As a financial advisor, you know the importance of, and difficulty in, continually finding new ways to connect with your existing clients while attracting new clientele.

For existing clients, it's about positioning yourself as a thought leader in your industry to ensure that they continue to seek out your services. For new potential clients, it's about educating your target audience on why you’re the best choice for them and building trust. By doing so, you'll be setting your financial business up for long-term success.

One way in which to do so is with Google My Business (GMB). In this article, we unpack what Google My Business (also known as Google Business Profile) is and how it can help to significantly grow your business.

What Is Google My Business?

So, what is Google My Business? Google My Business is an excellent platform for any business that wants to manage its online presence across Google. GMB allows you to list your business information, share key information about your services and your location, and to tell your target audience the story of your business, right on the search engine results pages.

Google My Business can help you connect with potential clients in your area who are actively searching for financial advice. You can use it to:

• Verify and edit your business name, address, phone number, website, hours, and company description
• Upload photos of your office, team, or products/services
• Collect and respond to reviews from customers
• Create and manage posts to share news, events, or other information with potential clients
• View insights about how customers are interacting with your business online

Google My Business is a powerful tool for financial advisors who want to provide new and existing clients with more opportunities to be in contact with them. By creating and verifying your business listing, you can make sure that your information is accurate and up-to-date.

The Benefits Of Google My Business

There are many benefits to using GMB. Here are a few that are especially relevant to financial advisors:

1. Improve Your Visibility In Local Search Results

When potential clients in your area search for financial advice on Google, your GMB listing can appear in the search results. When this happens, it cements your credibility online. This is especially true if you have completed all of the fields in your listing and included relevant keywords.

2. Showcase Your Business With Photos And Videos

Google My Business allows you to upload photos and videos of your office, team, or products/services. These can give potential clients a better sense of what it would be like to work with you and further develops trust.

3. Share Useful Information With Potential Clients

You can create and manage posts to share news, events, or other information with potential clients. This is a great way to keep them up-to-date on what's going on at your firm and show them that you're an expert in your field.

4. Get Insights Into How Customers Are Interacting With Your Business

Google My Business provides valuable insights into how customers are interacting with your listing. This information can help you adjust your strategy to better meet the needs of potential clients.

5. Respond To Reviews From Customers

Customers will be able to leave reviews about your business which are then showcased on Google My Business. While these reviews can be positive or negative, it's important to respond thoughtfully and professionally. This shows potential clients that you're interested in their feedback and willing to consider their suggestions.

These are just some of the many benefits of Google My Business.

By taking advantage of these features, you can showcase your business, share useful information with potential clients, and get insights into how customers are interacting with your listing.

How To Set Up Google My Business

Setting up a Google My Business profile is fairly simple. All you need to do is follow these easy steps.

1. Sign In To Your Google My Business Profile

You'll first need to create a profile, you can do so by clicking here and entering your details. If you already have a profile, then you can simply sign in.

2. Add Your Business Information

Once you're signed in, you'll need to add your business information. This includes your business name, address, phone number, website, hours, and description.

3. Enter Your Location

Next, you'll need to enter your location. This can be done by either typing in your address or using the map tool.

4. Choose Your Business Category

Then, you'll need to choose a business category. This will help potential customers find you when they're searching for businesses like yours.

5. Verify Your Listing

After you've entered all of your information, you'll need to verify your listing. This can be completed via phone, text, email, or video. Once you've completed the verification process, it can still take a while for Google to review your account and for your updates to be published.

6. Customize Your Profile

Once your profile is verified, you can start customizing it. This includes adding photos and videos, creating posts, and responding to reviews.

7. Monitor Your Performance

Finally, you'll need to monitor your performance. Google My Business provides valuable insights that can help you see how customers are interacting with your listing. Use this information to adjust your GMB strategy and improve your visibility in local search results.

By following these simple steps, you will have successfully created a Google My Business profile for your financial advisory business. 

Secrets and Tips For Using Google My Business For Financial Advisors

Next, let’s dig into some secrets and tips that can help you make the most of your GMB profile.

1. Use Relevant Keywords

When creating your profile, be sure to include relevant keywords. This can include the area in which you specialize and your location. Doing this will benefit your SEO.

2. Add A Quote Button

To further encourage prospects to get in touch with you, add a quote button to your listing. This allows potential clients to easily request a quote for your services without having to leave the GMB platform.

3. Use Google Ads

You can create Google Ads to drive traffic to your GMB listing. This is a great way to increase your visibility and reach potential clients who may be searching for businesses like yours.

4. Online Appointment Booking

If you want to make it easy for potential clients to schedule an appointment with you, you can enable an online appointment booking URL on your GMB listing. This integration allows prospects to see your availability and book a time that works for them without having to call or email your office.

5. Add Attributes

There are two kinds of attributes that can be added to your profile. Objective, which is when you own and edit what is displayed on your listing or Subjective which is dependent on your customer opinions and cannot be edited. Attributes can signify whether your business is accessible, the average cost of your services, or if there are amenities available (such as wifi). This is another way you can differentiate your business from your competition.

Conclusion

Google My Business is a powerful tool that can be optimized to boost your reputation and attract new customers online. Once you have your profile created or updated, you will be ready to reap the benefits of using this tool. Don't stop there though, be sure to try the secrets and tips we provided to increase your online exposure and cement your credibility online.