Hey there, fellow business owner! Are you ready to get googly with your local SEO? Well, get ready to take some notes because I’m about to show you how to use Google My Business to give your local SEO a serious boost.
With over 90% of the search engine market, it’s important for businesses to be easily found through Google Search.
How to use Google My Business to improve local SEO – All You Need To Know
Google makes it easier for companies to rank in their search engine by introducing Google My Business.
65% of all Google searches contain a local link, which means that it is especially important for companies to be able to maximize their local search engine optimization (SEO).
This article explores how companies can optimize their Google My Business accounts to outperform their competitors and be the first business customers to be found on Google Maps or Search.
What is Google My Business?
Google My Business is a free tool that helps business owners better manage their online presence by providing information about their business that appears in Google search results.
This includes information such as their location, contact information, photos, customer reviews, and the products or services they provide.
In order for a business to create a Google My Business account, it first needs a Google Account.
Businesses need to provide as much information as possible to help them rank on Google for relevant search queries. The more Google knows, the easier it is for them to show it to the right people. Therefore, online business identity has been significantly improved as part of a location-based marketing strategy.
Once a Google My Business list is created, it generates a Google Maps location that syncs with Google Search Engine.
The benefits of Google My Business
Google My Business accounts allow potential customers to find, learn, and engage with the business. Consumers can list all of their business attributes to highlight what they do and their unique and desired benefits, including information useful to users, such as whether there is Wi-Fi or disabled access.
The main benefit of creating a Google My Business account is attracting more customers who are looking for a service like Google Search or Maps.
Similarly, social media, or a website, is another tool for marketing and generating leads.
Local business search rankings are improved by posting regular content and having relevant and useful information in your My Business account. Google’s algorithm takes into account the activity and quality of the information, as well as the proximity and relevance of the search query.
Higher rankings in search results mean more visibility and more likely customers to find a business.
More customers are also converted, as all the information useful for potential customers is provided. Theoretically! But only if their Google My Business account is optimized.
This can lead to customer calls, direct messages, visiting the website, asking questions, requesting an offer or booking an appointment, or booking – all through a My Business account!
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Google My Business Strategy
The first step is to have a Google My Business account
But the challenging work is not over! The account must be optimized and there must be a strategy, as with any other marketing tool.
The presence of a completed profile
Having as much useful information about your business as possible through a completed profile will help increase the ranking of your business page in local search results and increase the chance of potential customers engaging and acting.
Name, location, and telephone number
The company name must be identical to that used in the designation of shops and other marketing activities. It makes sense, doesn’t it? The location obviously needs to match your physical location and all other online business listings.
Since many businesses operate as service businesses and do not have a physical location, the location of the business may be excluded if it is a home office, for example, that does not accept meetings. Adding a service area means that the business will continue to appear in relevant local searches.
With such a large number of people querying Google Maps via mobile phones, it is important to provide a business phone number so that customers can contact the business to make reservations or ask questions. Make sure there is someone to answer this phone number in a timely manner and return calls if missed.
Website
Make sure that your website is available and in good working order. One of the key benefits of a My Business account is the ability to send more traffic to your website to attract more customers.
Often people do not decide to buy from a My Business account unless they are looking for something on the go, such as a coffee shop or gas station nearby.
Hours
Add the hours during which the business is physically open or accepts meetings, and keep updating them if they change. The profile can also be customized for holidays and other special events. If customers know that you are open, this will encourage them to visit your physical location.
Category and attributes
Choosing the right category for your business to help the most suitable customers find you is crucial. Over 80% of My Business’s views are by searching for discovery for a product or service category, not by searching for a business name.
Once you have chosen a primary category for your business, you can choose secondary categories. Make sure they are right so that the right people can find exactly your business that needs the product or service you offer.
When you choose your categories, Google will give you a list of attributes that you can highlight to further describe your business.
Add products and services
By adding all your products and services to the profile, it will tell potential customers what exactly you are doing and what your specialties are. It also adds relevant keywords to your account to improve your Google search rankings.
Include the name, description, and price of the product or service, if applicable. Link these products or services to be purchased in the store on the website if any.
Post regularly with updates and photos
My Business account can be used to post various things, such as business announcements, offers, and events. Posting content on your My Business page is like blogging on your SEO website or posting on social media.
The goal is to provide the highest quality and most detailed information about your business, to try and connect with searchers.
Regular posting will increase your Google rankings and increase the number of actions taken by users who find your account. Some posts will be visible on Google Search or Maps if relevant keywords are triggered, making them valuable for direct marketing to customers.
Customer reviews
Positive feedback has an affirmative effect on potential customers who research your business. It also increases the visibility of search results, so try to encourage customers to leave feedback.
Feedback influences consumer decision-making, so it is a key factor in ranking in the My Business algorithm. For Google searches, the first results are often those with multiple reviews and high rankings, and search results can also show a preview of a My Business account if it uses certain keywords that people search for.
Questions and Answers
Questions and answers that contain keywords can help improve the My Business account ranking for that keyword. Therefore, creating your own questions and answers is an important optimization tool. Make a list of the most frequently asked questions of the business and then ask, answer, and vote with answers in your personal profile.
Messages
Over 80% of people use their phone or tablet for local searches, so being able to conveniently send messages from your device to your My Business account is a fantastic opportunity.
Businesses can only respond to customers through the Google My Business app. Messages must be activated through Google My Business dashboard settings, and once enabled, a button for instant messaging will appear in your account. To make sure you don’t miss an opportunity, set up message alerts.
In Conclusion
There you have it, my friend. With these tips, you’ll be a local SEO superstar in no time. Don’t be afraid to get a little googly with it and show off your business to the world. Who knows, you might even attract some new customers along the way.
Google My Business is a free and easy-to-use service that businesses of all sizes may use as part of their internet marketing plan. The advantages of Google My Business are numerous, and businesses that make the effort to improve and update their accounts are more likely to reach and sell to local customers.
Overall, utilizing Google My Business as an internet marketing tool can help you save money on your marketing expenditures or improve the outcomes you obtain from it.
So, go claim and verify your Google My Business listing, optimize it for local SEO, respond to those customer reviews, use Google Posts like a pro, and monitor your insights like a hawk. And most importantly, have fun with it! After all, local SEO doesn’t have to be boring. Get googly and show the world what your business is made of.
