Google My Business
What is Google Business Profile?
A Google Business Profile is a good way to boost your business’s visibility online and offline. The profile is a combined account that allows you to add photos and information about your business and respond to customer reviews. You can also add a web page to your business’s Google profile, making your most important contact information more accessible. This is an excellent way to increase your business’s visibility and get more visitors to your website.
It’s easy to set up a Google Business Profile, and it’s free to do so. But to get the most out of your profile, you should optimize it for maximum results. To do this, you’ll need to update the most basic information about your business and add any special attributes that will help it stand out from the rest. For example, if you’re running a window tinting business, you may want to add a photo of your product portfolio.
If you want to improve your chances of being found on Google, you’ll want to pay attention to the site’s other features, like Map Pack and local listings. These may not directly impact your search rankings, but they help your business stand out from the crowd. Another great feature is the Google Business Profile Manager, which lets you update your profile without logging into your Google account.
The main point of the Google Business Profile is to help you market your business. The best way to do this is to fill out as much information about your business as possible. By doing so, you’ll be able to provide your potential customers with all the facts about your business, without wasting your time sifting through a cluttered list of results.
One of the most interesting aspects of the Google Business Profile is that it is linked to your branded website. While this might seem trivial, it’s an invaluable marketing tool. When someone searches for your company, your listing is instantly displayed in the right-hand sidebar of the search results page. This helps to increase the likelihood that your customers will find your site and become your customers.
Another nice thing about the Google Business Profile is that it’s a reputable source of information about your business. Not only will your potential customers be able to learn about your company, but they can also even verify your business. They can do this by verifying your phone number or by mailing you a verification code.
The main reason you need to optimize your Google Business Profile is that it can help you increase your business’s online and offline visibility. While most people use Google to look for products or services, your business can use the profile to inform customers and engage them with your brand.
While a Google Business Profile is not necessary for every type of business, it’s a great way to attract new visitors and keep old ones coming back.
Your business’s online presence must be Search Engine Optimized to help generate new leads. However, achieving organic search success is an ongoing battle, and Google’s business listing tools have thus far not made it easy for SMEs.
There have been many confusing name changes (Google Local, Google+ Local, Maps Listing, Google My Business) and new versions come with new sets of information requirements. The latest and greatest is Google My Business (GMB), it’s free for any business to claim their listing and allows you to create a business profile that includes a Google Maps listing and appears in search results when customers use a relevant search term with a location keyword.
Google’s consumer research shows that over 70 percent of those who search for a local store’s business hours, address and operating hours via their smartphone, visit the same day.GMB is an efficient way for customers to find all this information. It does take a bit of effort to get it correctly, though. Here are some tips to help you:
Ensuring Your Location Is Correct
When a prospect or customer searches online, Google will display the business listings closest to them. Your sales can be boosted by simply specifying your address. The “near me” function on mobile devices is being used more than ever before; within browsers, map apps, Siri, etc. Ensuring your business is properly set up in Google My Business, with the exact location is essential to your company’s survival.
Correctly Specify Your Opening/Closing Hours
Think about how many times you’ve quickly googled a shop to check their hours last minute while out running other errands. The same applies to your own potential customers especially if you run a business with stores in many locations that operate at different hours, this is incredibly important to get right. Google My Business enables you to set the operating times per location so this allows you to edit for any Holidays or last-minute changes easily.
Imagine how disappointing it is to arrive to a location only to discover they’re closed and their online listing had misinformation. How reliable is a business that can’t keep their own hours up to date?
Clearly State Your Business
Reaching people already near your business location specifically searching for your products is completely achievable through GMB and local SEO. Start by tagging the correct categories within your GMB profile. The correct type can make or break rankings. Ensuring your category is correct can help boost a business online for all relevant search terms. This is a balancing act; don’t tag every category to attract new business.
Suppose somebody comes knocking on your door looking for screen printing and you sell web services. In that case, this opens an opportunity to leave a less than satisfactory review of your business online. That said, don’t just tick one box; associate your company with as many relevant keywords as possible so that all potential customers are targeted. For example, for an Orthodontist, categories might include “Dentistry” and “Oral Surgeon”.
Gather Reviews
What your customers think of you is essential information. In the online world, it helps your business cut through the competition because reviews, good, bad, or mixed, contribute to your search engine rankings. Knowing the importance of reviews is one thing, soliciting customer feedback is quite another.
The process on GMB is fortunately quite straightforward which is essential for any customer engagement. To leave a review, all they have to do is:
Have a Google account (luckily most people do. A Gmail address is a good start)
Google your store
Click on your GMB listing
Select write a review
Write the review
Try it out for yourself. Once you know how it works you’ll be able to integrate the review process with your customer relationship strategy. A well-managed profile on GMB will help create an excellent customer experience that in turn will encourage positive reviews and lead to increased visibility. This could be the simplest and most productive marketing move you’ll ever make.