This May marks Inman’s sixth annual Agent Appreciation Month. Look for profiles of top producers, opinions on the current state of the industry and tangible takeaways you can implement in your career today. Plus, the prestigious Future Leaders of Real Estate return this month, too.
Have you Googled yourself lately? Your prospects have, and they are forming an immediate opinion of you and your business based on what they found. Your Google Business Profile is the first thing that pops up, and in many cases, prospects decide whether to connect with you or move on to another agent based on some key areas in your profile.
In this article, Julie Tomlinson, an agent and coach out of Mandeville, Louisiana, and I share the steps needed to optimize your Google Business Profile to generate more sales.
Where to start
When asked why Google Business Profile is important, Tomlinson said, “As agents, we hear a lot about marketing on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. I feel like Google Business Profile and the organic marketing opportunity it presents are often overlooked.
“Google is where people go to find agents through searches like ‘Realtors in [your city]’ or ‘real estate agents in [your city].’ If you want to be found through searches like these, you have to design and optimize a profile that ranks you at or near the top of these local agent searches.”
The first step, if you don’t already have one, is to set up your free Google Business Profile (GBP). This can be done by going to google.com/business and clicking the Get Started button. Once you claim your profile, you will be asked a series of questions to begin the verification process. These will include your business name and a business category.
Your business name is how your profile will display who you are. Many agents choose [Their Name] – [Their City] Realtor. This choice brings a clear understanding of who they are, where they serve and what they do to their profile. Choose “real estate agent” when asked to choose your business category.
Last, it will ask you to provide a business address or to define a service area, your phone number and your website.
Once you’ve entered the requested information, Google will prompt you to verify your business. Verification is their process to ensure you are a legitimate business and that you are the rightful owner of the business. They provide multiple options, but the default method is via a postcard mailed to your business address.
The postcard Google mails you usually arrives in five to seven business days and includes a unique five-digit verification code. Once you receive it, log back into your account and enter the code. Once the verification process is complete, Google will begin displaying your business in Maps and local search results. Now we can begin the process of building out and optimizing your profile for better results.
If you run into any issues during the verification process or you have questions in the process, simply ask your question in a Google search, and you should be provided solutions.
Questions to answer for optimization
When asked about the most important questions to answer during the onboarding process, Tomlinson said: “I suggest answering every question Google asks as thoroughly as possible in order to optimize your profile for search. The more details you provide Google, the easier it will be for the algorithm to understand who your ideal client will be. Start your process by giving complete answers to the questions Google asks, and then you can grow your ranking through consistently adding reviews, photos and posts.”
The following is a list of the questions asked and sections to be completed for optimization.
Service areas
This is an area where you will list all the areas you serve. Everything from cities to ZIP codes, neighborhoods to communities, and everywhere in between. Think of the way someone might search for an agent in an area you service and include that area.
Business hours
You have the ability to set your hours however you choose. Tomlinson suggests setting your business hours as 24/7, as this will make sure your profile is not limited in its exposure.
Messaging
Turning on messaging allows prospects to text you from your profile. If you turn this on, respond to messages you receive as quickly as possible.
Business description
You have 750 characters available to utilize in your business description. Utilizing ChatGPT to help you write an SEO-optimized Google Business Profile description is a great way to make sure you are optimizing for the best results.
This is an example of an SEO-optimized business description:
Looking to buy or sell real estate in Santa Rosa Beach, 30A or along Florida’s Emerald Coast? I’m a licensed real estate agent specializing in luxury beachfront homes, investment properties and relocation services. I serve buyers and sellers in Santa Rosa Beach, 30A, Destin and nearby coastal communities. Whether you’re purchasing a vacation home, selling a Gulf-front property or moving to the area, I offer expert guidance, local market knowledge and five-star client service. My mission is to make your real estate experience seamless, rewarding and successful. Let’s work together to achieve your real estate goals in one of Florida’s most beautiful and sought-after coastal regions.
Cover photo or business logo
This is the profile picture that prospects will see on your page. You do have the ability to utilize a business logo, but I suggest using a cover photo when possible to create a more personalized first impression.
Additional photos
This is an area where you can add photos of your area, your listings, your team or even photos of reviews clients may have left on other websites. Tomlinson suggests titling the photos before uploading them for SEO optimization since the photos will not have descriptions once posted. For instance, if you are uploading a photo of a listing, title the photo 123MainStreetDestinFloridajustlistedhome before uploading the photo.
Services provided
These are the services you provide. A few examples of these might be:
- First-time homebuyer specialist
- Listing specialist
- Buyer’s agent
- Luxury home specialist
- Investment property consultant
- Vacation home sales
The key is to list as many services as possible to provide the most opportunities to find your ideal clients.
Attributes
The attributes of your business can help set you apart from other agents. There are a number of possibilities, but a few that should be used to identify your business, if they apply, would be women-led or veteran-led just to name a few.
Appointment link
This is an area you can connect to a Calendly link or contact form link where prospects can schedule an appointment with you.
Q&A section
Think of this area as your frequently asked questions section on your website. You can ask the questions yourself and answer them in this section, so make sure you include questions and answers your ideal client might have.
Posts
Think of posts as the social side of your profile. You can upload text posts, photos with details on a listing, market updates and videos in the post section. Anything you post about real estate on social media would be appropriate in this area.
Reviews
One of the most important sections for your profile is your reviews section. The more you have, the better. The reviews on Google do not have to be from clients with verified sales, as they are required to be on Zillow, Realtor.com and other sites. So utilize this to have friends, service providers and clients leave reviews on your profile.
Consistency is key
When asked how to rank high for local search in Google, Tomlinson said, “Consistency is key to having a thriving profile on Google. Once you are optimized, Google looks for profiles that are consistently active to recommend. The areas to focus on for consistency are reviews, photos and posts.”
Reviews
Finding an ability to get as many reviews as possible is effective when starting out, but consistently having reviews added to your profile every month shows the algorithm and anyone who finds your profile that you are active now.
Make sure you are asking all clients to leave a review on your profile after closing. Make it easy by sending them a link where they can leave the review. Ask service providers that you utilize to leave you a review, and offer to leave them a review on their profile. Find ways to consistently add reviews, and the algorithm will reward you.
Photos
Photos are where many people scroll once they find a page that fits their search. Adding up-to-date photos of your new listings, community events, new businesses in your area, etc. will keep your page fresh and looking different every time a prospect visits your profile.
Posts
Just like with social media, activity breeds activity. Post market updates regularly. Post videos of your new listings or short-form videos that perform well for your business on social media. The more active you are in posts, the more active your Google Business Profile will be.
It would be naive to think the world’s No. 1 search engine, Google would not be an outlet that is important to your business. Optimize your profile. Add to it consistently. These activities will result in increased opportunities to see your business grow.
Julie Tomlinson can be found on TikTok at @justbeingrealestate.
