Google’s New “Profile Strength” Rating

In other words - there wasn’t anything Google thought we needed to add. It just said we could “add more later” and gave us a link back to our profile. 

So even though the “Profile Strength” icon suggested ours was incomplete, there’s nothing Google actually wanted from us. This is evidence that this feature might not be as fully realized yet as it needs to be.

Some Suggestions Are For Features You May Not Want To Use

Working with other clients through their GBPs, we’ve discovered some of the things Google suggests they do in order to “complete” their profiles. 

Here are examples:

• Turn On Quote Request - We certainly agree that this should be turned on - if you want it turned on. Some of our clients don’t like giving estimates until they’re in the home, and we get that.

• Turn On Messaging - Great if you have the manpower to answer quickly, but if you don’t then turning this one could hurt your business rather than help.

• Add Your Services - You should definitely have the services you offer listed, which is why LNB takes care of that when we manage your GBP to ensure everything is accurate.
• Add Products - Likewise, if you have products you want to have listed, we handle it for you so you would be good here.

The other big one is an option to Run Ads. 

It seems hard to believe Google would consider your GBP “incomplete” if it’s not running ads, so there’s two possibilities why this one would even be there. 

1. It’s not supposed to be there and it’s a coding error and they’ll correct it soon. 
2. They’re throwing it in there assuming that people will want their profile to be “complete,” so they’ll do it whether they should or not, and Google makes more money. We expect Google will get a lot of pushback on this if it turns out to be the case.

What You Need To Keep In Mind About Your GBP

The single most important thing to remember is this: profile strength is not a ranking factor for your website. Even if Google thinks your GBP is only 50% complete, it does not mean your website - or your GBP - are performing poorly. 

The two things are entirely separate, so you have nothing to worry about. We’ll allow that Google could always change that in the future, but for now, this is the reality we’re working with.

The “Profile Strength” can be a useful way to make sure as much information has been entered into your GBP as possible (and the more info, the better), so it does have its utility as a tool to judge if you’ve done enough work on your profile. 

But you absolutely should not feel there’s something wrong with your profile if it doesn’t say “Looks Good” - as with our example above, even Google might not have a suggestion for what your profile “needs.”

Your Team At LNB Has You Covered

If you have an SEO package with us, then you don’t need to concern yourself with any of this. We monitor and optimize your GBP regularly, and your CSM will ensure it’s kept up-to-date with all of our best practices, including utilizing only the features you want. If you’ve got questions on this or anything else related to your GBP, message us online or call your CSM at 919-758-8420 today!