SAN JOSE, Calif. — In today’s digital landscape, where customers increasingly turn to online searches to find local services, drycleaning businesses that ignore their Google presence do so at their own peril.
This was the central message delivered by Tracey Lee Davis, owner of ZingPop Social Media and a certified social media coach, during “How to Optimize Your Google Business Profile to Boost Your Online Presence,” a webinar hosted by the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE).
For drycleaning operators managing multiple locations or competing in crowded markets, Davis believes Google Business Profiles offer the option for improved online visibility without the expense of traditional advertising.
What is a Google Business Profile?
“Your business profile is a free way for your business information to appear correctly on Google Search and Maps,” Davis says, adding that the tool — formerly known as Google My Business — represents a critical component of a local search strategy.
For drycleaning operations, this free platform addresses a fundamental challenge: ensuring accurate business information reaches potential customers when they search for drycleaning services in their area.
“Business profiles are available for businesses with physical locations that customers can visit, typically called ‘brick and mortar’ or storefronts,” Davis says, “or businesses with a local service area, like a flower delivery service.”
This flexibility can make the platform particularly valuable for drycleaning businesses that operate both traditional storefronts and pickup/delivery services.
The Power of Local Search
Davis offers some statistics that highlight the platform’s importance. “In 2023, Google helped drive over 2 billion direct connections,” she says, “including phone calls, direction requests, bookings and reviews for American businesses each and every month.”
For drycleaning businesses, these connections can translate directly into potential customers who might otherwise never discover their services.
Google uses three primary signals, Davis says, to determine which businesses appear in search results: relevancy, distance and prominence.
“Relevancy is how well a business profile matches a search,” she says. “If your business profile is detailed and up to date with lots of good information about what it is that you do and what you offer, Google is much more likely to show it for relevant searches.”
This relevancy factor particularly benefits drycleaning operations that take time to thoroughly complete their profiles with detailed service descriptions, specialty offerings and accurate business categories.
Getting Started: The Setup Process
Creating a Google Business Profile begins at https://business.google.com, where owners click “manage now” to start the process. However, Davis underlined an important prerequisite: “In order to use most Google products, including your business profiles, you need to be signed into a Google account.”
For drycleaning business owners who haven’t established a Google account, Davis recommends setting one up using an email address they check regularly. “Google will communicate with you about your business profile through that address,” she says.
The initial setup process involves several critical steps. Business owners first enter their business name exactly as it should appear on Google. “As you begin typing, a drop-down list may appear showing a list of potential matches,” Davis says. “Scan the list, look for your business and if you see it listed, click on it.”
If the business doesn’t appear in the dropdown, owners simply enter the full business name and proceed to select an appropriate business category.
The Verification Process
Perhaps the most critical step in establishing a Google Business Profile is verification, which “confirms the business location and your authorized connection to it,” Davis says.
Google offers multiple verification methods, including phone calls, text messages, email, mailed postcards or even video verification of the business location.
“Verification options may vary,” Davis says. “I have seen clients get verified without doing anything aside from the steps we’ve just gone through, and I’ve seen other people who do have to do the video verification.”
For postcard verification, Davis warned that delivery can take up to 14 days, with codes expiring after 30 days. This timeline requires drycleaning operators to plan accordingly and ensure someone monitors mail delivery during the verification period.
Building Your Foundation
While verification completes, business owners can begin updating their profile.
“You do not need to wait to verify your business to update all of your business information,” Davis says. “The updates will go live once the verification is complete.”
However, she cautioned against certain changes during this period: “One tip prior to verification — avoid editing your business name or your address. This can delay the verification process.”
For drycleaning businesses ready to establish or enhance their online presence, Google Business Profile represents a fundamental first step. The platform’s free access and reach make it an essential tool for connecting with local customers actively searching for drycleaning services.
Come back Tuesday for the conclusion of this series, where we’ll examine how to optimize your profile information and leverage advanced features to maximize customer engagement.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].
