Businesses are reaping great rewards by taking advantage of location-based marketing strategies. Here, they target potential customers within a specified location and can focus their efforts in this area. If you are looking to employ the same, it is necessary to have a Google My Business (GMB) listing as it is at the core of local search. This is a free tool from Google that allows business owners to manage their visibility on the search engines and associated utilities. It is ideally suited for companies looking for local clients. Whenever someone types in a query with some text specifying the location they would want the answers to fall within, Google My Business Listings appear in the results, via the map 3 pack, and this is a great way to get more clients.
As it is with several other internet marketing strategies, getting the most out of Google My Business is not just about setting an account and waiting for magic. You need to optimize your listing and give the search engines a reason to display your listing whenever someone is looking for your business. In this piece, we will explain how to optimize your Google My Business listing and the benefits of doing so. EverConvert has an entire department dedicated to local search and we are ready to help you get the most out of your GMB listing.
Introducing Google My Business
Google My Business is free, and it does not replace your home site. It complements it by giving your firm an additional platform to boost your online visibility, based on location. If you have previously used Google tools for your business, your GMB listing could already exist. Google synchronizes all the information provided on its various tools such as Google Maps, and Google Search, provided they are linked by one email address.
Before you create a GMB listing, check if there is an existing one for your business. A Google search will help you know this. If your company has been operational for many years, a GMB listing could have been created, and all you need to do is to claim it. After claiming it, you should manage the information on the listing. If someone else has claimed your listing, you will need to contact Google support and follow the steps indicated in order to verify that you are the rightful owner of the listing.
Once you claim the listing, the chances are high that most of the information about your business might be inaccurate or missing. Fill in the blank boxes and update your business details to make sure that everything is correct. Make sure that you find a suitable category for your business. The last option will ask if your firm delivers services to clients such as plumbing services and be sure to answer it correctly. More information is generally better in regard to your GMB listing, as it provides potential customers a comprehensive snapshot of what your business offers.
Verifying Your Listing
Google needs to verify that the listings are accurate as it strives to provide the most relevant and accurate result possible when a search is done. It is the next step after submitting your business information. The easiest way of doing it is through the mail. Google knows the physical address listed under your business details, and they will send a postcard with a verification code to this address. Note that all the changes to the listing won’t be visible to clients until the verification process is complete. The process is quick and should take less than seven days. Once you receive the postcard, you will just need to follow the directions provided to verify the listing.
Tips for Making Your Listing Better
All businesses must take the steps listed above before any optimization becomes relevant. Once verified, you should take advantage of every possible field in the GMB listing to yield the best results.
First, ensure that you enter complete data for the listing. Google favors listings with detailed and accurate information as it shows credibility in a firm. The listing should communicate what you offer, do, and leave nothing for the imagination.
Keywords are vital in GMB listings, so ensure that you use the right ones so that your business shows up when a potential customer searches for terms related to your business.
Confirm that the working hours listed are accurate. If you change your hours of operation at a later date, be sure to update the listing as well. Customers look at these hours when planning to visit your business and Google has begun to penalize businesses that give inaccurate information. The hours listed should be the hours for which your business’ doors are unlocked and accepting customers and you have an employee in the store.
Be sure to add pictures of your business to give customers an idea of what to expect when they visit. You want to include street views in order to make it easier for customers to know what to look for when visiting your location. Geotagging should also be included on all pictures of your business to show Google that you are physically at the address.
Keep your listing interactive and respond to customer reviews. This shows how you value customers and the feedback they leave regarding your business. Encourage customers to leave reviews as positive ones improve your visibility. Some businesses even offer incentives to customers who leave reviews.
Watch Out For Insights
Google has improved Google My Business listings over the years by giving you a lot of analytical data that can influence your business decisions. They are referred to as Insights and show;
- How customers get your listing
- Where clients find you on Google
- What customers do on your listing
- Direct phone calls made from the listing
- Requests for directions
These are some of the major categories under the listings, but they are broken down into more specific metrics that will help you gauge how your listing is performing.
Importance of Google My Business Listing
It is easy to ignore Google My Business and focus on what you think are the fundamentals of digital marketing such as SEO, PPC, and SEM, among others. But, because nearly half of all searches are for local information, ignoring your Google My Business listing means you are missing out on half of all search traffic.GMB listings can get you ahead of your competitors, causing your business to show up in the map 3 pack, which is above the organic search results. This is just one reason why you need to claim yours and optimize it today. Here are some of the other benefits;
- Your business will show up on Google Map searches.
- It will show up on local searches.
- Earns you trust from customers
- Reviews and ratings improve your appeal to new customers
- Helps to increase traffic to your site and eventually sales
- Boosts your organic search results
- Improves engagement
- You benefit from free Google advertising
Contact EverConvert Today to Learn More About Local Search Marketing
The internet marketing world is always changing, and you need to stay ahead of these changes if you are to surpass the competitors. Most of the searches on the internet from people seeking goods and services have local intent, and Google My Business listings are what display the companies offering these commodities. You do not have to pay a cent to claim and optimize your listing, but the benefits of doing so will go a long way to improve your customer base and boost your local presence.
Contact the team at EverConvert to get the most out of your GMB listing. Our team of local search specialist are ready to help you with every step of the process, from verification to optimization, to ensure that customers find you when they are looking for a local business. Finding your business is the first step in making a potential customer into a satisfied client and we make sure you show up, because:
