Growing your online presence and connecting with customers is essential for any modern business, and utilizing a Google Business Profile is how you achieve that!
Having and constantly improving your GBP can significantly boost your local SEO, which will help you drive more traffic and ultimately boost your bottom line.
However, to get the most out of your Google presence, familiarize yourself with the GBP tools provided by third-party providers using the Google Business API to bring you more functionalities than the standard GBP interface.
So keep on reading as I tell you how to do just that!
What is Google Business Profile (Google My Business)?
You can think of a Google Business Profile as the default online destination of your business, in addition to your main website.
Google Business Profile is a simple tool used by businesses and organizations to manage their online presence across Google (including Google Search and Google Maps).
‘Google Business Profile’ definition
After all, your GBP offers users everything they need to know about your business, from the products you sell to your opening hours, phone numbers, customer reviews, special deals you are running right now, and much more.
Therefore, optimizing your business profiles offers a slew of benefits:
- Helps you make your business visible
- Enhances your local SEO efforts
- Offers up-to-date information about your brand
- Serves as a social proof for customers
- Makes you trustworthy and credible
- Allows you to communicate with buyers for free
- Provides you with valuable customer insights
Note: Google My Business was rebranded into Google Business Profile in November 2021 to streamline the tools available to businesses and introduce new GBP features. The new name emphasizes the profile aspect, making it clearer to understand its purpose.
Why use Google Business Profile tools?
Why are GBP tools so important, you might ask? Well, you get access to features that your competitors won’t have in the native GBP interface.
- Create and bulk update multiple Google business profiles with essential information: Address, phone number, operating hours, etc.
- Schedule GBP posts, offers, and events to engage with customers. This is especially beneficial if you need to post the same update on many locations simultaneously.
- Respond to customer reviews to build a relationship and address feedback;
- Upload photos and videos to showcase your products and services;
- Access insights and analytics to understand customer interactions;
- Set up and manage multiple locations efficiently. Extremely useful for multi-location businesses
Remember: Google can also provide access to the Google Business Profile API, which will allow you to create custom automation solutions for your exact needs.
However, to save time integrating the Google Business API, you can also choose a third-party tool with established API access, which can help you automate tasks such as updating business information, managing reviews, posting updates, etc.
This access is particularly beneficial for businesses with multiple locations or those integrating their Google Business Profile management with other systems.
19 Google Business Profile tools you need to use today!
You can optimize your Google Business Profile once you master its tools or supplement them with third-party platforms that take advantage of Google’s APIs.
That said, here are 19 Google My Business management tools to help your business stand out on Google Search and Google Maps to reach a wider audience:
GBP API and Google review management tools
1. EmbedSocial
If you are looking for a jack-of-all-trades platform that incorporates most of the features outlined above, check out EmbedSocial—a UGC platform that has direct integration with Google’s APIs to help you get the most out of your business listings.
EmbedSocial offers the following features to manage your GBP:
- Collect reviews from every Google business listing – EmbedSocial connects your Google Business Profile and pulls reviews from your multi-location business;
- Automatically respond to Google reviews – set EmbedSocial’s review autoresponder to send out different review replies based on the feedback’s star rating;
- Display your customer feedback anywhere you like—create captivating Google review widgets and badges to showcase all the social proof you’ve collected from your customers and prompt the collection of new feedback;
- Generate online Google review reports – learn more about your products, services, and business in general by generating review summaries and reports;
- Schedule GBP posts – you can quickly and easily create and schedule your Google Business Profile posts and upload relevant media.
As you can see, you get everything you may need to manage your online listings on Google once you sign up with EmbedSocial. On top of that, you get a complete UGC platform to collect reviews, stories, social media feeds, and visuals, and embed them on any website.
Google Business Profile update and listing citation tools
2. BrightLocal Citation Builder
BrightLocal is a dedicated local SEO platform that helps businesses and brands improve local rankings, generate traffic and leads from local searches, manage reputation, and of course, a listing citation builder.
BrightLocal offers:
- A single dashboard – to oversee the progress of building and easier management of local citations;
- Building citations – submit business listings to 100+ sites (and specialist industry sites), all in one go;
- Clean up existing citations – a simple way to clean and fix NAP inaccuracies in existing citations so there is no misinformation to confuse customers or influence your local SEO rankings;
- Remove duplicate listings – remove harmful duplicate listings in one click;
- Pay-as-you-go service – there are no additional fees or annual subscription plans; You pay only for the citations you wish to build (here’s where you can read all about their pricing).
3. Whitespark
Whitespark is yet another popular tool offering a variety of local SEO features such as local rank tracker, reputation builder, citation builder, and listing cleanup.
In detail, Whitespark features include:
- Local citation finder – that identifies all the citations for your top-ranked competition and compares them with yours to find new opportunities;
- Citation finder and easy management – find all places where your business is mentioned with a simple scan;
- Analyze your competitors – see what they are doing and how you stack up against them;
- Manage your business listings from a single dashboard – with Whitespark, all your listings will be constantly maintained and optimized, duplicates removed, and more details added.
Pricing: The building of citations starts at $33 per month (billed annually), while the manual cleanup of the most important sites + building packages (creating new listings on general, industry, and regional directories) starts at $399 per single GMB.
4. Semrush Listing Management
In addition to all other marketing tools it offers, Semrush also built a listings management tool, which is a complete SEO suite with the features needed to improve your local presence.
Here’s every feature they offer:
- Connect social profiles to your business listings – promote your social channels via Google;
- Review management – see, manage, and respond to reviews from a single dashboard;
- Optimize your listing for voice search – help phone users find your business easily;
- Audit your GBP account for issues – instantly learn what needs fixing with your GBP;
- Remove duplicate listings – clean up your GBP listings;
- Automatic NAP management tool – update business name, address, and phone number across all listings from one place.
Pricing: The Semrush listing management tool can be used for free to audit five locations per day, see your status in the top directories, and check your average rating for all reviews. On top of this, they offer two more pricing plans ($20 and $40) to help set up your local business for growth.
Google review management tools
5. Yext Reputation Management
Yext is a leading digital presence platform for multi-location brands offering a comprehensive local marketing platform and a variety of solutions for marketing, support, and commerce teams including reputation and review management.
Yext includes the following features:
- Centralized customer feedback – Yext is integrated with all review sites, making it easy to see all your online reviews for every location in a single centralized dashboard;
- Deliver personalized responses at scale – Yext will help you write thoughtful, on-brand review responses;
- Ask for more reviews – help you request authentic reviews and add positive reviews to your website;
- Understand customer sentiment – natural language sentiment analysis will help you understand what your customers are saying and make improvements to your online presence;
- Track competitors and trends – understand your rating in context by tracking up to five local competitors.
Pricing: Yext pricing is unfortunately gated behind a demo, so you’d have to request a demo to get all the details.
6. ReviewTrackers
ReviewTrackers is a tool that helps you manage and monitor your reviews from 100+ review sites.
Here’s a list of the best ReviewTrackers’s features:
- Manage your reviews – monitor, manage, and collaborate on responding to reviews and social mentions from a single place;
- Analytics and KPIs – oriented platform—that will help you gain actionable insights and help you create valuable online review reports;
- Reviews collection – track and collect reviews and requests all from a single place in a much faster and automated way;
- AI-generated responses – build a customer engagement strategy by leveraging AI-generated review responses and “Smart response templates” to auto-respond while maintaining the brand voice;
- Integrated with other apps – the ability to integrate ReviewTrackers with over 1000 apps makes this app versatile and super powerful.
Pricing: Unfortunately, the pricing plans for this tool are gated behind a personalized demo.
7. Reviewly AI
Built for businesses of all sizes, this review management tool is boosted by AI and offers a unique blend of functional features that will help you automate things when it comes to review management and collection.
Reviewly.ai includes these features:
- Review management – a single dashboard to view your overall GMB Review Score, number of feedback requests, and total responses collected with detailed analytics month-by-month;
- Easy review collection – AI-powered review options make it easy for customers to provide quick feedback;
- Effective SMS invitations – unique in the game, Reviewly.ai will help you invite customers to review your business via SMS with their automated feedback system;
- Automate your engagement – with Reviewly.ai, you can set up advanced automation to generate positive reviews on autopilot.
Pricing: Reviewly AI offers three different plans, starting at $39 per month and going up to the professional plan at $129 per month.
GBP scheduling and posting tools
8. Buffer
With more than 1000 reviews on G2, Buffer is one of the most popular social media management platforms used to schedule business posts on any social media platform, including your Google Business Profile.
Buffer has features such as:
- Content scheduling – helps you plan and schedule all your posts directly to your Google Business Profile from a single and simple dashboard;
- Draft content ideas – save your content posts as drafts;
- Create a schedule – choose your preferred posting schedule and have your posts automatically go live at those times (no more sleepless nights waiting to post the content);
- Integrated analytics tool – analyze your content performance and create powerful reports directly from Buffer;
- Free plan available – draft, schedule, and publish up to ten Google Business Profile posts for free.
9. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is yet another social media management tool that helps marketing teams create, plan, schedule, and manage social media posts and Google Business Profiles.
Hootsuite’s features include:
- Content scheduling – schedule and post content to all your social media platforms and GBP at once;
- Plan and schedule your content calendar – draft, plan, and schedule a content strategy that’s designed for your ideal customer persona + boost engagement by setting your posts to go live when your audience is online;
- Automate automate automate – use Hootsuite AI writer to fill your content calendar and automate rollout by bulk-scheduling up to 350 posts at once;
- Track your performance – see a graph with unique data showing you the best time to post + track your performance across all your social media channels and GMB all in one tab;
- Respond to reviews directly – you can also reply to feeds in Hootsuite, answer questions, and manage various locations.
Pricing: Hootsuite offers three different plans starting at $99 per month.
10. Local Viking
Unlike Hootsuite and Buffer, Local Viking is a Google business management tool that schedules and automates GMB posts.
Here’s a list of the best Local Viking features:
- Automate GMB posting – create a stream of automatically scheduled posts on your GMB profile, plus get a simplified calendar overview;
- Schedule recurring posts – set up a consistent publishing plan;
- Enterprise GMB management – connect your Google My Business account and manage all of your Google business listings from a single dashboard;
- Bulk CSV upload – instead of uploading every post individually, you could upload a list with posts and schedule your content;
- GMB photo optimization with metadata – With Local Viking, you could optimize your images with latitude, longitude, keywords, and other data directly within the Local Viking dashboard.
Pricing: Unfortunately, the pricing is gated behind booking a demo.
GBP insights and analytics tools
11. GMB Briefcase
GMB Briefcase is another local search marketing and SEO tool that helps businesses improve their online presence, engage with customers, and drive conversions.
As part of their features, this tool also provides users with GBP automated reporting feature that includes:
- Automated reports – weekly, monthly, or on-demand reporting with this tool, you could streamline the creation of complicated reports (and even put it on autopilot);
- Customized dashboards – customize your reports according to your specific needs with GMB Briefcase’s customizable dashboards. Choose and review data points that matter to you, and uncover valuable business insights;
- Export functionality – easily export key data in various formats and share reports and insights or showcase data in presentations seamlessly;
- Bulk reporting – generate reports for single or multiple listings in one go and save time and effort while maintaining consistency;
- Brandable PDF reports – add your custom logo and colors to valuable reports and elevate your brand in a visually appealing way.
Pricing: GBM Briefcase has two different pricing plans: $99/month or $199/month.
12. Grade.us
Grade.us is yet another review management platform with various features such as review management, collection, monitoring, and marketing; listing management, and of course reporting and analytics to complete your Google Analytics data.
As part of their reporting and analytics features, they are offering:
- Reputation quality and quantity metrics – simple access to the most important data points such as total number of reviews, overall average rating, and rating distribution by number of stars;
- Custom report generation – quickly generate reviews according to your needs; use advanced filters such as time frame, new or old ratings, change in review volume, and reviews by sites are available for you to choose from and get to the bottom of the data;
- Review funnel – optimize your review funnel with detailed reporting on visits, positive and negative reviews, click-throughs to review sites, and review generation metrics;
- Campaign and outreach activity – track the success rates of your email drip campaigns and understand easily how well your campaigns performed and how many reviews were collected;
- Interactive sentiment analysis—With an integrated sentiment analysis tool, you can make informed decisions about your company’s service/products based on your customers’ sentiments.
Pricing: Grade.us offers a free 14-day trial, or you can choose one of four pricing plans, starting from $25 to $110 monthly.
13. Chatmeter
Chatmeter is a multi-location intelligence platform that empowers businesses to fix every listing, better manage reviews, and use AI to improve conversion rates.
Chatmeter analytics and insights features include:
- AI-powered analytics – Chatmeter has integrated artificial intelligence into their platform to help you uncover insights in a faster and more efficient way;
- Real-time pulse on customer feedback – their sentiment analysis solution will help you understand location-based trends in real-time, and reveal growth opportunities and how to improve your service/product;
- Brand intelligence reporting – review key metrics in a single dashboard and see how your brand is performing;
- View SEO rankings and LBV score – automatically uncover your ‘local brand visibility’ score and measure how easily your brand is found locally;
- Integration with BI apps – ingest customer feedback into your preferred business intelligence platform and maximize your ability to make impactful business decisions.
Pricing: Unfortunately, the pricing is gated behind booking a demo.
Google reviews widget and badge design tools
14. Canva
No list of design creation tools is complete without mentioning Canva.
Creating in Canva is simple, intuitive, and requires no special skills (just an eye for design). You can start making your widget or badge from scratch, or choose one of their templates.
You can also create your Google Business Profile posts in Canva. Search for “testimonials” in the search bar, find the template you like (free or paid), and then customize them!
Keep in mind that the free templates are basic and you can’t access all features.
Pricing: Besides the limited free plan, the brand’s pricing starts at 12,99/month for one person.
15. Adobe Bundle
If you’re looking into creating more advanced illustrations for both social media and Google My Business profiles, look at Adobe’s advanced software solutions.
A combination of Adobe Express to make flyers, TikToks, resumes, and Reels from thousands of templates bundled together with Photoshop and Lightroom for editing photos and storing photos is bound to help you create professional-looking content.
Some of the features that are crucial to the Adobe experience are:
- Various file formats—create and edit various file formats for different purposes all in one editor including social media posts, videos, photos, and documents;
- Create fast with generative AI—generative AI is directly implemented in all their tools enabling you to create images from a detailed text description (text to image), add or remove elements with a text prompt (generative fill), create templates from a text prompt, and apply styles or textures to text with a prompt;
- Simple one-click actions—like converting to PDF, resizing the image, converting to GIF, resizing video, merging videos, etc.;
- Scroll-stopping templates—a library with thousands of professionally designed templates.
Pricing: The pricing depends on what applications you choose to buy; however, Adobe Express has a free plan and two more plans starting at $9,99 monthly.
16. Snappa
This design tool is the simplest and easiest to use out of all three in this category. It is relatively new to the market, but effective when it comes to creating posts for your GMB profile.
Here’s what Snappa has to offer:
- Simple and clean interface—perfect for marketers or small business owners who don’t have time to learn a tool but need to create content quickly;
- Easy-to-edit templates and graphics—getting your graphics just right will be a click away with the easy drag-and-drop editor;
- All photos and graphics are free—unlike shady pricing plans, on Snappa all photos and graphics are free;
- Fast and lightweight interface—no more waiting hours for all your illustrations and content to be out and ready for publishing.
Pricing: Snappa can be used for free, the pro plan for individuals is $10 per month, and the team plan is for five users and $20 per month.
Google Business Profile API integration tools
17. PinMeTo
PinMeTo offers marketing and search engine optimization technology for multi-location brands and Google Business API integration for large enterprises.
PinMeTo features include:
- Advanced automation solutions
- One-stop listings management—manage all your listings within a single platform and update your information with a click;
- Real-time information sync—sync all changes instantly across all your listings;
- Data-driven growth—gain valuable insights from advanced local search analytics.
Pricing: Gated behind a demo call.
18. DataForSEO
DataForSeo specializes in aggregating data from search engines, marketplaces, and review platforms to provide you with unique insights for building innovative digital marketing solutions.
DataForSEO features include:
- DataForSEO APIs and DataForSEO databases
- Pay-per-use pricing model
- Extensive documentation and responsive support
- Build custom solutions—rank tracking, backlink analysis, reputation management tools, and keyword research tools.
Pricing: Pay-per-use pricing model.
19. Pipedream
This complex yet powerful solution connects all the Google services in your stack. With Pipedream you can build and run custom workflows using the Google My Business API.
Pipedream enables businesses to:
- Manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps, and
- Automate various aspects of the GMB account—such as reading and responding to customer reviews, updating business information, and posting new content.
However, keep in mind that you will need a developer on your team.
Expert roundup of the best GBP management tools for SMBs
I’ve asked industry experts to list the best Google Business Profile (GBP) management tools for boosting a business’s online visibility and this is what they had to say about the most impactful features and tools that SMBs should start mastering right away:
- Master local search audit with BrightLocal
- Engage customers with Google posts
- Respond to reviews for higher revenues
- Enhance visibility with Yext’s real-time updates
- Boost rankings with consistent info and reviews
- Build a reputation with Paige’s review management
- Improve SEO with Local Brand Manager’s reviews
- Manage reviews with Semrush and Moz Local
- Utilize Google customer reviews feature
- Attract attention with engaging Google posts
- Drive sales with LeadSnap’s review management
- Optimize rankings with BrightLocal’s search grid
- Increase traffic with Reputation.com’s reviews
- Transform visibility with BrightLocal’s reviews
- Generate new business with review management
- Discover citations and manage reviews effectively
- Boost searchability with active Q&A engagement
Master local search audit with BrightLocal
One of the best Google Business Profile (GBP) management tools for boosting online visibility is BrightLocal. Its most impactful feature for SMBs is the Local Search Audit. This tool provides a comprehensive analysis of your business’s online presence, highlighting areas for improvement in local SEO. By mastering this feature, businesses can understand how they stack up against competitors and identify specific actions to enhance their visibility.
For example, we helped a local restaurant use BrightLocal’s audit to discover discrepancies in their NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) across various online directories. By correcting these inconsistencies, they saw a 20% increase in local search traffic within three months. This tool empowers SMBs to make data-driven decisions and optimize their GBP for better search performance.
Vaibhav Kakkar, CEO, Digital Web Solutions
Engage customers with Google posts
One of the best tools for managing a Google Business Profile (GBP) to boost a business’s online visibility is Google’s native features, like Posts and Q&A. For small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), mastering Google Posts can be particularly impactful. This feature allows businesses to share updates, offers, and events directly on their GBP, making their profile more engaging and informative. Regularly updating this section can significantly enhance visibility and interaction with potential customers. It’s a simple yet effective way to keep your business relevant and top of mind for local searches.
Respond to reviews for higher revenues
As an expert in search engine optimization and online business profiles, I believe the best Google Business Profile (GBP) management tools for boosting a small business’s visibility are Moz Local and BrightLocal. The most impactful feature that SMBs should start mastering right away is responding to customer reviews.
Responding to all Google reviews, positive or negative, shows customers that you care, are paying attention, and want to improve. It also gives you a chance to resolve issues publicly, thank happy customers, and showcase your dedication to customer service. Studies show that businesses that respond to over 50% of their reviews average 30% higher revenues.
For example, I worked with a boutique bakery that began responding to all Google reviews. They resolved complaints, offered remedies, and thanked recurring customers by name. Their review volume doubled in three months, and they saw a noticeable bump in foot traffic and sales. Responding builds trust and loyalty. No other optimization tactic delivers such fast, tangible ROI.
With user-friendly interfaces, Moz Local and BrightLocal make review monitoring and responding easy. Their features, like automated alerts and suggested responses, help busy owners stay on top of customer feedback. For SMBs looking to boost their online presence, regularly engaging with customers through GBP reviews is the most strategic first step.
Gert Kulla, CEO, RedBat.Agency
Enhance visibility with Yext’s real-time updates
One excellent tool is Yext. Yext’s platform focuses on ensuring accurate and consistent business information across the web. Its direct integration with Google Business Profile means that updates are made in real-time, reducing the risk of outdated information. Yext also offers robust review-management features, allowing businesses to respond to customer feedback promptly. For SMBs, the real-time update capability and review-management features can significantly enhance their online presence and customer engagement.
A critical feature is the Q&A section. This feature allows businesses to address common questions directly on their Google Business Profile, providing valuable information to potential customers and improving their search rankings. By actively managing the Q&A section, businesses can preemptively answer questions, showcase their expertise, and build trust with their audience. For SMBs, this is a great way to enhance customer experience and reduce barriers to conversion by providing immediate answers to frequently asked questions.
Jason Hennessey, CEO, Hennessey Digital
Boost rankings with consistent info and reviews
When it comes to boosting your Google Business Profile (GBP) visibility, focusing on the most impactful, low-hanging fruit can make a significant difference.
Two key areas to address are Consistent Information and Reviews:
- Consistent Information: Inconsistent information about a business confuses search engines and potential customers, negatively affecting your local rankings. Ensure that your business details (name, address, phone number) are consistent across all platforms, including your GBP, website, social media, and local directories.
- Reviews: Encourage customers to leave reviews on your GBP and respond promptly to them, whether positive or negative. Engaging with reviews demonstrates authenticity and improves visibility.
At New Digital Marketing Agency, we’ve quickly improved the local rankings of over 100 different local businesses by addressing these issues. We use BrightLocal to help fix these issues efficiently.
Alex Martkovich, Founder, New Digital
Build a reputation with Paige’s review management
One of the best Google Business Profile management tools for boosting a business’s online visibility is Paige by Merchynt. Paige is an automated AI that handles your Google Business Profile tasks, alerts you when you’re low on new images, and helps you gather more reviews to outrank competitors. It’s like having the world’s best marketing assistant, and it’s very affordable. The most impactful feature businesses should start mastering is leveraging Paige’s review management to consistently build a strong online reputation.
Justin Silverman, Founder & CEO, Merchynt
Improve SEO with Local Brand Manager’s reviews
In my opinion, Local Brand Manager is one of the best tools for managing a Google Business Profile (GBP) and boosting a business’s online visibility. For small- and medium-sized businesses, it provides a comprehensive suite of features tailored to enhance local search performance. The most impactful feature to master is its review management system.
I believe actively engaging with customer reviews—responding promptly, addressing concerns, and showing appreciation—can significantly improve your local SEO. Positive reviews and quick, thoughtful responses build credibility and trust, making your business stand out in local searches.
Andrew Lee Jenkins, Owner, Catalyst RVA Marketing Agency
Manage reviews with Semrush and Moz Local
From my experience as a marketing expert at Influencity, I believe SEMrush and Moz Local are the best Google Business Profile (GBP) management tools for boosting a business’s online visibility. SEMrush is fantastic because it offers a comprehensive suite of SEO tools that help you track local search rankings, analyze competitors, and conduct site audits. This holistic approach ensures that your GBP is optimized in line with your overall SEO strategy. Moz Local, on the other hand, excels at maintaining accurate business information across various online directories, which is crucial for local SEO. It helps ensure that your business details are consistent and visible, enhancing your local search rankings.
The most impactful feature that businesses, especially SMBs, should start mastering right away is review management. Both SEMrush and Moz Local offer tools to monitor and respond to reviews effectively. Reviews significantly influence customer perceptions and local search rankings. By actively managing and responding to reviews, businesses can improve their online reputation, build trust with potential customers, and boost their visibility. This proactive approach to reviews can make a big difference in attracting more local traffic and converting leads into loyal customers.
Dan Tabaran, Marketing Expert, Influencity
Utilize Google customer reviews feature
One simple yet powerful marketing tool you can use to your advantage is the Google Customer Reviews feature. In my role overseeing demand generation, I’ve seen firsthand how this often-overlooked aspect of Google Business Profile can dramatically boost a company’s visibility and credibility.
Last year, we worked with a local bakery struggling to stand out in a competitive market. By focusing on actively soliciting and responding to Google reviews, we saw a remarkable transformation. We implemented a strategy where the bakery staff would kindly ask satisfied customers to leave a review, providing them with a simple QR code linked directly to their Google review page.
The results were astounding. Within three months, their review count tripled, and their average rating improved from 4.2 to 4.7 stars. This review boost correlated directly with a 40% increase in website clicks from their GBP and a 25% uptick in foot traffic.
But here’s the key: It wasn’t just about getting more reviews. We trained the staff to respond thoughtfully to every review, positive or negative. This engagement showed potential customers that the bakery valued feedback and was committed to customer satisfaction.
For SMBs looking to make an immediate impact, mastering the art of soliciting and responding to Google reviews should be a top priority. It’s a free, highly effective way to build trust, improve local SEO, and ultimately drive more business. Remember, in the digital age, your online reputation is often the first impression you make on potential customers.
Tristan Harris, Demand Generation Senior Marketing Manager, Thrive Digital Marketing Agency
Attract attention with engaging Google posts
I’ve found that using Google Business Profile (GBP) management tools can really make a splash in boosting online visibility. One tool that stands out is Google Posts. It’s like your mini-billboards on Google Search, allowing you to share updates, promotions, or even quirky tidbits about your business directly to potential customers. I once ran a campaign where we posted weekly updates about new products with catchy headlines—think ‘Fresh Catch of the Week: Dive into Deliciousness!’ The engagement skyrocketed, and we saw more foot traffic and online inquiries than ever before. It’s a great way for SMBs to stay relevant in their local communities while adding a touch of personality to their online presence.
Phil Laboon, CEO, Leadstacker
Drive sales with LeadSnap’s review management
In my experience, when it comes to Google Business Profile (GBP) management tools, platforms like LeadSnap, BrightLocal, and Birdeye offer a range of robust features that can significantly boost a local business’s online visibility. These tools provide comprehensive GBP management solutions, from updating your business information across multiple platforms to getting listed in new directories and tracking your local rankings and performance metrics.
Now, if I had to pinpoint the most impactful feature that businesses, especially SMBs, should start mastering right away, it’s review management. Reviews are the lifeblood of your online reputation, and they directly impact your visibility in local search results. Tools that help you actively monitor, respond to, and generate reviews can be a game-changer. Look for features that allow you to set up automated review requests, provide quick-response templates, and offer analytics on your review performance. Remember, it’s not just about getting more reviews—it’s about engaging with your customers, addressing their concerns, and showcasing your commitment to customer service. Mastering this aspect of your GBP can dramatically improve your local SEO, increase customer trust, and ultimately drive more sales.
Chris Kirksey, CEO, Direction.com
Optimize rankings with BrightLocal’s search grid
BrightLocal is one of the best Google Business Profile management tools that will help you boost your business’s online visibility.
One of the most impactful features in BrightLocal will help you track your local position according to the keywords that rank in Google Local Business search. Plus, with this feature, you can easily optimize or add keywords to your Google Business Profile to improve the ranking.
This feature is called Local Search Grid.
With this tool, you can easily track your competitors’ local rankings against different keywords, and you can use those keywords in your Google Business Profile content to improve your ranking.
Tayyab Akram, Website Content Specialist, Zones, LLC
Increase traffic with Reputation.com’s reviews
When it comes to Google Business Profile management tools, Reputation.com is a game-changer for boosting online visibility—it’s like having a digital PR team working 24/7. At Stocks.News, we started using Reputation.com a year ago, and the impact on our online presence has been phenomenal. The most impactful feature, especially for SMBs, is their review solicitation and management system.
I remember when we first implemented it. We were struggling with a low review count and inconsistent ratings. Within three months of using Reputation.com‘s automated review request system, our review count tripled, and our average rating jumped from 3.8 to 4.6 stars. This dramatic improvement in our online reputation led to a noticeable increase in website traffic and new client inquiries.
The tool also provides detailed analytics on review sentiment, allowing us to identify and address any recurring issues quickly. For SMBs, mastering this feature can be a quick win in improving their online visibility and credibility. Remember, in today’s digital-first world, your online reputation is often the first impression potential customers have of your business. Managing it effectively isn’t just good practice—it’s essential for growth and success.
Raf Pereira, Founder, Stocks.News
Transform visibility with BrightLocal’s reviews
For me, BrightLocal is an outstanding tool for managing Google Business Profiles (GBP), and its Review Management feature is a game-changer for boosting a business’s online visibility. This feature is incredibly impactful, and I highly recommend that companies, especially SMBs, start using it immediately.
Having worked with numerous local and national businesses, I’ve seen firsthand how monitoring and responding to customer reviews through BrightLocal can transform a business. For example, a high-street shop we worked with saw a remarkable 28% increase in foot traffic simply by addressing feedback promptly and encouraging satisfied customers to leave reviews. Actively managing reviews not only builds customer trust but also significantly boosts local search rankings because Google loves active and engaging review profiles.
For SMEs aiming to grow their online presence, regularly gathering and responding to reviews can dramatically enhance visibility, bolster a business’s authority, and sway customer decisions. Engaging with reviews effectively can set your business apart, making a substantial difference in attracting and retaining customers.
Tom Edwards, Founder, Bit Quirky Consulting
Generate new business with review management
We successfully increased our foot traffic by 25% just by focusing on GBP optimization. Managing GBPs, including those for local businesses with multiple locations, is time-consuming. Luckily, tools exist to help with GBP management.
There are many good options on the market, but the key is finding a tool that complements your operations. Features such as multi-location management and automated posting remove the need to manually enter information on every platform and allow you to schedule content weeks, if not months, in advance, quickly becoming game-changers. However, the most important feature for SMBs to master straight away, in my opinion, is review management. Reports suggest that 97% of consumers read online reviews before purchasing. Actively soliciting reviews, whether good or bad, responding to them promptly, and demonstrating to your current and future customers that you care about their input is a great way to build trust and credibility while significantly increasing your online visibility and generating new business.
Andrew Cussens, Digital Marketing Specialist| Founder & CEO, FilmFolk
Discover citations and manage reviews effectively
One of the most effective tools for managing a GBP and enhancing online visibility is a local citation finder, such as Whitespark. With the tool, businesses can find out where their citations are listed and track the accuracy of these listings. They will also discover new citation opportunities and correct any discrepancies in existing ones. For example, a local bakery using the Local Citation Finder can ensure that their NAP details are uniform across all local directories, significantly improving their local search visibility.
Bonus tip: This tool also allows businesses to benchmark their citation profile against competitors. So, SMBs can strategically build a more robust and competitive citation profile to gain a competitive edge in local search results.
For the second must-have tool, I would say a review management and generation tool like BrightLocal. We all know that online reviews play a critical role in local search rankings and customer trust. So, using a review management tool will help businesses monitor and respond to customer reviews across multiple platforms. SMBs can also use review management tools to automate the review requesting process from satisfied customers. For example, a local dental clinic can set up SMS or automated email requests after each appointment, ensuring a steady flow of feedback.
Bonus Tip: With these tools, SMBs will showcase their positive reviews on their website and social media platforms, leveraging social proof.
Nurlan Suleymanov, Content Strategist, On-site Optimization Expert, aqua cloud
Boost searchability with active Q&A engagement
To maximize online visibility using Google Business Profile (GBP), businesses should focus on managing their reviews and actively engaging with the Q&A feature. It’s well-known that past customer reviews significantly influence potential new customers, as prospects are now much more inclined to do their research. But reviews also directly improve search rankings. When businesses actively solicit reviews from satisfied customers and respond promptly to all reviews, positive or negative, it demonstrates a commitment to customer satisfaction and improves trust factors.
The Q&A section of GBP is another way for businesses to answer customer inquiries directly. This feature can be leveraged by providing clear, detailed responses, and it can even be done proactively—by posting and answering common or expected questions. This can greatly enhance a business’s visibility and searchability. It’s an approach that boosts engagement and positions the business as transparent and customer-focused—essential for attracting new clientele in competitive environments.
Alex Ugarte, Operations Manager, London Office Space
Conclusion: Start taking control of your GBP right away!
At the end of the day, Google Business Profile tools are essential for boosting your business’s online presence and connecting with more customers, especially after you add multiple locations to your Google Business Profile.
From managing listings and citations to handling reviews and scheduling posts, these tools can streamline your operations and enhance your local SEO.
By leveraging the right GMB tools, you ensure your business information is consistent across the web, you engage effectively with customers, and you gain valuable insights.
Therefore, start investing time in mastering these tools, and look into comprehensive platforms with API access, such as EmbedSocial. That way, you can increase the visibility and credibility of your business, which ultimately leads to business growth and profits.
FAQs
What is the Google My Business tool?
Google My Business (Google Business Profile) is a free tool that allows businesses to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. Once you create a profile, your customers will be able to easily find you and engage with your business. Plus, you’ll be able to provide all the vital information they need, such as location, hours, and reviews.
What is Google My Business now called?
Google My Business is now known as Google Business Profile. This change reflects Google’s aim to simplify the tool’s usage and emphasize its role in managing a business’s online presence. Despite the name change, the tool retains its functionality, helping businesses connect with customers through Google Search and Maps.
Is Google My Business really free?
Yes, Google My Business (now Google Business Profile) is completely free to use. There are no costs involved in creating or managing your business profile, making it accessible for businesses of all sizes. This free access allows businesses to enhance their visibility and engage with customers without incurring additional expenses.
