ‘pay’ when someone clicks on your listing as you would with PPC.

How Google Business Profile Categories Can Help

Google Business Profile has another ace up its sleeve and that comes in the form of the category section. It allows you to tell Google what your business is about based on the category or categories that best describe it. These categories help your business listing on Google Maps as people use various search terms (keywords) to find your business or those like yours.

GMB Optimisation with Google post appearing on Google maps
Image: WordStream

Until recently, you could only choose one or two categories which meant limited exposure to keywords beyond your own brand name and location. However, with the introduction of Products and Services, Garages and Tyre Depots who take the time to exploit these opportunities can now be found for many more keywords without setting aside a PPC budget or time-consuming SEO.

Choosing The Right Categories For Your Business

There are 3942 Google Business Profile categories as of August 2020. Whilst you can select up to 10, you are only allowed one primary which Google’s algorithm sees as most important. You also don’t need to use all 10 as the more you choose, the weaker each category gets in a potential search.

With local searches, all relevant businesses labelled within a specific sector will appear in a search result. This is where Google adds the information into a detailed map of the location where users can compare travel locations, distances and times.

Be specific when choosing your categories and make sure they describe your business and not your amenities. Setting your category helps your business show up for relevant searches in Google Business Profile and Google Maps. It can give your business a considerable boost if you primarily target local customers.

Recommended: ‘Hyperlocal Marketing Tips For Best Results’

Example: Adding Products To A Google Business Profile

In the next example, we show a business listing where the company, HomeSmith Services LLC added information to the products and services section. Google may actually link to your products from your category section increasing the likelihood of people finding your business.

GMB optimisation products and categories
Image: WordStream

Source: 13 Essential Google My Business Optimizations for 2020 by WordStream

What To Expect In Part Two

In part two, we will dive straight into the action showing the tremendous amount of ad spend this Garage and Tyre depot had saved. Not to mention how much their optimised Google Business Profiles improved their online visibility and boosted growth.

We also take a closer look at how WSI eMarketing can help SMEs by combining their digital marketing expertise with a wide variety of mobile apps from CAM. You’re in for a real treat that’s for sure!

Google My Business case study

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