The year is almost over, and before you flip the calendar to 2023, let us take a hard look at your Google Business Profile. For retail shops in San Antonio…boutiques, specialty stores, gift shops, and everything in between…your Google profile is the front door to your online presence. If it is not performing, you are missing out on foot traffic, phone calls, and sales.
Here is a year-end audit checklist to make sure you are set up for success. For more on retail marketing, our new year email marketing strategies for retailers and mid-year Google Business Profile review guide cover additional seasonal audits.
Review Your Profile Performance Data
Google gives you free data about how your profile is performing. Log in and check:
- How many people viewed your profile this year? Is the trend going up or down?
- What searches are people using to find you? You might be surprised. If people are finding you through searches you did not expect, lean into those keywords. For more on turning profile data into action, our customer retention guide for retail during Halloween and Dia de los Muertos shows how to use insights to plan seasonal campaigns.
- How many people clicked for directions, called, or visited your website? These are your conversion metrics. If views are high but clicks are low, your profile is not compelling enough.
Write down these numbers. They are your baseline for 2023.
Update Every Field
Go through your profile field by field:
- Business name: Correct and matching your signage.
- Category: Is it still the best fit? Google regularly adds new categories. Check if a more specific one exists.
- Address: Accurate, including suite or unit number.
- Hours: Updated for the holidays and any upcoming 2023 changes. Add special hours for New Year’s Day.
- Phone and website: Working and current.
- Business description: Does it reflect your current offerings, location, and unique value? Mention San Antonio and your neighborhood.
- Attributes: Wheelchair accessible, free parking, Wi-Fi, gift wrapping…check every applicable attribute.
A complete profile ranks better and converts more views into visits.
Audit Your Photos
Scroll through all your profile photos. Are they:
- High quality and well lit?
- Recent (from the past 12 months)?
- Showing your actual store, products, and team?
- Free of outdated displays, old signage, or seasonal décor from the wrong season?
Remove any photos that no longer represent your business. Upload at least 10 new ones. If you are in the Pearl District, show your beautiful storefront. If you are in a strip center in Stone Oak, show a clean, welcoming entrance. Product close-ups, happy staff, and seasonal displays all work well.
Analyze Your Reviews
Look at every review you received this year:
- How many total reviews did you gain?
- What is your average rating?
- Did you respond to every single one?
- What themes come up in positive reviews? (These are your strengths…lean into them in your marketing.)
- What themes come up in negative reviews? (These are your improvement areas…address them operationally.)
Set a goal for 2023. If you gained 20 reviews this year, aim for 40 next year. If your average is 4.3, figure out what it takes to push it to 4.5.
Check Your Competitors
Search for your top three competitors on Google. Compare their profiles to yours:
- Do they have more reviews? More photos? A better description?
- Are they posting Google updates and you are not?
- Are they showing up in the Map Pack where you are not?
This is not about copying them. It is about understanding where you stand and identifying the gaps you can close.
Set Your 2023 Google Profile Goals
Based on your audit, pick three specific goals for next year:
- Post a Google update every week (52 posts in 2023).
- Gain at least 50 new reviews.
- Add 5 new photos every month.
Write them down. Put them in your calendar. The retailers who treat their Google Business Profile as a living, active marketing tool…not a set-it-and-forget-it listing…are the ones that dominate local search in San Antonio.
Start 2023 Ready
This audit takes about an hour. One hour of effort now sets you up for a full year of better visibility, more foot traffic, and stronger online presence. That is a pretty good trade.
For free Google Business Profile checklists and 2023 planning guides, visit https://gift.growmysmallbusiness.com/.