Google Business Profile ROIs
Recently, one of my clients earned $101,700 worth of Google Business Profile leads generated in 10 weeks.
That’s a 68X ROI from our $500/month hyperlocal campaigns.
I will teach you a number of the secret hacks we use to achieve that kind of success.
There are so many reasons why Google Business Profiles are the best lead generation strategy of 2024. If you’re here, you’re in the right place. It’s a very exciting time to leverage the power of hyperlocal SEO.
If you’re brand new to this hyperlocal strategy, you may want to check out our setup guide with 11 Hacks on Google Business Profile Setup for Realtors.
Let’s get into those secret hacks.
Top Google Business Profile Hacks for Realtors
1. Perfect Google Business Profile Title
Austin, one of the hottest markets in the nation, is home to about 27,000 real estate agents. Guess the number of reviews on the top Google Business Profile. 500? 1000?
What if I told you the #1 agent profile for the search “Austin realtors” has only 32 reviews?
What if I told you the next 3 profiles have over 1000 reviews?
Don’t sleep on this hack, it’s number one for a reason.
In fact, I wrote a 4000-word GBP case study packed with research to demonstrate what the perfect GBP business title is for real estate agents and agencies.
That’s right, 4000 words of research and advice on the 3-7 words in your business title.
It’s just that important. A small percentage of you will be smart enough to read the full guide, so I’ll link it below. Understanding the topic deeply for your exact situation could easily make a difference of multiple commissions. The guide contains so much you should definitely know.
For everyone else, here’s the short version.
If you’re a real estate agency, there’s no one-size-fits-all hack for naming your business title since there will be variations in agency names. But here’s my standard suggestion:
The Guarino Team | Long Beach Island Realtors
If you’re not with an agency, I recommend changing your GBP to look like this:
Mike Addams | Austin Realtor
If you’re connected to a brokerage or agency whose name includes local place names or real estate language like “realty”, then you should add that as well. Then your business title would look like one of these:
Mike Addams | Austin Realtor | Coldwell Banker Austin
Mike Addams | Austin Realtor | Longhorn Realty
The punctuation is very secondary. If you prefer commas or dashes, go for it. But a clean look is always nice branding.
2. Hyperlocal, Keyword-Rich Client Reviews
In other words, real estate agent Google Business Profiles with reviews including language like “best Los Angeles realtor” are going to rank better for those local searches.
If you haven’t heard about this, you might nod and think, yeah that makes sense.
But you probably don’t fully get it.
Generating the right frequency and kinds of hyperlocal keywords in your client reviews is the key that unlocks the whole castle.
I’m talking about standalone real estate agents located 20 miles outside of major metropolitan areas outranking huge agencies located downtown with hundreds of great reviews.
That’s in addition to outranking hundreds of other agents located closer to the geo-center.
That’s like seeing a little girl with a pocketknife standing triumphantly on a castle, surrounded by fields of slain dragons and ogres. RIP Smaug and Shrek.
Be that little girl by arming yourself with these hacks.
The table below comes from one of our groundbreaking Google Business Profiles for realtors case study. It demonstrates how the inclusion of the words “best” and “best realtor” in reviews on realtor Google Business Profiles helped these tiny agencies jump to the Top 3 for “best realtor” keywords.
In some cases, they jumped 300+ ranks with this hack. From zero to hero.
The more you study the table, the wilder the results look.
The case study also reveals hacks that will make you a Top 3 result for every neighborhood and suburb you serve.
Plus, it divulges the perfect recipe for Google reviews that convert like crazy.
Honestly, I can talk myself hoarse about this subject. It’s so crucial to your success, that I’m going to push you a little to check out my in-depth case study. I don’t hold back on any key information.
But for those of you who want the short version:
Generate 3-5 reviews per month with 100+ words, 5 stars, and 1-3 of the following keyword types below. You give yourself a strong chance of hitting the Local Pack and Google Maps Top 3 for hyperlocal keywords within 2-6 months.
- “Best realtor/real estate agent in (Insert Area)”
- “Top realtor/real estate agent in (Insert Area)”
- “(Insert Area) realtor/real estate agent”
- “(Insert Area) homes”
- Neighborhood, suburb, community, town, city, county names
Even better, my guide shows how elicit those organic, high-conversion client reviews without being inappropriate or breaking Google guidelines.
If you’re looking to optimize a Google Business Profile as a realtor, these hacks are can’t-miss and unmissable.
These secrets are a big part of how Bret earned $101,700 worth of GBP leads in 10 weeks.
3. Don’t just ask clients for reviews.
Many real estate agents don’t use this hack for their Google Business Profile.
But Google allows reviews from other people besides your client list. Of course, you should have had at least a professional interaction. But that could be as simple as giving your professional advice for half an hour at a barbeque.
Here’s a list of people in your circle you can ask for reviews.
- Mortgage lenders
- Home appraisers
- Referral agents
- Mentors/mentees
- Family/friends you assist
- Prospects you assist
- Colleagues
- Divorce attorneys
- Local business owners
It’s smart to offer to reciprocate the favor whenever relevant. If you write their review first, you can make it extra long to encourage the same from them.
We’ve also created a Cheat Sheet to Guide Clients to Perfect Google Reviews.
Download it on the linked page above and tailor it for your branding.
Essential Google Business Profile Hacks for Realtors
I’ve given you the top 3 secrets you must know as a real estate agent with a Google Business Profile.
Now let’s move on to some hacks that are still essential for every agent trying to succeed.
4. Citations are unsung heroes.
Put simply, citations are your name, address, and phone number listed in directories and platforms across the internet. Think Facebook, the Yellow Pages, and Loopnet.
These make up about 25-30% of the ranking factors for your agent GBP.
As a realtor with a Google Business Profile, it’s easy to see citations as the bane of your existence.
No doubt, they are tedious, time-consuming, and require impressive organizational skills.
But that can also be a good thing. Like you, your competition will hate doing the busy work necessary for a perfect citation profile across the internet. That has two results.
First, they probably won’t do it, which spells opportunity for you.
Second, Google appreciates real estate agents who develop strong citations for their Google Business Profile.
Google knows it’s a lot of manual work, which means they view it as a strong signal that you are committed to being a local authority.
The guide above provides realtors with the best 50 citation sources in the US, plus the best 50 citation sources specifically for real estate professionals.
It also features the following top mistakes agents make with citations.
- Inconsistent NAP Information: Ensure your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent across all citations. That means everything should be completely identical, without a single letter, number, or space different. Inconsistencies can confuse search engines and potential clients, affecting your local search rankings.
- Overlooking Local Keywords: Incorporate local keywords in your citations to increase their relevance for local searches. For instance, include neighborhood names or local landmarks in your descriptions.
- Failing to Verify Listings: Some platforms require verification to ensure accuracy and ownership. Failing to verify your listings can limit their effectiveness.
It’s easy to mess up. Check out these inconsistencies we fixed for a client. You’d never know that such minor details can derail you.
It’s a lot work. If you want to do it yourself, more power to you. Check out our citation guide and get moving. You’ll need to pay for a service like BrightLocal for a prayer at having perfectly consistent citations.
We recommend 5-8 new citations per month over the course of 1-2 years. There’s nothing wrong with a boosted 25 citations in the first week to get the ball rolling.
If you have the budget or simply want to avoid the headache, visit our Services and Pricing page for hyperlocal campaigns.
You can also schedule a consultation with me, and I’ll walk you through your personal situation and it’s potential.
Schedule a Meeting
Let’s chat about how an SEO-focused website that YOU OWN, Google Business Profile Campaigns, or Custom Email Campaigns can generate high-quality leads and exceptional long-term ROI. If my services aren’t the best move for you, I’ll gladly point you in the right direction
5. Upload the right kind of images regularly.
Check out these statistics.
- Businesses with over 100 images on GBP get 2,717% more direction requests than the average business.
- Businesses with over 100 images get 960% more search views than the average business.
- Businesses with over 100 images get 520% more calls than the average business.
For sure, those business probably have lots of reviews as well. Correlation doesn’t always suggest causation. But Google loves it when your profile is rich with visuals.
Reviews provide all the social proof you need to inspire calls, but photos provide a branding opportunity.
Yes, you should use a professional headshot. But I recommend posting photos of you working with clients as well.
PRO TIP: Take photos with clients at closing and ask them to post them with their reviews.
If you can get 10 long, glowing reviews complete with photos of smiling clients, Google will put them at the top of your reviews.
And I promise, promise, promise that will lead to more leads calling you, already excited to work together.
Also include team photos, office photos, and candids of you out in the field. Compared to a hundred other lead-generation strategies, it just doesn’t take that much work to get solid branding on your GBP.
If you want to go the extra mile, consider doing 1-minute “exit interviews” with satisfied clients at closing. Fortunately for you, literally nobody is doing this. But again, this is such a powerful idea to get people on the phone with you. It’s more than worth the effort.
Google Business Profiles for Realtors
Check out our full suite of hyperlocal content to optimize your Google Business Profile and dominate your local market.
- 10 Reasons GBP is the Best Hyperlocal Strategy in 2024
- 3 Powerful Google Review Hacks for Realtors to Rank #1
- 11 Hacks on Google Business Profile Setup for Realtors
- How to Create the Perfect Google Business Title for Agents
- Guide to Google Business Profile Citations for Agents
- How to Optimize Photos and Video for Google Business Profiles
- How Google Business Profiles Help Real Estate Websites Rank (Case Study)
Even better, get excited about planning a consultation call with me about hyperlocal SEO and how we can transform your business with this highly cost-effective strategy. Schedule below!
Bonus Hacks for Real Estate Google Business Profiles
6. Ranking #1 isn’t top priority for Local Packs and Maps.
Now I need to qualify this some because being #1 is a huge deal that we achieve for clients all the time.
It’s always better to be #1 than anything else.
But realtor Google Business Profiles appear differently on the Local Pack and Google Maps compared to websites appearing on traditional search results.
Visitors get to see a lot more information, including number and quality of reviews, review snippets, photos, etc.
In other words, it’s totally possible for a real estate agent’s GBP that ranks #3 to actually get more clicks and calls than the #1 spot. And it actually happens.
This is great information because it reframes your perspective. It’s not really about ranking highest. Don’t sweat being stuck at Rank 2 or 3 to some inferior realtor Google Business Profile.
It happens. But it doesn’t matter because ultimately it’s about getting the most calls.
You already know how to make that happen. Loads of deep, enthusiastic reviews.
Well here’s a cheatsheet you can send to your circle and satisfied clients to grease the wheels for high-conversion reviews.
Make a copy of the Google doc so you can personaliize it, which you should do as much as possible.
7. Double the value of hyperlocal keywords in client reviews.
Here’s another part of the beauty of getting keyword-rich client reviews on your Google Business Profile as a realtor.
If you integrate your Google reviews onto your website homepage, you’re going to get a bunch of organically placed local keywords for your website.
And it makes a huge difference. We do it for our InboundREM Services page.
Check out the results of this quick case study I did on a client.
In just 6 weeks of following my advice on generating keyword-rich reviews, Bret’s homepage (which includes those reviews) started outranking multi-billion dollar real estate corporations for a bunch of highly valuable local keywords.
I’m talking Redfin, Century21, Coldwell Banker, Compass, Rocket Homes, Movoto, Niche, and Loopnet.
Slain dragons.
These huge names got taken down by a little real estate team of three. Why?
Because Google will boost a local expert to high heaven…so long as that realtor demonstrates local expertise in a way Google understands and values.
Get 15 people over 3 months talking about how you’re the best realtor in Fort Bend, Texas, and Google will start to champion you on traditional search as well as Google Maps and the Local Pack. Do it for a year and you’ll be untouchable.
Integrate those Google (and Zillow) reviews from your Business Profile on your website, and you may see similar results to Bret, depending on other factors.
If you don’t know the differences between the Local Pack, Google Maps, Organic Search, and the Local Finder, then here’s a guide.
Our GBP for Real Estate Agent Websites case study has proof of Bret overtaking Redfin, C21, and Coldwell Banker through our GBP hyperlocal campaign and Google Reviews hacks.
Schedule a Meeting
Let’s chat about how an SEO-focused website that YOU OWN, Google Business Profile Campaigns, or Custom Email Campaigns can generate high-quality leads and exceptional long-term ROI. If my services aren’t the best move for you, I’ll gladly point you in the right direction
8. Client Reviews with 75+ Words or 5 Lines
Reviews with about 75 words or 5 paragraph lines will enable the “More” button feature for both mobile and desktop. Actually for mobile, you only need about 35 words or 3 lines.
Why is this important?
Everything Google algorithm for every platform in every single parallel universe has something in common. User interaction signals–the degree to which people click and linger–are the present and future of determining the best content.
So imagine you and your biggest competitor both have 50 reviews, all glittering and glowing. Except his are only 50 words long because he didn’t coach his clients on what Google loves.
You, on the other hand, only have reviews that are 75+ words. That’s an extra 5, 10, even 25 clicks per visit to your profile.
It’s going to make a big difference, I promise.
But here’s a hack within the hack. Because maybe you have a client who just hates writing and can’t be bothered to write 100 words. If he writes 25 words, but uses line breaks to make the review longer than 5 lines, Google will still include the “More” button to save space.
So you can just recommend that he presses enter twice after each sentence, and you’re still going to get those clicks. He might even get fancy at your request and write this kind of review:
“If you’re going to read one thing about Miles Hamilton, it should be this: He’s the best realtor in Fort Mill, South Carolina, hands down!”
That might be too cute for your taste, but my point is this: don’t overlook the power of getting clicks, clicks, clicks.
9. Owner Responses with 85 Words or 6 Lines
Equally important, you should write responses with at least 85 words or 6 paragraph lines. Every single time. No exceptions.
For whatever reason, it takes a bit more text to trigger the “More” button for review responses.
There will be times where you’re tempted to keep it short and sweet. But Google Business Profiles for realtors have too much potential! Be relentless.
Sometimes you may need more creativity to fill out that space. And keywords don’t count in your responses, so there’s no point in using them.
In fact, I’d highly recommend you avoid pushing keywords, your website, YouTube channel, or anything else. Just show humble appreciation.
It’s essential to remember that realtor GBPs are amazing for attracting and warming leads.
Glowing reviews with heartfelt responses are going to convince people to call more than anything else. And they can do that even when you rank outside the Top 3.
The best strategy for responding is to be personal, heartfelt, and excited.
That’s why I gathered a couple of great responses you can use as models for your agent GBP.
10. Understand that Google values reviewers differently.
Have you ever noticed how a popular restaurant’s reviews may have a few “Local Guides” at the top of hundreds of reviews?
That’s no coincidence.
Just as Google collects information on different online writers to assign them an authority score, it also values Google reviewers differently.
Google also lists the number of reviews and photos the reviewer has posted on their review. Again, no coincidence.
So how do you leverage this?
I’d recommend asking people, whether clients or those in your circle, if they’ve left Google reviews before. When someone says they do it regularly, pounce on that opportunity. Go the extra mile to make sure they will leave you a long, strong review.
There’s a decent chance it will then remain at the top of your Google profile too. So use it well as a lead conversion piece.
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