With the vast majority* of people using online to learn more about a local company, it’s not surprising that 18% of local mobile searches (mainly using Google) lead to a sale within one day.¹ As a result, it’s important your business is easy to find online. Google My Business (GMB) is a local business listing platform that enables you to do so.
Following are tips for using this important tool:
Claim Your Google My Business Listing
- Create a profile from scratch or claim a business that’s already on GMB’s list.
- Update your page and verify your business with a code Google will send to your business address.
Include All the Essential Info
- Choose a category (from over 2,000 available), name, address and other essential information.
- Add a description with relevant keywords and attributes that will attract customers.
Upload Quality Images
- Add images of your storefront and/or team to help build a rapport and entice people to visit.
- Ensure the images are high quality and show your business in a positive light.
Attract Visitors to Your Page; Garner Positive Reviews
- Reviews affect your SEO**: GMB reviews with relevant keywords were the second most influential factor in rankings for local searches².
- Include signage in your store/business, add a link to review your business in your email signature and/or share positive reviews on your social media pages.
Respond to All Reviews
- Respond to all reviews on an ongoing basis, showing consumers that you’re responsive.
- By providing a satisfactory response, customers may leave a more favorable review than they did initially.
Post Content Continuously
- Google Posts enables GMB account owners to post content directly into the search engine results page.³
- Keep your listing fresh by sharing content continuously, including special offers, blog posts, events, photos, videos, etc.
“One solid way to attract visitors to your website and to your business … is by having an optimized Google My Business page.” – Seth Rand, Founder/CEO of Rand Marketing
*97% of people learn more about a local company online than anywhere else.
**SEO is a set of practices used for optimizing a website’s content, structure, and other integral parts with the goal of manipulating search engines’ result pages. (SEO Tribunal)
Source: smallbiztrends.com, reported by Annie Pilon;
¹A study from Glo-Globe; (moz.com);
²A study from Local SEO Guide;
³hallaminternet.com