How to Improve Your Online Presence with Google Business Profile 

In the digital age, a robust online presence is crucial for property managers and owners looking to attract tenants and enhance their business visibility. One powerful tool that is often underutilized is the Google Business Profile (GBP), formerly Google My Business. In Zumper’s recent Crawford’s Corner webinar, Zumper’s VP of Sales Patty Crawford sat down with Venterra Realty’s Leigh Sublett, Christine “CG” Millier of Village Green GREENWORKS Studio, and Zumper’s own VP of National Sales and Strategic Initiatives, Allison Nesbitt, to discuss the methods in optimizing your GBP and more importantly – the benefits.

Understanding the power of Google Business Profile

The Google Business Profile is a user-friendly tool that empowers businesses to manage their online presence effectively. When users search for local businesses, your GBP ensures you appear in search results and on Google Maps. Beyond mere visibility, it allows you to engage with customers, highlight essential business attributes, and optimize your local SEO.

Did you know? More than 50% of Google Business Profile interactions result in website visits, with over 5% of views converting, and a significant 42% of local searches leading to clicks on the Google Local Pack.¹ These statistics underscore the importance of a well-optimized GBP.

Real-world success stories: Village Green and Venterra Realty

CG Millier, the Director of Digital Marketing for GREENWORKS at Village Green, and Leigh Sublett, the Sr. Director of Marketing & Sales from Venterra Realty, presented compelling case studies on how optimizing their GBP translated into tangible business success. Village Green tracked search and map impressions, increased move-ins, and web conversion rates to measure GBP success. Venterra Realty found that Google made up 61% of their direct traffic, with various metrics experiencing a boost after optimizing their profiles.

Key optimization strategies

There are various ways to optimize your profile, including:

• Consistent and frequent posting: Google prioritizes businesses that post often and consistently. Regular updates keep your audience engaged and your profile active.
  
• Review generation: Actively seek and encourage reviews for your Google Business Profile. Communities with higher quantity and higher rated reviews are prioritized in search and map results.

• Keyword-rich descriptions: Utilize keyword-rich descriptions in the community’s about page and posts to enhance visibility in relevant searches.

• FAQs section optimization: Maximize the use of the FAQs section to include keywords associated with your community, improving discoverability.

Zumper’s case study with Venterra Realty

Zumper conducted a case study with Venterra Realty, implementing daily, property-specific content posting and automated removal of illegitimate, negative reviews from their GBP. The results were staggering. The study found that²:

• Daily posts outperformed weekly posts in every metric.

• Discovery searches, search/map views, and website clicks rose by over 20%.

• Website traffic increased by a remarkable 683% year-over-year.

Avoiding pitfalls

Optimizing your profile is one element of successfully enhancing your presence online. Being aware of the potential pitfalls and how to navigate them is another piece of the puzzle.

• Address negative reviews: Never ignore negative reviews. Respond promptly and reach out to the reviewer directly to understand and address their concerns.

• Secure and efficient updates: Regularly update your GBP in the most secure and efficient manner, considering the variety of photos to avoid disallowance.

• Verification challenges: Google may unverify properties for various reasons. Combat this by using diverse photos in your posts to maintain credibility.

For a deeper dive into these strategies and even more tips on optimizing your GBP, watch the full webinar by clicking the video below. Plus – subscribe to Zumper webinars for future educational content, ensuring you stay ahead in the dynamic landscape of property management.

Want to learn even more ways you can streamline your online marketing efforts? Visit /multifamily and find out more about our automated negative review removal product, our lead and renewal nurturing tool, and more.

Sources: 1. Parks, J. (2023, August 30). 30 Google Business profile Stats and Facts that local SEO’s must know. The Media Captain. https://www.themediacaptain.com/25-google-business-profile-stats/. 2. Zumper internal case study using Amplify Posts and Products in combination with Google Analytics.