How To Optimize The Google Business Profile Q&A Section (The Ultimate Guide)
Learn everything there is to know about the Google Business Profile Q&A feature and how to leverage it for better customer engagement.
Many business owners wonder how they can leverage the most out of their Google listing features, yet they forget the most underrated one, which is optimizing the Google Business Profile Q&A (Questions and Answers) section.
Let me tell you exactly how to utilize it to your advantage.
But before I do that, you can check my entire Google Business Profile Optimization Checklist, where I explain all the steps to fully optimize your listing and rank on Google.
Now, let’s begin…
What Is The Q&A Feature On A GBP Listing?
The Q&A feature on a Google Business Profile enables users to ask all kinds of questions about a local business they are searching for on Google Maps directly within the corresponding GBP (or Google Business Profile for better clarity).
Furthermore, they can answer questions already posted by other users, which establishes an indirect way for the business to explain their services, prices, and how they operate in general.
Of course, that option goes both ways, because the GBP owner (or individuals like me managing hundreds of listings) can compile a list of questions and provide helpful answers. This ultimately assists potential clients in visiting and purchasing from the business.
Where Are The Questions And Answers Displayed?
The questions and answers appear in two locations: Google Knowledge Panel and Google Maps. Although, it would be helpful for you to see a visual representation of where to find them.
Google Maps
Simply go to Google Maps, type the name of the business, select the profile and as you scroll down, you will see the Q&A section.
Google Knowledge Panel
Type the business name on Google search and the knowledge panel will appear on the side with all the listing information plus the Questions and Answers info.
Important Note
- Even if there aren’t any questions asked yet, you will see the Questions & Answers subheading in the Knowledge Panel.
- After two questions have been asked, you will start seeing them natively above.
- The question with the most upvotes is typically at the top.
How Can Users Ask Questions?
For users to ask questions, they simply need to click on ‘ask a question’ and a blue box will appear.
On the left, you can ask the question of your choice, and there may be an automatic answer on your right, based on the profile reviews written by other people or recent Google Posts. Google tries to answer them immediately by understanding the context of your question.
In the absence of an answer, click “post”, and you will receive an email from Google confirming that your question has been posted to the community.
You will get a notification if someone replies.
How Can GBP Owners Access And Set Up Their Q&A Section?
To access the Q&A, you must first log in to the Google account associated with your business listing, enter the Google Business Profile dashboard, and choose the icon with the Q&A option.
All the questions will appear, but only the one with the most votes will appear first. To find the most recent ones, you just have to scroll down.
If you want to ask the question, click on ”Ask a question”
You can ask as many questions as you want and answer your own questions, not only to user questions.
How To Reply To Questions In Your Google Business Profile?
To reply to questions in your Google Business Profile, you have two options:
Option Number 1#
Go to your email box, where a notification from a question asked has appeared, and click on “Answer question”
Option Number 2#
This is the option that I use most often as it allows me to fully observe all the questions in a single panel.
Just click on Q&A in the search results dashboard, and choose which question to answer personally (because other users may have already given their respective answers).
Important Note
As a business owner, always provide unique answers to questions, as other users may give incorrect answers or be spammers attempting to damage your reputation.
To be precise, if you respond from your personal account, anyone will see that the business owner specifically gave the answer, which actually shows how the business cares for its customers.
Is There An Option To Remove Questions And Answers?
Yes, there is an option to remove questions and answers from your Google Business Profile, but similar to other GBP features ( photos, videos, reviews, etc.), Google has specific guidelines that dictate which content should be removed.
You can report questions or answers of your choice by pressing the ‘report’ button, but before you do that, I highly suggest you read Google’s Q&A content policies.
Which Questions Should I Include In My Business Profile?
That’s the most crucial part of the whole process, and the one most business owners (or the person managing the profile) struggle to understand and take action.
Well, that depends on the type and unique characteristics of the business; therefore, there is no single rule dictating which specific questions to ask or which answers to avoid.
But, from my experience, there are certain types of questions that apply to most businesses and specific methods to use and find these questions.
Pricing
A key customer concern that significantly influences their buying behavior is something you should definitely address.
Even though the products and services features have the pricing option, consumers may ask you for a custom service tailor-made to their preferences, in which case you can specify a pricing range.
Customer Service
Offering excellent customer service can lead to repeat business by up to 93%, according to Hubspot’s Research, so it’s a subject you must immediately address here.
Possible questions here may include:
- What customer service training do your employees undergo?
- How do you handle customer complaints and feedback?
- How fast is customer service during a full work schedule?
Location-Specific Information
Questions about the location, such as “What’s the best way to get to your store using public transportation?” or “Is there nearby parking?” are extremely helpful for customers who want to reach your business in the best possible way.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Include specific questions that customers commonly ask.
These could be about your hours of operation, parking availability, special accommodations, or return policies.
Gather customer questions from social media and in-person visits, categorize them, and choose the most common ones.
How Many Questions Should I Include In My GBP?
There is no magic number here.
That depends entirely on the type of business you operate, how large or small it is, and how many monthly questions you gather from different consumers.
I suggest adding the most important ones to your profile and then periodically adding more to keep it fresh.
It helps to regularly check the People Also Ask & keyword volume tracking, find questions about your services you haven’t answered, and add them.
You can also check this article about tools similar to People Also Ask, though not all are free (mostly freemium tools).
Personal Tips For The Questions & Answers Feature
I’ll give you three personal tips that always worked best for all my clients’ Google listings:
1) When users ask questions, it always seems to be a better idea because that’s what Google wants from a potential customer: to interact with the business and get the answer they want. Satisfying the search intent is all that matters at the end of the day.
2) Don’t get discouraged from creating and answering the question yourself. There is no restriction to that.
3) Don’t neglect to update existing answers if there’s a change. That includes deleting a question if it’s not relevant to your business anymore.
Key Takeaways
To sum it up, here are the most important takeaways when optimizing your Google Business Profile Questions And Answers feature:
- The GBP Q&A feature allows users and business owners to engage directly by asking and answering questions about the business on Google Maps and the Knowledge Panel.
- Questions and answers are displayed on Google Maps and in the Google Knowledge Panel, with the most upvoted questions appearing prominently.
- Users can submit questions via a simple click on “ask a question,” and owners can manage responses through their GBP dashboard or email notifications.
- Business owners can actively manage the Q&A section by logging into their GBP dashboard, where they can post, answer, and organize questions.
- Owners can remove inappropriate questions and answers by reporting them according to Google’s content guidelines.
- It’s beneficial to include strategic questions about pricing, customer service, location details, and other frequent customer inquiries.
- The quantity of questions included should be tailored to the business type and customer engagement, with regular updates and monitoring.
- Owners should actively engage with the Q&A feature by responding promptly, updating responses as needed, and initiating questions to address common issues.