How to optimize your Facebook business page in 9 steps?

If Facebook is the most popular social network in the world, it is also the most used by professionals: there are nearly 80 million Facebook business pages! Optimizing your Facebook business page is therefore a crucial issue for any company that wants to stand out on this platform and make itself visible to a maximum number of consumers.

On Facebook, your potential customers can find you in two ways:

• Through your posts
• By finding your page

In a previous article, we explained how to generate engagement on Facebook posts in 2019. Today, we will focus on the second point: the method to optimize your Facebook business page.

Why optimize your Facebook business page?

It's not easy to exist among the several million business pages currently online and generate engagement on Facebook. But once you succeed in attracting potential customers to your page, it is crucial to increase the chances that they will perform an action with high added value (call, send a message, purchase online, etc.). By following the best practices suggested in this guide, you will ensure that the information delivered to your community is relevant and profitable in relation to your objectives.

And since the importance of Facebook even extends to search engines, some of the points discussed in this article will also show you how optimizing your Facebook business page can help strengthen your presence on Google. Two birds with one stone!

Don't wait any longer! Here are the criteria to respect in order to optimize your Facebook business page:

Adapt your page template

As soon as you create your Facebook page, it is important to check certain key parameters. One of these parameters is the page template you use. The Facebook page template is similar to a website theme, a kind of "template". It is imperative that you choose the right template: depending on the template you choose, Facebook will adapt the functionality of your page.

To check which page template you are using, go to your Facebook page settings, then click on "edit page".

By clicking on "edit", Facebook will offer you a list of all available page templates:

• Standard
• Services
• Company
• Places
• Movies
• Non-profit organization
• Political figures
• Restaurants and cafes
• Shopping

If you're not sure which template to choose, click on the "view details" sections to verify that the features of the template in question reflect your business. For example, Digitad's Facebook page uses the "Services" template.

Update your general information

Open the "About" tab of your Facebook page. This will bring you to your general information window.

Start by checking your categories. Categories influence search results for Facebook users, so it's important that this element of your settings is as accurate as possible.

Then make sure you have filled out each section of your general settings with your contact information, your schedule, and your address.

Note that unlike Google My Business, Facebook does not allow you to change your schedule temporarily and punctually (vacations, events). If your schedule changes for a short period of time, we advise you to inform your audience by means of a publication!

In the "about" section, it is possible to optimize your Facebook business page by adding a story and achievements. Describe your activity, your mission, and your achievements. These sections will allow your visitors to discover your company, its evolution, and to understand what makes it unique. A prospect who trusts your company is much more likely to become a customer.

Optimize your Facebook business page for SEO

As explained in the introduction, some aspects of your Facebook page can help improve your search engine presence (i.e. your SEO).

Very often, Facebook pages rank high in Google search results.

Optimizing your Facebook business page also means optimizing your natural referencing!

On Facebook, two central elements of content optimization for SEO resurface:

• The keywords
• The URL of your Facebook page

In order for your Facebook page to be visible on search engines, naturally include your keywords in strategic places on your page, such as your description, your achievements, your story, or your mission.

This image from the Content Marketing Institute's Facebook business page illustrates how to optimize your Facebook business page for SEO.

You can then customize your Facebook page URL. Your Facebook Page URL should make it easy for search engines to identify it, but it should also be simple for your users to remember.

Optimize your profile and cover photos

The first elements that the visitor of a Facebook business page looks at are generally its cover photo and its profile photo. In order to optimize your Facebook business page, you must therefore attach particular importance to these two images. They must reflect the image and identity of your brand on Facebook.

Very often, it is suggested to companies to use the corporate logo as a profile picture.

On the other hand, the purpose of your cover photo is to engage your audience. So you have more freedom!

Facebook has added a feature to allow videos and image slideshows to be used as Facebook covers to better engage users. Gary Vaynerchuk's Facebook page is a good example.

To optimize your Facebook cover, we recommend:

• To use a video or a slideshow
• To respect the dimensions 828 x 315 px (if you use a photo)
• To upload high definition files
• To reflect your brand image
• To promote your upcoming events
• Be creative and original!

Set up your contact button

Just below your cover photo, you can add a call to action (CTA) button. With this button, you will allow your visitor to easily contact you or learn more about your products and services.

Depending on the button you choose, you will then have to add the URL of your website, the link to the video of your choice, your email address, your phone number, or your online store.

Allow and manage reviews

Optimizing your Facebook business page also means taking into account user reviews, whether they are good or bad.

But managing user reviews is a sensitive task that needs to be part of a thoughtful content and customer service strategy. It is not to be taken lightly.

If you're ready to manage reviews on your Facebook page, enable the feature as follows:

• Go to your page settings
• Click on "edit page".
• Then click on "reviews", and enable them

You'll notice that Facebook also gives you the option of copying a link directly to the review window on your Facebook page.

Our tip for generating positive reviews:

When your customers share their satisfaction with you like after a successful collaboration, ask them to leave you a review. For example, you can include this hyperlink in a sentence in an email such as:

"We're glad you enjoy our blog posts and learn more about web marketing. Since your review means a lot to Digitad, we'd be very grateful if you shared it with us by writing a quick review on our Facebook page." 😉

In cases of negative reviews, we recommend that you respond to the person you're talking to without getting confrontational, but rather apologizing and showing your desire to make things right. A good response to a negative review will show your visitors that you value your customers' opinions.

Use Messenger

As we explained earlier with the reviews, optimizing your Facebook business page cannot be done without taking into account the users' reviews. Facebook Messenger, like reviews, is an efficient way to prove your reactivity and your attention to your audience. Today, messenger is a privileged way to connect with your audience.

As shown in the previous image, Facebook offers you the possibility to set up automatic messages that will be displayed as soon as your visitor arrives on your page. You can use it as a kind of FAQ section. 

Display your products and services

In order to optimize your Facebook business page to generate calls or messages from potential customers, it is essential that your product and service offerings are visible on your page.

Whether you sell ski boots, massage therapy services, or home improvement services, Facebook allows you to showcase your offer (provided you have chosen the right page template in point 1!).

This feature is easy to set up and can be very effective.

For example, if, like us, you offer services, go to the service tab on the left of your page. Facebook will allow you to describe your different services and add a picture.

Note that you can also change the appearance of the menu in which your "Services" category is located on the left of your page. If you want to change the order of the different sections visible, go to the "edit page" category, click on your different sections and drag them according to your preferences.

Post at the best time!

Optimizing your Facebook business page involves a number of internal points. But it would be a shame to do all these optimizations without maximizing the reach of your posts!

In our article about the best times to publish on social media, we explain in detail when to publish on Facebook to optimize the reach of your publications.

Here are the best times to post on Facebook:

From 12pm to 3pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Between 12pm and 1pm on Saturday and Sunday
However, we remind you that the best way to define your ideal "timing" is to analyze the connection curve of your audience in your "statistics" tab.

You're ready to optimize your Facebook page!

You now know how to optimize your Facebook business page. If you follow and apply this guide, we're sure you'll see encouraging results. And if you'd like to call on certified professionals to help you manage your social media or create ads, we'll be happy to answer your questions!