As we welcome 2022, one of the best things you can do for your business is make sure your Google Business Profile is accurate and up to date. Phillips 66 manages this information for your site(s) on Google, Apple, Bing and many more, but it is important to understand how you can improve these listings.

What does Google Business Profile do for my business? 

Google Business Profile has become vital for small business owners in recent years, empowering them with greater visibility in a digital space and providing consumers with information that goes beyond your site(s)’ address. An up-to-date listing has become essential for consumers as Google is often the first place they will look for information, especially with safety protocols and changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lacking details or a non-existent listing could mean consumers overlook your business completely.  

This tool allows new consumers to discover, contact and map themselves to your site(s) through Google’s search engine, giving you the opportunity to present your site(s) in their best light and stand out amongst competitors. For an introduction to the tool, learn more from this beginner’s guide. 

Part 1: Location, hours and contact information 

Your location, hours and contact information may seem like basic facts about your business, however in many cases this is a consumer’s initial experience with your business, meaning finding and using your listed information on Google can make or break a first impression.  

Location, location, location: 

Did you know that your customers can be routed to your sites directly from Google? Keeping your location information accurate is vital. Including your site’s street address as well as city, state, zip code and unit number (if applicable) will help ensure consumers are directed to your site correctly. Your Google listing is integrated with the number one mapping application, Google Maps, and whether they are searching for the nearest gas station from Google or directly in the app, an accurate and full address will help them get there. 

Updating your hours:  

As labor shortages are surging nationwide, we understand your business may be affected, possibly causing reduced hours of operation. For this reason, it is important to keep your store hours up to date in order to avoid confusion or frustration with potential and returning consumers, especially if your site(s)’ hours are changing frequently. Google also allows you to add special holiday hours for major holidays that may affect business hours. As many families take road trips during major holidays, letting them know your site is available for their next fill-up allows them to plan their trip with your site in mind, and even visit your site again upon their return.  

Contact information:  

Did you know your customers can call or email you directly from your Google listing? If a consumer has questions about stock availability, fuel supply during natural disasters or shortages or any ongoing promotions, you want to make sure contacting your site is a seamless process. It is important that the number listed is a site-specific phone, rather than a personal phone of yours or one of your employees in case of turnover or inaccessibility. This is also a great reminder to your employees to treat every phone call as a pivotal point in the consumer experience, empowering them with the knowledge of all ongoing promotions, site information and stock updates.   

Keep in mind that Google allows users to suggest edits to any of the above information, as well as add additional information with the ‘Share the latest info’ function. To avoid consumers getting frustrated and submitting their own edits, audit your business’s current listing for any edits and encourage your employees to keep track of any verbal complaints regarding contacting or locating your site. If you notice any discrepancies in your listing, please contact your Sales Rep and they will get it updated on your behalf.

As business-to-consumer interaction has evolved to begin during a consumer’s initial Google search, it’s more crucial than ever to utilize and optimize your Google Business Profile to display accurate, updated information about your business.  

Next week we’ll be sharing part two of the series where we’ll discuss the importance of your business’s description, images and blog posts.