Now more than ever, people are looking to connect with the brands they purchase from, often online and even before they step foot inside the store. In an age where brand affinity is driving traffic and there is little perceived difference between online and in-person interactions with a business, creating a relatable, value-driven online persona for your business is crucial.   

Part 2 of this series will show you how a detailed description, recent images and relevant posts on your Google Business Profile will help engage consumers online, driving them to you for their next fill-up. All from this universal, free advertising tool. 

Part 2: Description, Images and Posts  

How would you best describe yourself?  

Google gives you the opportunity to tell your business’s story with a 750-word description about your business, which will be front and center along with the name of your site. Using keywords like “gas station,” “snacks,” “local” and other terms that accurately define or make your business unique, will help your business appear in Google search when consumers are looking for their next stop. And, with the continued presence of COVID, your description is a great place to let consumers know your ongoing commitment to safety protocols, including their ability to make contactless payments with mobile pay. Updating your station’s description provides an opportunity to connect with your employees and ask them what they think makes your site unique, whether it be your convenient location, a unique variety of c-store snacks, connection to the local community or anything else that puts you a step above the competition.  

Picture perfect:  

You and your employees are diligent in keeping your site(s) in tip-top shape, so why not show it off? Using images in your Google listing is your opportunity to not just tell consumers how your site will provide an exceptional fueling experience, but show them. 

Google recommends¹ uploading three exterior photos and a minimum of three interior photos for your listing. Google also lets you set one image as your cover photo, ensuring that this is the first and largest picture searchers see when finding your listing. As your brand has just upgraded their image, this is a great opportunity to take updated photos of your site(s), so that consumers have the latest image in mind when searching for your station.  

This is also a reminder to keep your sites clean and well-stocked to ensure the customer experience matches expectations. Consumers can upload their own images of your site and you’ll want to make sure these are shared in a positive light. 

Posts:  

Posts are another element of your Google Business Profile that provide an opportunity to directly communicate with potential customers, right from the search results page. These often include time-sensitive updates such as promotions (like mobile pay or branded sports sponsorships), upcoming events, change of hours, sharing new offerings for your store selection or communicating special offers. Think of posts as a free advertisement within Google to get your latest message to potential customers who are already looking for relevant information.

A few tips² should be considered when working with your sales representative to create posts. In addition, you can lean on the Marketing Resources website for the latest branded offers, images and more. 

1. Post regularly so the latest information is always seen first 
2. Use high quality photos or video with the information to show and tell the news
3. Keep the text short and professional 
4. Include keywords in the post that potential customers might be typing in the search field so your post will appear to them
5. Double check your content for spelling and grammatical errors 

The three parts of your listing discussed today will help set you apart from your competition, giving your site a personality and luring consumers to make their next fill-ups with you. Contact your Sales Rep today to work on giving your site(s)’ listing some color with an updated description, quality images and promotional posts to stay ahead of the game.   

To check out Part 1 of the series about updating your location, hours and contact information, refer to this article. Be on the lookout for Part 3 of the series, where we will discuss consumer reviews and responses.  

¹  https://support.google.com/business/answer/6103862?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid 
²  https://blog.hootsuite.com/google-my-business-posts/