Google’s transition from Google my Business to the new Google Business Profile has brought a few changes to how business owners manage their profiles on Google. One of the most controversial changes was the new Profile Strength label. This label measures how complete your profile is.

So a fully filled out profile should have a complete strength label… right? Well, not exactly. Today, I’m going to go over Google Business Profile Strength Optimization and everything you need to know about this new feature!

In order to access this Strength Label, you need to go to your Google Business Profile. But, Because of the switch from Google My Business (GMB) to Google Business Profile, you can no longer use your GMB app or the backend page for editing multiple business profiles. Now, you need to search for your business on Google Search in order to edit your profile.

Google made this change so creating and updating a profile is more user friendly to beginners. This is great, but the change also hurts everyone else who took advantage of the advanced features of GMB. This is a common trend for a lot of the changes from GMB to Google Business Profile, including the Profile Strength label.

The New Profile Strength label basically is a measurement from Google of how complete your profile is. By accurately completing all of the information recommended by Google, your strength measurement will increase. 

So, this must mean that once you fill out all of the information, your Strength icon should be at 100%, right? Nope! The reason this profile strength feature is so controversial is because your profile can never be at 100% complete, unless you sign up and pay for advertisements! Many Google users and marketing agencies have been taking notice of this shameful sales tactic, and calling this label a scam! 

This label not being at 100% complete can trick beginner business owners into believing they need to pay for ads to see any success on Google. This is not true, because in many cases a properly optimized profile and professional SEO work create more traffic and sales than any paid advertising! 

Putting Google’s sleezy sales tactic aside, this does not mean that the profile strength feature is completely useless. It can actually be useful for letting you know if you are missing any information on your Business Profile. Google Business Profile Strength Optimization is pretty straightforward, though  just keep in mind you can’t get to the  “Look’s Good” 100% strength unless you buy ads. 

To Optimize your Google Business Profile Strength, head over to your business page by searching for it on Google and make sure you are logged into the Google account associated with your profile. Here you can edit and optimize your business profile.

Edit Profile

The first step is to fill out every single entry within the “Edit profile” option. Make sure all of your business information is correct, and fill out the About, Contact, Location, Hours, and More tabs. There have been a lot of new options added from Google because of the effects that covid had on businesses so you need to make sure you have these filled out. Google also updates the options from time to time so it’s always worth it to double check if you are missing anything.

Pro Tip: For your Business Description, make sure you get to as close to the 750 word limit as you can and fill text with searchable keywords about your products and services for the best results!

Add Updates

It is important to update your Google Business Profile regularly, just as you would any other social media for your business. Google’s algorithm prefers profiles which are updated frequently, over those who never post! Take advantage of this and post your content updates, learn more about how here. Be sure to include keywords in your posts, and geotag your images!

Complete Info

Once you believe you completed everything, double check by checking your Profile Strength meter. Select the “Complete Info” text underneath the label. Google will then show you any information you are missing that needs to be filled out for the best strength possible. If you click on this option, and Google is only recommending you to sign up for ads, then you can stop here! This means your profile is 100% complete, even though Google will not admit that. Of course, you can sign up for ads if you want to, and there are many benefits to them, but they shouldn’t be required for completing a profile. 

Thanks for taking the time to learn about Google Business Profile Strength Optimization! A fully built out and optimized profile will see much for traffic and success then one who is missing information. By following the steps above, you can complete your profile!

Though, a completed profile doesn’t mean its the best it can be, there is a lot more you can do to improve your Google Business Profile with SEO.

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