Google Business Profile: Your Free Growth Engine

Hello and welcome. My name is Tavishma Ayede. I'm the host of the podcast and I'm making today's recording in church because my kids are at catechism classes. So yeah, I'm making two episodes in the same day. Now, the goal of the podcast is solving business problems. So if you have issues with customers, issue with marketing, issues with sales, issues with your side hustle, something is holding a business back, then this is the show for you.

Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, Apple or any player of your choice. And if you'd love to connect, then call SMS or WhatsApp me on 08064662140. Now today's episode, man, is an emergency episode. Today we're talking about how we can use, excuse me, Google business profiles to boost your business. Google Business Profile, for those of you who already know about it and you've been using it back in the day, you used to be called Google My Business.

So if you've listened to any previous episode where I spoke about these sorts of things, I would have referred to it as Google My Business. But I just found out that there's been some changes. So it's now called Google Business Profile. Now, the reason why this is an emergency episode is because or more I, I was on the radio show that was on Tuesday trying to answer somebody's question. You know, he's a mechanic about how he can boost his business.

I make sure on Google My Business and apparently the lots of people who don't know about these things as in like, forget that guy's a mechanic that people like you and me like educated fellows, like universities, masters level hustling couple of years. There are people who don't know about this. So after the radio show, you know, some people send questions. I spoke to somebody on the phone and the person was like that you are even talking about self.

OK, Google My Business. I know it that what's our business and I was shocked as like how can Nigerians be telling me in 2025, they don't know Google My Business and they don't know what's our business. So that's why today's an emergency episode in case you're one of these people who's been listening. I didn't know that this thing existed because even I discovered it during my events, photography days, event photo and video.

They had already been around for a while. So when somebody told me, the person was telling me as if like, look this in one day now, like it's established, you suppose no discounting. So that's the reason why I'm telling you guys because this thing is is old as anything is decades old. So if you didn't know before, please know now. Like I said, it's not about called Google. My business is called Google Business profile.

So this is a free tool. And I repeat free as in Fr EE in capital letters. It's a free tool that we use to manage our online presence, especially in search and maps. Let me break it down for you, free tool. You're not spending money because you already have a Google account. Everybody has a Google account. Everybody apart from my late grandmother and she rest in peace because she refused to own the phone. You know, I don't know why.

Maybe it was strange technology for her. So it's free as in The thing is in your pocket. As I'm speaking to you now, you're listening to this podcast with your headphones. Your head is on your, your phone is in your pocket or your phone is on the table or, you know, maybe your wife picked up your phone. She's playing Candy Crushes, interrupting this podcast. Go and tell her now. Like, babe, stop this Candy Crush. I'm listening to something on my phone right now, please.

So it's free. It's already in your pocket. It's already on your phone. So we manage how people see us online. When somebody searches for me online, this is the thing I will use to manage it to curate my presence, to package myself so that when people come and see me online, you'd be like, what? This is a correct guy and you should be doing the same for your business too. Then it works especially for search and for maps.

So when somebody's searching for something related to your business. So let's say you do Shawama and somebody types best Shawama in Abuja or correct Shawama in Lagos or affordable Shawama in Oshodi. You want to make sure that you show up in search is Google My Business that you use to manage that? Then especially in maps, for me, this is the best thing about Google My Business. Your address will come up. So if you're one of those places, like for my customers,

the the diary sessions have been dropping. They have an office in Lakey. Somebody will click on the link and the thing will direct them straight. They will drive straight to your office. So for me, maps, the most beautiful part of Google business profile, somebody will drive straight to your business. Of course, you can do other things like put your WhatsApp link there, your phone number there, your e-mail will be there.

So one click, somebody will call you straight. In fact, the first time it happened to me was really, I found it really, really impressive. You know, that people will just click on the link and then call me, you know, but now it's just a normal something. So it doesn't even want me anymore, but it happens, right? So what you do is you use Google a business profile, you create a well, business profile. Business profile just means you are creating a public listing.

You're listening something on Google that everybody can see. The listening will carry your business name. It will show you a product or a service. It will show your address, your locality and how people can get in touch with you. Now the reason why I in the old days when I started off this podcast from 4-5 years ago, the reason why I should tell people, everybody do Google My Business is because if somebody Google's affordable Sharma and Oshodi or best shawarma in Abuja or, or what will I say imported shawarma in Leki, you will now show up.

That's on the desktop because back in the day people used to browse a lot using computers. Now we all use our phones. So you will show up on the top right hand side of the Google results. They will show it will just be a box of three businesses where we'll just give you a brief, you know, business name, five stars. Some comments open Monday to Saturday, you know, click here. You might appear in those three. Now that is premium.

That is gold because people recognize that those searches are organic, so they're not paid. So it's not as if somebody's advertising. So people are likely to click on those before they click on any other link. I know some of you who say AI is taking over here. But you know, that's the podcast episode for another day. You know, until then, for now, Nigerians still search on Google for lots of stuff. Yeah, I don't see Nigerians going to ChatGPT to now type.

Where's the Besha arm in Abuja? You know that time will come. But for now, Besha Arm in Abuja, they will type it in Google. So another thing is Google Business profile gives you an opportunity to interact with your customers because people go there, they leave you reviews, they drop messages, all kinds of things. So I need direct access. You're having to to direct access you're having to people is pretty good, very, very good.

So of course, like I said, your phone number will be there, your e-mail will be there. So people can e-mail you directly from Google Business profile, they can call you directly. Like I said, the first time it happened to me, I thought it was live film trick. How'd you get my number? Was oh, was it on Google? Your wasn't your Google My Business profile was like, oh, for real? So yeah, I said, OK, so this thing works. So please take advantage of it.

Now it's a platform that you can update like any other platform. So you can put up photos from your business, photos of your product, put up videos, you know, I don't know, whatever video you want to put, whether it's your product or service or video testimonials from your clients, always updated for special offers or opening times or things like that. You know, Independence Day is coming up, will still be open or this Valentine's Day is coming up, we're giving 20% discount on wedding cakes, sorry, on Valentine's cakes, you know,

blah, blah, blah, whatever. So this is the reason why I tell everybody to go and do this thing. And I'm surprised that people don't know about it. Like I said at the top of the episode, this thing is Fr EE, it is free. You have nothing to lose. Even if you don't want to be updated on that, just do it and then forget it later on when you learn some more. You can now take it to yours. But for now, just go ahead and do it.

And now see, this is the thing lots of people don't realize because Google wants to give a good experience. The thing is, Google has already started creating certain kinds of information around you and your business anyway, So The thing is probably already showing up. All you now have to do is go there and claim your business listing. Google will say, Are you sure you are this business? You say yes, so I approve it. You go through some exercises and they'll let you have the profile.

So for lots of businesses, they're already building it. And that is how I discovered mine. I can't remember who it was that told me and I went and checked and I saw that there already was a profile for IED film and photography. That was my business. I say here, there's already a profile. All I had to do was claim. So I clicked on claim this profile and now we now run through a bunch of exercises to be sure that I was who I said I

was. Then I have full control and now put correct profile picture. I started putting customer picture. I started putting any time that I put photos on Instagram, I'll run put it there as well, get visibility, try and get people to give me some reviews, you know, and I started showing up when people are searching for stuff. The only thing that pay me was that the people who call is all these people don't want to shoot passport.

And I'm like, what the hell with this passport people, because there's no money in passport actually wait and get and all that. I was like, look, I want like wedding, wedding money, event money. That's what I'm looking for. You passport people. Stop calling me. Yeah, so by me, it works. I will get wedding calls. But their passport people. Yeah, that one, those ones will call every week. People always need passports last minute.

So as taking advantage of it, I beg. The thing is free. Especially since you know how Google can be. Sometimes they just go and disappear on products. Like Google had its own social media. I can't remember what it was called. Like those. What was it called again? Google something I can't remember and some of us spent time on that, on that social media as in building an alternative presence to Facebook. And then one day overnight Google just disappeared the whole thing.

So please take advantage of Google business profile before one day Google say, you know what, disappearing this thing, at least come and take advantage of it while it lasts. Then apart from me being free, the reason why I take advantage is because people trust Google. So anything they see on Google, it must be true. So if they search, I've been taking advantage of my profile and I've been doing a good job getting reviews and stuff like that.

And then you and me were competitors, were in the same space. Your own business comes up. You have not claimed your own profile, You did not optimize it. You didn't do anything but me. I've been on top of my game and I've been optimizing it. I've been getting engaged when they're getting reviews there and it shows up that my own business has 3.8 star review from 507 customers. And then meanwhile you, you didn't even touch your own.

Who do you think that won't you believe they'll say well 3.8 would have been good if he has 4.5 stars but at least don't know the OK. This is a business that's alive and well, but you know, truly, truly, honestly, honestly, you might even be a better person than me, but because I packaged myself well on Google, people click through like oh, Google never lies. They'll pick through and then they'll call me. Then this also serves as a mini website.

That's one thing I really, really liked after the call that's after the radio show. I was talking to someone person was like this is sounds like a small website and I say very good. It is a mini website. It is a free website for you. So if you don't have money to go and do website for now be managing this thing, Google business profile, please. So tell me. So that's just it. I just want you guys to know that this thing is available since there are lots of people who don't know.

So that's the reason why I'm making today's emergency episode. This thing exists, it is out there, it is free. These are the benefits. Now this is how to create your profile. By the way, Google is not paying me anything. So don't worry, there's no, they're not giving me Commission here. You know, I haven't I haven't blown like that yet for them to start thinking of paying me. What's it called? What do you call it? I can't remember what it's called anyway, so nobody's paying me.

So this is what you do to create your own profile. Sign into Google, create your Google account. Except if you are my grandmother, I said you already have a Google profile. The thing is, you just can't remember that you set it up because the first time you got your Android phone, you had to create a Google profile to get access to it. So trust me, you already have it. So I think you already have it. So create your Google account.

Step one. Step 2 go to Business dot google.com/add again you go to Business BUS, not Z Business dot Google. Google how to say Google because you know my Yoruba people now you would like to say Google. If I remember the first time I heard Google when I was in university, I said I need to laugh. But I knew that if I laughed too much to be able to tell me slap. So I just kept quiet. So you're a people you're saying Google, Google.

It's not Google, it's Google. So business.google.com/ADD add or you can do what I did. I just searched Google My Business and then that's how I founded something. But now don't search Google My Business, search Google Business profile. Therefore, those of you who are like me, like you do it. You now see that there's really a profile for my business. Just click on claim now or manage now. The rest of you, I think you will click on create or something.

But anyway, The thing is straightforward, like another radio listener was wondering like he will call for guidance. No, no, this is not a guidance or something. It is very, very, very, very direct. The English is not too much. There's some things you have to think about like when it says business description, don't just go and put Sharma. So there's some things you have to think about business description. You want to talk about your business in a way that when people read this description that don't want to on the F with you, you understand me Describe your Sharma in such a way that when people see they want to eat your Sharma.

So don't just go and put business, you know Sharma. No, no, no, no. So for that one you have to think. But the process is a very is a very auto save kind of something. So do what you can do today, save the other ones. Think about it, come back tomorrow and then continue. It's not a safe if you don't complete it, the thing will not if you want, sorry, excuse me, It's not as if if you don't complete the whole process today, the thing will show.

So there's no problem. Go there, claim now, manage now create now whatever option it is, click start entering your details business name, put it there somebody else. If you need to be registered on the CAC, you know, for the purposes of Google is is not as if you need to, but you know to do business in Nigeria, actually you should be registered on the CAC and FIRS. So those of us who are dodging the law, I understand how it can be in the beginning.

You don't have money and you know, you don't want to pay tax. You don't want to, you know, I understand, but at some point we have to do the needful. So enter your business name, select your category, put the business address. Please do not put your business address because this is for the whole wide world. You do not want people to know where you live. You are your girlfriend, you are your children, you are your no. So put your business address.

If you don't have business address, no problem. There are ways around it, like when I started the podcast, by the time I started the podcast, I had shut down my studio so I didn't have an office address anymore. So I did not put down address for the podcast. I needed to do verification. What I did was video verification. Now verification is what Google does to make sure that you are who you say you are because Google is trying to avoid scam.

They're trying to avoid spam. That's spam. If you thought of something else you need Jesus where renew your mind. So they're trying to avoid spam, spam. They're also trying to avoid 419. They're also trying to avoid fraud. So what do you do is Google will say verify yourself. Now during my own time, I don't know if they still do it. Now those postcard, you can click on postcard. They will send a letter to your address.

You will now get the letter. You will now go online and you now type in the verification code. Google will now say, oh, OK, we sent this letter to Oshodi. Somebody picked this letter and entered verification code. Therefore, this must be a legit business. So postcard was available. Mommy, I didn't pick postcard because I do not trust Nypost. I don't back when Nypost even used to walk. I remember back then in secondary school if I write my letter to Popsy because I was dying and I needed sustenance as and I need money now, now now used to take three weeks for my letter to reach the guy and it will take another three weeks for my father's letter to get back to me.

And of course my father will not respond for another like you know, two or three weeks. In other words, I'll write the letter by the time the response comes back. I've already gone home for holiday and come back as in the need for sustenance has passed. So I do not trust Naples for nothing. My boy was time for my master's and they said I should send send the the what do you call transcript through post? I say post me, I'll give Naples.

I said no way. I did whatever I could to get my transcript from OAU so I could send the thing by DHL because I said this thing about Naples. It's not, it's not me and you before the school now tell me that the transcript has missed after all the stress and I went through to get my transcript. So I don't trust my post. So I didn't select postcard. So the first time around what I selected was phone or text. They will call you but every time they were calling now the phone will just keep cutting.

Just cutting the call like 3 or 4 times you think caught I said OK no problem and now selected text to verify by text. They sent me a text, I entered the verification code and then bam that was it we're good to go. So back in the old days, verification was by postcard. Now I know for sure that you can verify by post and text or by e-mail. Just enter your verification code. But for those of you who have issues with address, like somebody called in, she was like, she's been trying to verify this thing.

But the problem is the people that own the Plaza where she does her salon, they have already done the Google My Business thing for the whole Plaza. So it's not allowing her to create for her own small shops. That's OK. You know what, let's try and break it down. You know, shop 6B something something Plaza. Maybe that'll work. If that doesn't work, then maybe you can do video verification. So nowadays, like during my own time, video verification, I just looked into the camera.

Then they told me to look left. I look left, they say look right. As I look right, they say look up. I look up, look down, look down. Then turn around, turn around. Then you know, that's how they verified me. Well here the nowadays, apart from these face and location, you now do signage. You go outside, do say snap your your billboard, you snap it and then upload. So there are options that are available. Then please, now that you've claimed this thing, begin to optimize, update your hours.

When are you open open for so, so, so, so, so description. Please work on that description. Good description. Nowadays we have good AI tools, we have char GPT, we have Google Gemini. There is no excuse now for you not to be able to describe your Sharma business in a very mouth watering way. Please don't just go and put Sharma. Your comp, your your competitors who are trying to put stuff up on their Google My Business profile.

They're doing their best to make their own. You know, you say Abuja's finest, you know, avant-garde something, something juiciest, sweetest, you know, like they will, you know, don't play it up. Don't butter it very well. Don't just want to put Sharma. So use AI tools, get a nice description, then always a beg, always. This thing is algorithmic. Always be uploading photos, always be uploading photos, always be uploading videos.

You make a correct shawarma. He say, I did shawarma. The shawarma looks like he has master's degree. Snap it and put it, then put some small text underneath it. You know, double something, something cheese, whatever, whatever Shawarma. We love to wow our customers and they do update and people search on Google best Sharma in Abuja and your own comes up. You know 20 people have given you 4.8 Google review and then they can see pictures where Sharma's there.

Maybe you put like 62 picture of Sharma, maybe 23 picture of Jollof rice and 16 pictures of stick meats. You understand, you know your profile is really looking healthy. Is reason for somebody to say, you know what let's try this guy so optimize optimize, optimize your profile and then you will start getting value and then the time will come when I was a young photographer minding my own business and then I don't know call came and then I picked up so is this a different photography?

I say yes. Are you available for so so so so oh by the way, how did you get my phone number? Oh, I saw it on Google. You have that experience as well and like I told you the first time will happen to you. It will be a very sweet experience to say this thing that I fixed for free. Like truly, people can just be buzzing me like that. It's a very, very sweet experience. So take advantage of all this stuff, OK? I think after this, I'll make the WhatsApp Business episode.

That's also an emergency episode for those of you who do not know about WhatsApp Business, as in I'm surprised. I mean, 2025, the kind of things that I have to repeat. But anyway, this is a public service episode so that you guys will know what's up, what's out there and free resources that are there for that you can use to promote your business. So that's all for today. That's it and that's all. If you'd love to connect, please call SMS or WhatsApp me on 08064662140.

Thank you for your time and attention. I'll catch you next time. Same place in your headphones or in your speakers.