A Google Business Profile for schools is free, and provides a significant SEO advantage to schools.
Bright Local found that 64% of consumers have used GBP to find contact details for a local business, and 49% of companies obtain over 1,000 monthly views on Google Search.
You may be wondering ‘is a Google Business Profile relevant for schools?’ The answer is, absolutely… And in this article we are going to talk you through all of the benefits your school will experience as a result of using it.
Why is a Google Business Profile for schools important?
- Stay up to date
Whilst your website is kept up to date with all the latest information from your school, your Google Business Profile is another platform that users may visit to locate information.
From upcoming events to the latest news, a Google Business Profile is a great tool for schools to keep parents, students and staff up to date with what is going on.
- Make a strong first impression
A Google Business Profile appears right at the top of page one of a Google search results page and takes up a significant amount of real estate on the page. It is one of the first things people will see when they search for your school, and thus is an excellent opportunity to establish a meaningful first impression.
Through stand-out imagery, eye-catching branding and engaging content, it is often the first opportunity to introduce people to your school’s brand.
- Deliver a consistent brand
Speaking of branding, following on from our recent blog about keeping branding consistent across trusts, a Google Business Profile is another chance for schools to communicate their identity through branding.
From uploading your school logo to ensuring copy remains in your school’s tone of voice, a Google Business Profile for schools is another platform to further underpin your school’s rich brand and visual identity.
- Stay ahead of the competition
A Google Business Profile is an essential tool for schools and has been around for some time now. As a result, many schools have invested time and resources into ensuring their profile is optimised and accurately conveys their ethos.
To prevent your school from being perceived as falling behind others in the area it is vital to ensure your Google Business Profile is accurately optimised and maintained.
- Benefit from the SEO boost
By now it is probably quite clear how important a Google Business Profile for schools is, both in terms of your brand image and articulating key information. One further benefit comes in the form of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
SEO for schools is vital for ensuring your school website ranks competitively within search engines for key terms and phrases. If you have optimised your school’s Google Business Profile, it is a positive ranking signal to Google and will help boost your search presence and traffic coming to your website.
What can you do to optimise your Google Business Profile?
- Add Photos & Videos
According to Google, businesses with photos and videos on their profiles receive 42% more requests for directions on Google Maps, and 35% more clicks through to their website.
It is a great idea to upload high-quality images and videos to your school’s Google Business Profile. By repurposing your school’s photography and videography, these uploads are an excellent way to enhance your profile and boost search presence.
- Ensure Copy Is Clear & SEO Focused
You have 750 characters to explain who you are on your Google Business Profile. This is a fantastic opportunity to inform readers about your school through the delivery of key information.
From an SEO perspective, make sure your description includes your school’s area as well as pertinent information. Examples may include your school’s specialist areas as well as the age of pupils at the school.
- Provide Contact Information
Essential information to add to your Google Business Profile for schools is a main telephone number for people to contact the school by (most likely the reception number). In addition to this it’s best to include an email address (again probably best to put the reception’s email address) and finally your school opening hours.
- Respond To Reviews!
Interacting with your audience by responding to their reviews on your Google Business profile demonstrates how your school values its community and their feedback.
As reviews are public, positive reviews will reaffirm your school’s reputation, and responding to these will encourage more people to leave reviews. The more reviews the better, as they increase your school’s search visibility.
- Publish Up To Date Content
A lot of time, effort and resources go into creating high-quality content for schools. Whether that be blogs, news updates or video content. Your Google Business Profile has a section that allows you to display this content and further engage your audience. It is best practice to keep this section active and up-to-date whenever possible.
- Add Social Profiles
Google will automatically pull social media accounts onto your Google Business Profiles from what it finds on your website. Therefore, be sure to add links to social media profiles on your website so that these pull through onto your school’s Google Business Profile. This is also a great way to boost traffic and followers on your school’s social media pages.
- Link To Events
Got an open or sports day coming up? Wanting to promote an upcoming charity bake sale? Whatever it is, post it to your Google Business Profile. Another great way to communicate information to people searching for your school on Google, and get them engaged.
Google Business Profile for schools is a great addition to any SEO strategy. With a whole host of positive outcomes from an up-to-date profile, investing time and effort into ensuring your profile is as optimised as possible will be greatly beneficial to your school’s SEO strategy.
If you are looking for some help with your school’s SEO strategy, get in touch today.
Useful Links:
Add or claim your school listing Video tutorial to claim your listing Verify your school listing Request ownership of your listing Google’s prohibited content policyInterested in finding out more?
See how Cleverbox can help you with your next project