What if I told you that one of the simplest tools you might
Jon Clayton:be overlooking could drastically transform how your architecture
Jon Clayton:business gets found online.
Jon Clayton:I'm joined by Melanie Boyland to help you make the best use
Jon Clayton:of Google business profiles.
Jon Clayton:In this episode of architecture business club, the weekly podcast for solo
Jon Clayton:and small firm architecture practice owners, just like you who want to build
Jon Clayton:a profitable future-proof architecture business that fits around their life.
Jon Clayton:I'm John Clayton, your host, if you're a small practice leader or sole
Jon Clayton:practitioner in architecture, struggling to find clarity or reach your goals.
Jon Clayton:Consider working with me.
Jon Clayton:I offer personalized one-to-one support through coaching consulting or mentoring,
Jon Clayton:and this tailored approach helps you navigate your unique path to success.
Jon Clayton:Whether it's growing your practice, working few hours or building
Jon Clayton:your team, I've got you covered.
Jon Clayton:Just click the link in the show notes to book a call with me to discuss
Jon Clayton:your options or email Jon that's J O n@architecturebusinessclub.com.
Jon Clayton:For more information.
Jon Clayton:Now let's talk about Google business profiles.
Jon Clayton:Melanie Boylan is an award winning social media trainer, digital marketer, speaker,
Jon Clayton:journalist, and award winning podcaster with the Monday Morning Marketing Podcast,
Jon Clayton:and has been training and managing social media accounts for business since 2013.
Jon Clayton:Melanie is also a Google Business Profile Specialist.
Jon Clayton:To learn more about how Melanie Can help you in your business.
Jon Clayton:Head over to stomp.
Jon Clayton:ie forward slash services.
Jon Clayton:Melanie, welcome to Architecture Business Club.
Melanie Boylan:Hi, thanks for having me.
Jon Clayton:No, it's a pleasure to have you here.
Jon Clayton:I believe that outside of work, you're, um, you're quite into space and science as
Jon Clayton:one of your areas of interest, aren't you?
Jon Clayton:Could we, could we talk a little bit about that?
Melanie Boylan:Um, I've always had a personal interest as a child.
Melanie Boylan:Um, and then when I had my first child, I had the opportunity
Melanie Boylan:to share that passion with her.
Melanie Boylan:And we, we, we're based in, um, the Republic of Ireland.
Melanie Boylan:And from a very early age, her and her younger sister were being dragged up to
Melanie Boylan:Burr Castle, which is an old observatory.
Melanie Boylan:We've got Dunsink Observatory over here in the Republic.
Melanie Boylan:And then up in Northern Ireland, we've got Armagh Planetarium.
Melanie Boylan:Um, and then when my daughter was nine years old, she approached me and said,
Melanie Boylan:I'd like to, to do something like you do.
Melanie Boylan:Um, I'd like to write a blog or have a website or something like that.
Melanie Boylan:And we're talking a nine year old here.
Melanie Boylan:But we thought, let's explore this.
Melanie Boylan:And she came back to us and said, I'd really like to
Melanie Boylan:talk about space and science.
Melanie Boylan:So we set up a website.
Melanie Boylan:And she started a YouTube channel and she started talking as about,
Melanie Boylan:um, STEM and space and science.
Melanie Boylan:And over the course of about three years, using my connections as a journalist
Melanie Boylan:and my passion in space and science, we managed to meet astronauts, Nora
Melanie Boylan:Patton and the, the Mars scientists.
Melanie Boylan:Um, we went over to the jet propulsion laboratory in California, um, and Um,
Melanie Boylan:we, we just did a lot of space and sciency related things and she actually
Melanie Boylan:wrote blogs for the Arma planetarium and did reviews and yeah, she did really,
Melanie Boylan:really well for about three years.
Melanie Boylan:And then sadly she started secondary school and that was
Melanie Boylan:also the same time as COVID hit.
Melanie Boylan:Um, so that kind of all came to a standstill, but the
Melanie Boylan:interest is still there,
Jon Clayton:Oh, that sounds absolutely amazing.
Jon Clayton:My, um, my son, my, my 12 year old son, he he's really into
Jon Clayton:space and science as well.
Jon Clayton:Actually.
Jon Clayton:Uh, he's got a telescope.
Jon Clayton:He doesn't have a YouTube channel or anything like that, but it's
Jon Clayton:definitely one of his keen interests.
Jon Clayton:Actually it's a really.
Jon Clayton:I guess it's a really exciting time at the moment, isn't it?
Jon Clayton:Space travel.
Jon Clayton:You've got like Blue Origin and, um, see, you've got Virgin, Richard
Jon Clayton:Branson and Virgin Galactic.
Jon Clayton:And what's the other big, the big one as well?
Jon Clayton:Because you've got Jeff SpaceX.
Jon Clayton:That's the other one I'm thinking of.
Jon Clayton:Yeah.
Jon Clayton:Yeah.
Jon Clayton:Some really exciting stuff going on in the world of space travel at the minute.
Melanie Boylan:What makes it more, um, exciting right now though is
Melanie Boylan:because we're heading back to the Moon and now we've got Gateway coming, um,
Melanie Boylan:along which is going to be incredible.
Melanie Boylan:It's, that's going to then be a jumping zone from the Moon to directly to Mars.
Jon Clayton:Oh, wow.
Jon Clayton:Do you know when the They're scheduled to get to the moon then, what
Jon Clayton:year is it that they're planning?
Melanie Boylan:Yeah, it was initially scheduled for 2025 but
Melanie Boylan:it keeps on getting pushed out.
Melanie Boylan:Um, so it may still be 2025, but honestly, most people think it's going to be 26.
Jon Clayton:Yeah, that's going to be so exciting.
Jon Clayton:We're going to talk today though.
Jon Clayton:We could talk about that for a while.
Jon Clayton:Cause I'm like sort of nerd out a bit, get onto the subject of space.
Jon Clayton:But we're going to talk about Google business profiles so that
Jon Clayton:architecture firm owners can learn.
Jon Clayton:Why they're so important and how they can make best use of them as
Jon Clayton:part of their marketing strategy.
Jon Clayton:So I think a really good place to start would just be with the basics.
Jon Clayton:So could you, could you tell me what is a Google business profile?
Melanie Boylan:It's a product of Google.
Melanie Boylan:So any product of Google will always get found in search first.
Melanie Boylan:Um, as you know, YouTube is also a Google product as well.
Melanie Boylan:So that gets found in search as well.
Melanie Boylan:And.
Melanie Boylan:It's, I mean, it used to be called Google my business, um, but due to a
Melanie Boylan:massive safety issue, um, about five, six years ago, it's unsurprisingly
Melanie Boylan:got sunsetted and replaced a year later by Google business profile.
Melanie Boylan:Um, what it does is it helps.
Melanie Boylan:Build an online presence for you, even if you don't have a website.
Melanie Boylan:Um, now I personally have the standpoint that you should always have a website
Melanie Boylan:first anyway, but if you don't have one, certainly at the beginning, um, Google
Melanie Boylan:business profile is a fantastic secondary place to put your business online.
Melanie Boylan:Um, it can be discoverable, um, Using lots of different search terms, as
Melanie Boylan:long as you fully optimize the profile, and it helps you get found, um, using
Melanie Boylan:images, using links, because you can also put your social links up there.
Melanie Boylan:It can also help you get found using blogs, and obviously you've got the calls
Melanie Boylan:and directions as well available there.
Jon Clayton:Cool.
Jon Clayton:So, so basically when we, when we use Google to search for something, um, The
Jon Clayton:Google business profile is like when we go on maps and we're searching for say a
Jon Clayton:local business, that the Google business profile is that listing that comes up
Jon Clayton:that features in Google search results.
Jon Clayton:And often the stacked right at the top, you mentioned they get prioritized.
Jon Clayton:They can be right at the top of the page.
Jon Clayton:And then also, if we're looking on Google maps.
Jon Clayton:Those business listings that come up, if we were looking for like a
Jon Clayton:coffee shop or a plumber or, or an architects, then, um, that's, it's the
Melanie Boylan:That's referred to as the map pack.
Melanie Boylan:The one you're talking about there, it's normally in the collection of three.
Melanie Boylan:And that's referred to as the map pack.
Jon Clayton:The map pack.
Jon Clayton:Okay.
Jon Clayton:Yeah.
Jon Clayton:Which I guess if you're, um, a local business, you want to be, you want to
Jon Clayton:be appearing in that map pack in those search results at the top of the page.
Jon Clayton:Don't you?
Jon Clayton:Cool.
Jon Clayton:So what are the, what are the common myths around?
Jon Clayton:Google business profiles.
Jon Clayton:Are there some misconceptions about them?
Melanie Boylan:Most people don't realize that it's actually
Melanie Boylan:another social platform.
Melanie Boylan:They think it's just a static sort of, um, thing you must do when
Melanie Boylan:you add a map to your website.
Melanie Boylan:Now that's only because it's.
Melanie Boylan:Usually added or created by a website designer.
Melanie Boylan:And when you've, when they've gone to the trouble of actually setting
Melanie Boylan:it up, they've claimed the account.
Melanie Boylan:They've, you know, if you've got a business address, your business
Melanie Boylan:address goes in there, but it doesn't matter if you don't have a business
Melanie Boylan:address, a lot of us have cottage.
Melanie Boylan:Businesses or cottage industries that work from home.
Melanie Boylan:So you can just select a service area when you first register your business.
Melanie Boylan:And then as you go further on, you do have to put an address in because
Melanie Boylan:it's a privacy and security issue.
Melanie Boylan:Um, but.
Melanie Boylan:You can select a service area.
Melanie Boylan:And I think some people think that you A, have to put your
Melanie Boylan:address in, um, for it to work.
Melanie Boylan:Yes.
Melanie Boylan:And no, you don't have to put your address in publicly.
Melanie Boylan:Um, and some people think that once you've created the Google business profile,
Melanie Boylan:that's all you need to do to a point.
Melanie Boylan:Yes.
Melanie Boylan:But to make it more effective, you need to then post to it and get people
Melanie Boylan:to put Google Business Reviews on it.
Melanie Boylan:And the more Google Business Reviews you get on it, the
Melanie Boylan:faster you're found in search.
Jon Clayton:Cool.
Jon Clayton:I like that.
Jon Clayton:I, I was going to, that, that point you made, um, about the address thing.
Jon Clayton:I think that's worth just reiterating that, that there's going to be
Jon Clayton:a lot of the listeners that are thinking, I, I, I work from home.
Jon Clayton:So, you know, can I, can I have a Google business profile?
Jon Clayton:Should I have a business profile?
Jon Clayton:The fears of like, Oh, well, I don't want like customers turning up on my doorstep.
Jon Clayton:But you, you just explained there that there's a way that you can set
Jon Clayton:this up so that you don't necessarily have to share your address publicly.
Jon Clayton:You can have, you called it, was it a service area that you mentioned?
Melanie Boylan:So when you're first going into setting up the accounts,
Melanie Boylan:you put in your business name, then it will ask for your address.
Melanie Boylan:Um, but you can then.
Melanie Boylan:Skip that and, and go to a service area.
Melanie Boylan:And then you can put in, um, a lot of people put in towns, but you can also
Melanie Boylan:put in counties as well, if you prefer.
Melanie Boylan:Google business profile is optimized for local search.
Melanie Boylan:So you can't put the whole of the UK or the whole of Ireland, because
Melanie Boylan:that's, it doesn't work like that.
Melanie Boylan:Um, There are ways around it.
Melanie Boylan:So you can develop locations.
Melanie Boylan:So let's say you have multiple offices, um, or multiple service areas potentially.
Melanie Boylan:Um, so then you, you have to opt to put in extra locations, but then I will
Melanie Boylan:be honest with you, you are creating a bit of extra work for yourself.
Melanie Boylan:Unless you've got somebody who's actually going to be managing
Melanie Boylan:those multiple locations.
Jon Clayton:Got it.
Jon Clayton:Got it.
Jon Clayton:But for the.
Jon Clayton:For the average service business, that's, you know, and in the case
Jon Clayton:of our listeners, they're generally architects, architectural designers,
Jon Clayton:architectural technologists that are generally, uh, a service business serving
Jon Clayton:a relatively local geographic area.
Jon Clayton:Most of the customers tend to gravitate to working with somebody local.
Jon Clayton:So Google.
Jon Clayton:Google business profiles are ideal for this, aren't they?
Jon Clayton:If it's a business that you're serving, uh, around a radius around your local
Jon Clayton:town or city, then if, if you don't have one of these set up, then you're
Jon Clayton:really missing a trick by the sounds of things from what you're telling us.
Jon Clayton:Could we run through some of the benefits for the average architecture practice
Jon Clayton:owner or service business owner, um, of developing their Google business
Jon Clayton:profile, we've, we've touched upon some of those already, I think, but could we,
Jon Clayton:could we elaborate on that a bit more?
Melanie Boylan:well, one of the massive benefits is how easy it makes to contact
Melanie Boylan:you because it's normally multiple clicks when people do a Google search.
Melanie Boylan:If you haven't optimized your Google business profile in the first place,
Melanie Boylan:then you'll be found in a Google search.
Melanie Boylan:And if your details aren't.
Melanie Boylan:In the Google business profile to call you.
Melanie Boylan:They'll have to go to one of your other social platforms or to
Melanie Boylan:your website, then go to contact now, then to find your details.
Melanie Boylan:Whereas if you do a Google search, get found in a, a local search, it just says
Melanie Boylan:Call now , or send email, or send message.
Melanie Boylan:And so there's the instant gratification of being able to actually reach
Melanie Boylan:somebody immediately from the search.
Jon Clayton:Yeah.
Jon Clayton:And I, I've had that experience where, um, when I've been practicing architecture,
Jon Clayton:that sometimes people would get in touch, they, they wouldn't necessarily
Jon Clayton:even get to the website because they would discover, they'd discover me
Jon Clayton:through Google search and then they'd find the, the Google business profile
Jon Clayton:and, uh, They'd just see the reviews and the call now or contact now, and
Jon Clayton:then they'd just get straight in touch.
Jon Clayton:If somebody's like looking for somebody and trying to get in touch with the
Jon Clayton:right person and your profile pops up there and there's some good reviews,
Jon Clayton:then, uh, yeah, it can really fast track, people getting into contact with
Jon Clayton:you and remove some of that friction that might be in the way otherwise.
Melanie Boylan:There's a couple of other things that you can get from it.
Melanie Boylan:Cause as you pointed out, there is the Google reviews that people can,
Melanie Boylan:can check through first, but there's also FAQs frequently asked questions
Melanie Boylan:and that can actually streamline somebody contacting you even better.
Melanie Boylan:So those are frequently asked questions that either other people can ask you
Melanie Boylan:or you can actually put up your own.
Melanie Boylan:Frequently asked questions and answer them.
Melanie Boylan:And that can actually help get rid of the tire kickers, if you know what I mean, who
Melanie Boylan:aren't entirely sure what you're covering.
Melanie Boylan:Um, I mean, stomp doesn't tell you what I do, whereas my business
Melanie Boylan:is actually stump social media training, but the website is stomp.
Melanie Boylan:ie.
Melanie Boylan:Um, so.
Melanie Boylan:Just having a fuller understanding of what you do just by using those frequently
Melanie Boylan:asked questions can actually help eliminate that to ing and fro ing and
Melanie Boylan:that time wasting that you get with people who are just wanting to clarify stuff.
Jon Clayton:That's a brilliant idea.
Jon Clayton:So, and I love that you.
Jon Clayton:Well, you, you mentioned there that not only can you answer questions
Jon Clayton:on your Google business profile, but you can ask the questions as well.
Jon Clayton:So rather than, I mean, you could take your, uh, FAQ FAQs that you, you get,
Jon Clayton:maybe you've got some on your website already, but you could, you can put
Jon Clayton:those on that Google Business profile.
Jon Clayton:You can ask the question and answer it.
Jon Clayton:So the common, uh, and actually thinking about, I guess.
Jon Clayton:Those common questions that people need answering when they get in touch.
Jon Clayton:Things like, for the case of architects, it could be, what is your service area?
Jon Clayton:What services do you offer?
Jon Clayton:What's your, your pricing format?
Jon Clayton:How much does it, the prices start from?
Jon Clayton:What's the price banding?
Jon Clayton:Can you help us get planning permission?
Jon Clayton:How does the process work?
Jon Clayton:Like there's, there's so many questions and.
Jon Clayton:I mean, even just that one thing, if people did that, that's, that
Jon Clayton:would be an amazing way to, um, save time when, well, to answer people's
Jon Clayton:questions and help them in the first instance, you repel the tire kickers.
Jon Clayton:And then the people that are a good fit are the ones that are
Jon Clayton:then going to hit the, the call now button and, and, and get in touch.
Jon Clayton:I love that.
Jon Clayton:That's a really good idea.
Melanie Boylan:And I have one more thing that, so I'm sorry, I'm trying
Melanie Boylan:to give you all the bonuses here
Jon Clayton:Yeah.
Jon Clayton:Yeah.
Melanie Boylan:GCP account, um, is you can also attach, um, like a Calendly
Melanie Boylan:or an iCal or something like that.
Melanie Boylan:So again, you don't have to go to somebody's website with all the
Melanie Boylan:multiple clicks that that will take.
Melanie Boylan:You can actually book to speak to somebody directly from the Google business profile.
Melanie Boylan:So it really is So much faster, um, less clicks and it all simply
Melanie Boylan:gets found in a Google search.
Jon Clayton:I love that.
Jon Clayton:So there's a couple of different tools you mentioned there.
Jon Clayton:So these are like calendar booking tools.
Jon Clayton:If, if people are listening and are not familiar, there are, there
Jon Clayton:are tools available as Calendly.
Jon Clayton:Was it iCal was under the one
Melanie Boylan:I Cal's another one.
Melanie Boylan:Um, but there are paid and free versions that you can do.
Melanie Boylan:Um, I've never tried putting in Google, um, bookings.
Melanie Boylan:Um, so I'm not sure if that can go in or not.
Melanie Boylan:Um, but those, Calendly and I Cal are the ones I see most frequently,
Melanie Boylan:but there will be others, um, that will have an API there.
Melanie Boylan:Yeah,
Jon Clayton:There's another one I can throw in the mix that I recently
Jon Clayton:discovered called TidyCal, which, at the moment, you can buy it, you have
Jon Clayton:to pay for it, but it's a one time fee of like 29 or something at the
Jon Clayton:moment, um, rather than a monthly subscription based fee, like some of them.
Jon Clayton:So if you're a small business, um, that might be a good, a good one
Jon Clayton:to check out and take a look at.
Jon Clayton:But they're all very similar, aren't they, in how they work.
Jon Clayton:Basically you can link it to your calendar and you know, you can set the.
Jon Clayton:Time slots that are available, um, but for people to be able to literally
Jon Clayton:just go straight from seeing your profile in Google search or on Google
Jon Clayton:maps, seeing your, hopefully your five star reviews and then going,
Jon Clayton:wow, this company looks amazing.
Jon Clayton:I want to talk to these people to just be able to click a button and book straight
Jon Clayton:into your calendar for a conversation or a discovery call, something
Jon Clayton:like that, that's really powerful.
Jon Clayton:Brilliant.
Jon Clayton:So was there any other, um, features on Google business profiles that you
Jon Clayton:think are worth mentioning, Melanie, to, to be able to run through?
Jon Clayton:Remember.
Jon Clayton:Don't forget to download the architecture business, blueprint the
Jon Clayton:step by step formula to freedom for architects, architecture, technologists,
Jon Clayton:and architecture designers.
Jon Clayton:You can grab the blueprint without any charge@architecturebusinessclub.com
Jon Clayton:forward slash blueprint.
Jon Clayton:And if you enjoy this episode, then please leave a five star review or
Jon Clayton:rating wherever you listen to podcasts.
Jon Clayton:Now, back to the show.
Melanie Boylan:One of the, I think, most interesting features, although it can be
Melanie Boylan:a little challenging in the same breath, is over time, once you've set up and fully
Melanie Boylan:filled out and optimized, and I'm sure your listeners are slowly understanding
Melanie Boylan:I'm saying, Fully optimize your profile.
Melanie Boylan:As you start to post onto this profile, all you need to do is post
Melanie Boylan:once a week to make it effective.
Melanie Boylan:I mean, if you want to post more, absolutely, please do.
Melanie Boylan:But, um, if you're posting on your Google business profile once a week, I can almost
Melanie Boylan:guarantee you that you're doing more than your competitor is because most of
Melanie Boylan:them just create it and just leave it.
Melanie Boylan:Um, so that's one thing.
Melanie Boylan:Um, but.
Melanie Boylan:As you're posting Google kind of monitor the, the topics that you're covering.
Melanie Boylan:So obviously as a social media trainer, I know my audience is also
Melanie Boylan:interested in websites and graphic design, um, conferences, events, other
Melanie Boylan:people's blogs, that sort of stuff.
Melanie Boylan:Um, so I share other people's content as well.
Melanie Boylan:And.
Melanie Boylan:Over time, it will slowly add other areas that you show interest in.
Melanie Boylan:Um, or it might assume that you have an interest in.
Melanie Boylan:So every sort of four to six months, I go back into my, um, fully
Melanie Boylan:optimized Google business profile and it says, um, website designer.
Melanie Boylan:No, I'm not a website designer, so I removed that.
Melanie Boylan:Um, life coach, I'm not a life coach, so that comes out.
Melanie Boylan:Um, but then other times it will give you, because let's say,
Melanie Boylan:um, I say social media training.
Melanie Boylan:Um, and then it will see that I've also posted about social media management.
Melanie Boylan:And I was, Oh, I hadn't put that in, I'll leave that in, um, or managing
Melanie Boylan:Facebook or it will find the, you know, the same topic written in different ways
Melanie Boylan:that it will slowly add in by itself and you have to go in and make sure that
Melanie Boylan:it's still current and, and up to date.
Melanie Boylan:And each of those subcategories are helping you get found in search.
Melanie Boylan:Um, but you do have to go in and kind of police it because otherwise you're not
Melanie Boylan:managing potential customers expectations because they'll expect you'll be a life
Melanie Boylan:coach, a website designer, and a social media trainer, and you're not, so.
Jon Clayton:Okay.
Jon Clayton:So, so what happens when we set our profile up?
Jon Clayton:There's, we have to choose a category.
Melanie Boylan:Yeah,
Jon Clayton:So, so we would say the category might be,
Jon Clayton:for example, architects.
Jon Clayton:That could be the main category, but then Google over time, depending on what
Jon Clayton:we're posting on our profile, will make, does it's making suggestions for all the
Jon Clayton:categories that we could also fit into.
Jon Clayton:Hmm.
Melanie Boylan:So it will, it will suggest other products and services.
Melanie Boylan:So your category itself, you, you have a primary category that you set.
Melanie Boylan:Um, and then you can have two or three other secondary categories.
Melanie Boylan:Um, but then when you go into your products and services, you can, um, add
Melanie Boylan:your own products and services, but then Google over time will say what, and I
Melanie Boylan:think it's also populated by the fact that how people find you in a search.
Melanie Boylan:Yeah.
Melanie Boylan:Um, so it's not just, they're just flinging these, these topics at you.
Melanie Boylan:I think if people found you in a search whilst you were doing, whilst
Melanie Boylan:they were looking up website design or something like that, um, I'm only
Melanie Boylan:talking about mine here cause I don't want to throw people off saying the
Melanie Boylan:wrong thing about your industry.
Melanie Boylan:Um, so that's why, um, that category is sort of allocated to your product or
Melanie Boylan:services, even though it's not accurate.
Melanie Boylan:Um, so.
Melanie Boylan:Be careful, once you've fully optimised it, Maybe diary it for four months,
Melanie Boylan:every four months and go back in and just make sure that you're still managing
Melanie Boylan:potential customers expectations.
Melanie Boylan:Cause the last thing you want is to say, Oh no, I don't do that.
Melanie Boylan:Cause that, that disappoints people.
Jon Clayton:Yeah, absolutely.
Jon Clayton:So just going back to the posting thing, like what can, when we talk
Jon Clayton:about posting to a Google business profile, what can we actually post?
Jon Clayton:Like, can we post anything that we would post on Instagram or LinkedIn?
Jon Clayton:Like, could we put a, a text post or a graphic or photos or videos?
Jon Clayton:Like, can we literally post any, any type of media to our Google business profile?
Melanie Boylan:I haven't found a media that you can't post.
Melanie Boylan:You can put podcasts, video, audio, graphics, photos, or text.
Jon Clayton:Oh, wow.
Jon Clayton:Oh, that's really cool.
Jon Clayton:So it's very flexible.
Melanie Boylan:Yes.
Jon Clayton:In terms of, um, frequency, because some of the, the social platforms
Jon Clayton:like and Instagram, they can be very content hungry machines that like you, you
Jon Clayton:have to keep feeding them and you could end up posting several times a day, even.
Jon Clayton:Whereas you mentioned earlier with Google business profile that.
Jon Clayton:You don't necessarily need to post anywhere near as frequently as that.
Jon Clayton:So would you say that like once a week would be enough to kind
Jon Clayton:of stay ahead of everybody else?
Melanie Boylan:Pretty much.
Melanie Boylan:Um, what I've said to people who come in to see me is, um, you know, whatever
Melanie Boylan:you're putting up on your other social profiles, you can literally use that to
Melanie Boylan:share onto your Google business profile.
Melanie Boylan:It can be square.
Melanie Boylan:It can be rectangular.
Melanie Boylan:Um, obviously being, uh, YouTube is a product of theirs.
Melanie Boylan:They're more than happy to share videos.
Melanie Boylan:Um, so there's really nothing that you can't put up there.
Melanie Boylan:And what I like As well is it's not just putting up the images.
Melanie Boylan:They also leave you with a call to action as well.
Melanie Boylan:And you can put in links.
Melanie Boylan:So the call to action could be buy now, learn more, call now, um, see
Melanie Boylan:offer, read blog, so there's lots of options that you can put in as a, as
Melanie Boylan:a call to action, and it's simply just by adding an update when you're going
Melanie Boylan:into your Google business profile.
Melanie Boylan:What I haven't made very clear yet is it's accessible.
Melanie Boylan:Not just on your laptop, but also on your phone through Google Maps.
Melanie Boylan:It can be found in Google Maps, or it can be found in a Google search.
Melanie Boylan:So it really is extremely easy to access.
Jon Clayton:You're making this sound like a no brainer that we should,
Jon Clayton:we should just all be on that.
Melanie Boylan:Pretty much.
Melanie Boylan:Yeah.
Jon Clayton:Could you share some recommendations for getting started or.
Jon Clayton:It ought to improve an existing profile.
Jon Clayton:What would be your top recommendations for somebody that thinks either, yeah,
Jon Clayton:this sounds great, but I'm just not sure where to start or someone that's
Jon Clayton:thinking, well, we have a Google business profile, but like we set it up five
Jon Clayton:years ago and I've done nothing with it.
Melanie Boylan:Um, my top recommendation would be everybody
Melanie Boylan:wants to get found in search.
Melanie Boylan:Everybody wants to have an improved their search engine optimization.
Melanie Boylan:And it sounds like such a complicated thing to do.
Melanie Boylan:Now, when you're doing a website in general, uh, you've got to have a good
Melanie Boylan:understanding of keywords and focusing words and highlighting words and
Melanie Boylan:bolding words and, you know, Metadata and it just, it goes on and on and on.
Melanie Boylan:And it's all incredibly important and very, very useful to do on your website.
Melanie Boylan:But if you don't have that sort of mindset or time by simply doing it on
Melanie Boylan:Google business profile, you're already.
Melanie Boylan:Um, probably doing it better on your Google business profile than you
Melanie Boylan:would be doing on your own website, unless you had certain training.
Melanie Boylan:Uh, so when I speak to customers, I suggest, please do get a website first.
Melanie Boylan:A website is really important because it's the only place where
Melanie Boylan:you own what you're putting up.
Melanie Boylan:Um, because we don't, we're just renting space on all of these social
Melanie Boylan:platforms at the end of the day.
Melanie Boylan:And.
Melanie Boylan:If you can have a Google business profile, it's just supporting what you've got
Melanie Boylan:on your website, but it's more easy to find on search engine results pages.
Melanie Boylan:It's almost better to find it in a Google business profile than in your website.
Melanie Boylan:That's how effective it is.
Jon Clayton:I love that.
Jon Clayton:So first port of call, get the website sorted up and running
Jon Clayton:if you don't have one already.
Jon Clayton:And I, uh, I would encourage people to, it's better to have something
Jon Clayton:than nothing, even if it's just a really simple brochure site
Jon Clayton:that's just got one or two pages.
Jon Clayton:Just you don't, I, I think the first website build that I did, or I worked
Jon Clayton:with an agency that built it for me.
Jon Clayton:I was so overly ambitious, like there were so many things I wanted
Jon Clayton:to include, so many pages, and it took forever to get it done, and it
Jon Clayton:was a bit of a beast to then to kind of keep on top of and, and maintain.
Jon Clayton:And, It doesn't necessarily have to be that complicated.
Jon Clayton:So particularly if you're just starting out, like simple and clear
Jon Clayton:is better than, um, something that's, you know, a huge overstuffed site.
Jon Clayton:You can build a lot.
Jon Clayton:You can build from that.
Jon Clayton:Can't you over time?
Melanie Boylan:I've gotta agree with you.
Melanie Boylan:I, I say to people, you do not need an All Bells singing and dancing
Melanie Boylan:website at the beginning, unless you're an e-commerce website.
Melanie Boylan:I agree.
Melanie Boylan:You do need an all singing, all dancing if you're an, if you've got an online shop.
Melanie Boylan:It's got to be secure and it's got to be user friendly.
Melanie Boylan:But if you are just a services, which a lot of you are, um, you just need
Melanie Boylan:something that's functional that.
Melanie Boylan:You know, maybe costs under a thousand or something like that.
Melanie Boylan:And then once you've got some money in the bank, then you can get somebody
Melanie Boylan:to update it, um, make it more, you know, give it a bit more swagger, a bit
Melanie Boylan:more personalization, customization.
Melanie Boylan:Um, cause it's normally the largest amount of money that you spend is your website.
Melanie Boylan:And if that's, if you spend all that money at the very beginning of your business
Melanie Boylan:and you struggle to go in the black after that, it can, it can close your business.
Jon Clayton:yeah, absolutely.
Jon Clayton:I think though that, The idea that with Google business profiles, that it's
Jon Clayton:potentially a really easy win for people that once, once you've got the website set
Jon Clayton:up, and then if you set up your Google, business profile, which you can do.
Jon Clayton:Like it's not, it's not hugely complex.
Jon Clayton:Like I think originally I set mine up myself.
Jon Clayton:Obviously you can get somebody to help you to do it if you don't have the time
Jon Clayton:or you'd prefer to get some support.
Jon Clayton:So listeners feel free to contact Melanie about that.
Jon Clayton:Um, but if you did want to try and do it yourself, you can do.
Jon Clayton:And as you mentioned that once you've got it up and running, that it's not
Jon Clayton:something you're having to pour like hours into every week, like potentially
Jon Clayton:some of the social platforms, A little bit, just a little bit of consistency
Jon Clayton:with it could really be really powerful and really increase the, the reach.
Jon Clayton:And I, I can speak from firsthand experience when I've like over the
Jon Clayton:years, um, hazard loads of inquiries that have come in from architectural
Jon Clayton:clients, and I would say probably more than 75 percent of them came
Jon Clayton:via that Google business profile.
Jon Clayton:There was some that were referrals, but then even those would then when
Jon Clayton:they search for me online, they would often come via that profile and some of
Jon Clayton:them wouldn't even get to the website because they would just get in touch.
Jon Clayton:They'd see the reviews and were like, wow, this guy sounds
Jon Clayton:like he knows what he's doing.
Jon Clayton:Let's, let's just contact him.
Jon Clayton:And they just get straight in touch from the Google business profile.
Jon Clayton:So incredibly powerful thing that people could do for free.
Melanie Boylan:Oh yeah.
Melanie Boylan:It's completely free.
Jon Clayton:yeah, yeah.
Jon Clayton:It's just a no brainer.
Jon Clayton:Like if they haven't got it set up, like they need to just
Jon Clayton:go and set it up like today.
Jon Clayton:Melanie, is there anything else about the topic that you wanted to
Jon Clayton:add that we haven't already covered?
Melanie Boylan:Yes.
Melanie Boylan:Um, unfortunately it's not possible to at the moment currently schedule for
Melanie Boylan:free using Google business profile.
Melanie Boylan:However, there are paid for platforms that you can, you can use.
Melanie Boylan:Um, you can use a tool called plannable, um, which is free.
Melanie Boylan:actually has an API that goes to Google business profile.
Melanie Boylan:Um, but as far as I know, that's the only tool that I'm aware of that's free.
Melanie Boylan:Um, that will schedule to all of your standard ones, Facebook, Instagram,
Melanie Boylan:X, LinkedIn, but it will also.
Melanie Boylan:Schedule to Google business profile.
Melanie Boylan:But then if you, um, recollect John LinkedIn didn't have scheduling for
Melanie Boylan:years and years and years and years and years, um, of their own, uh, then
Melanie Boylan:they gave the API to everybody else.
Melanie Boylan:And then only very recently they started allowing scheduling direct
Jon Clayton:That's right.
Jon Clayton:Yeah.
Jon Clayton:The scheduling thing.
Jon Clayton:I mean, that can be really.
Jon Clayton:Important to think about using scheduling because if you're relying on just
Jon Clayton:remembering to post things, you could be really busy working on delivering
Jon Clayton:results for your client or other things, or got meetings and things.
Jon Clayton:And, um, by scheduling things in advance, you can, you can
Jon Clayton:be so much more consistent.
Jon Clayton:At that tool you mentioned, plannable.
Jon Clayton:I'm going to go and check that out because, um, That sounds
Jon Clayton:like a really cool tool.
Jon Clayton:And the fact that there's a free tier of it, a free version,
Jon Clayton:definitely sounds worth checking out.
Jon Clayton:I've previously used a paid tool called, um, SmarterQ, which did allow
Jon Clayton:you to schedule to the Google business profile, but that was a paid tool.
Jon Clayton:And as far as I know, they don't have a free version.
Jon Clayton:So, um, yeah, if you're a small business, if you're a business of one or a micro
Jon Clayton:sized business, The, these tools can start to add up these different paid tools.
Jon Clayton:So definitely check out some of the, the free alternatives.
Jon Clayton:Um, when you decide in what to use, that's been really helpful.
Jon Clayton:I've got one other question.
Jon Clayton:It's nothing to do with Google business profiles.
Jon Clayton:I just like to ask all of the guests on the show.
Jon Clayton:Uh, I love travel and discovering new places.
Jon Clayton:I was just wondering if you could.
Jon Clayton:Share one of your favorite places and what you love about it.
Melanie Boylan:Mm, Rome,
Jon Clayton:Rome.
Melanie Boylan:Rome.
Melanie Boylan:I've been to Rome so many times.
Melanie Boylan:Um, you can go on your own, which I have frequently.
Melanie Boylan:Um, and I've gone with friends and family and I just love the vibe there.
Melanie Boylan:It's so, it's so nice to be there.
Melanie Boylan:I normally go in September or October.
Melanie Boylan:So, so warm, but it's not so warm that you sort of melt in bed at night.
Melanie Boylan:Um, and they just know how to have a good time in the evenings.
Melanie Boylan:Um, everywhere is open.
Melanie Boylan:Um, the food is incredible.
Melanie Boylan:Um, and it's not a very long flight.
Melanie Boylan:It's only a couple of hours.
Melanie Boylan:Um, so yeah, I love Rome.
Jon Clayton:Oh, Rome.
Jon Clayton:What a place.
Jon Clayton:This, this actually, this came up actually recently.
Jon Clayton:There was another guest on the show and their favorite place was Rome as well.
Jon Clayton:With, with good reason.
Jon Clayton:It's an absolutely amazing city.
Jon Clayton:Um, and I, I have been to Rome a long time ago, uh, but it was in my
Jon Clayton:backpacking days in my early twenties.
Jon Clayton:And my trip to Rome was, uh, It was a very boozy week in Rome, which it
Jon Clayton:did, like you mentioned about the, uh, they know how to enjoy themselves.
Jon Clayton:We certainly enjoyed ourselves that week.
Jon Clayton:We, my friend and I, we had an amazing time and we met loads of really friendly
Jon Clayton:locals and, um, in fact, actually that was the problem why we couldn't leave.
Jon Clayton:Funnily enough, we, uh, we, uh, We stumbled across a bar while we were there
Jon Clayton:and the bar staff, they were so friendly.
Jon Clayton:We, we were only meant to be there about three days and we ended up trapped in
Jon Clayton:Rome for a whole week because every day we went back to this bar and they
Jon Clayton:kept playing us with, um, free booze.
Jon Clayton:And, uh, every day we woke up and we're like, Oh, can't face getting
Jon Clayton:that train to the next place.
Jon Clayton:Should we stay here another day?
Jon Clayton:And then we ended up going back to the same bar and then getting
Jon Clayton:stuck there for another day.
Jon Clayton:And this happens a number of days in a row.
Jon Clayton:And then after a while, they, the bar staff are like, you guys aren't leaving.
Jon Clayton:Are you like, you said you were leaving like three days ago.
Jon Clayton:And like, you, you know, you're, you're actually not being
Jon Clayton:truthful here with us, are you?
Jon Clayton:Do you like live in Rome or something?
Jon Clayton:Uh, so it was pretty funny.
Jon Clayton:We did eventually escape Rome, but, um, I'm probably due another
Jon Clayton:trip back there to actually do a more grown up trip to Rome.
Jon Clayton:It's a story for another podcast, I guess.
Jon Clayton:So Melanie, thank you so much for coming on the show and sharing your expertise.
Jon Clayton:I'm really grateful for you joining me today.
Jon Clayton:Where is the best place online for people to connect with you?
Melanie Boylan:it would definitely be my website.
Melanie Boylan:Um, Every single problem that anybody is experiencing in social media is
Melanie Boylan:answered on my website, which is why you should have a website, because when
Melanie Boylan:you're sharing posts on social, all you're doing is sharing small little
Melanie Boylan:excerpts of a problem or, um, sharing a post, um, with a small call to action.
Melanie Boylan:But if I get people to go to stomp.
Melanie Boylan:ie forward slash services, um, that's Sierra, Tango, Oscar, Mike, Papa.
Melanie Boylan:It's like stomp your feet.
Melanie Boylan:ie cause I'm based in a, in Republic.
Melanie Boylan:Um, and you'll see a list of all my services there and just
Melanie Boylan:contact me directly from there.
Jon Clayton:Oh, that's fantastic.
Jon Clayton:Thanks so much, Melanie.
Melanie Boylan:Thank you for having me.
Jon Clayton:Next time I'm joined by award-winning business coach.
Jon Clayton:Sigrun to talk about how you can use launches to scale and grow your business.
Jon Clayton:Thanks so much for listening to this episode of architecture business club.
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Jon Clayton:John Clayton.
Jon Clayton:The best place to connect with me online, though is on LinkedIn.
Jon Clayton:You can find a link to my profile in the show notes.
Jon Clayton:Remember.
Jon Clayton:Running your architecture business.
Jon Clayton:Doesn't have to be hard and you don't need to do it alone.
Jon Clayton:This is architecture business club.