When it comes to local search engine optimization, or SEO, you might be ignoring one of your most potent weapons. Have you been paying attention? Of course, we’re referring to Google My Business.

 

Whether you established it or went above and beyond to claim it, your company might already have a Business Profile to its name. Even if both statements are accurate, you might not be getting the most out of your profile.

 

We’re here to provide you seven tips on how to improve Google My Business and draw in more local customers. Discover what makes this free resource so special and get in touch with SimpSocial when you’re ready to benefit from it.

 

A Google Business Profile: What Is It?

Both big and small businesses want to be found on Google. A fantastic time-tested technique for doing this? Create a Google Business Profile to list your company on the most used search engine in the world.

 

Google Maps and Google Search’s local results both display business profiles. With a few easy tips, you can turn your business profile into a powerful SEO and lead generation tool.

 

But before it can be all that, you’ll need control over your Business Profile, including the ability to maintain and change it. Unfortunately, creating your profile won’t give you access to those features. The first step is to register for a Google My Business account (separately).

 

Google My Business: What is it?

The tool you use to access, manage, and improve your business profile and promote it across all pertinent Google products, such as Search and Maps, is called Google My Business. You are able to:

 

Connect online with current and potential consumers.

Post new information to your company profile.

Check out how clients engage with your company on Google, especially by leaving reviews.

Regardless of whether your company already has a listing, you can set one up with Google My Business. Next, we’ll walk you through how to do it.

 

How to register for Google My Business

In just a few easy steps, you can create a Google My Business account. You’ll then be able to manage the Business Profile you created for your company. What you must do is as follows:

 

1) Open the Google Business website.

You might want to save this address as a favorite for quick access later. To access your Google My Business (GMB) account, you must have it.

 

If there is already a listing for your company, you can select it by clicking the “Own this business?” link in the directory. You will be forwarded to the same website URL.

 

2) Use a Google account to sign in.

You don’t yet have a Google account. By using any email address, you may quickly create a free account at www.google.com/accounts. We advise linking this to a business account rather than simply one employee’s personal account.

 

3) Type your company name here.

Make sure to capitalize the initial letter of each word and spell it correctly. Since this could be a potential customer’s initial impression of your company, accuracy is important.

 

4) Type your company’s address.

Google needs to confirm the existence of your company. You must input your company address for that to happen. A P.O. box cannot be used, and you are only allowed to operate one business from a single residence. Maintaining this is important, especially if your company relocates!

 

5) Determine whether you are a service provider or a storefront.

Do you want clients to come into your office, or do you want to profile your services electronically and avoid seeing clients in person? You may customize Google My Business to suit your needs, including, if you’d like, a wider radius around your business.

 

6) Select a top business sector.

Because it has an immediate impact on SEO, this choice is significant. Your response will be used by Google to determine how relevant your company is to potential customers’ searches.

 

If a customer types “service center near me” into a search engine and your company is labeled as a dealership, it might not come up first. It can be a good idea to separate business listings for sales and service centers because of this.

 

7) Include your phone number and website address.

Google My Business tracks both website clicks and phone calls. As always, ensure the accuracy of your information when posting a business listing. If your GMB and website display different numbers, customers can become perplexed.

 

8) Check your neighborhood listing

Before you may manage your business’s information in Google Search and Google Maps, Google will need that you go through a verification process.

 

Typically, a postcard addressed to your place of business is required for the procedure. It enables Google to confirm that (1) the information about your company is true and (2) the account is only accessible by you, the company’s owner or management.

 

9) Finish up your Google My Business profile.

Fill out your Google My Business profile with more details so that Google and potential clients can locate and identify you.

 

7 Techniques for 2021 Google My Business Optimization

The business world is becoming more and more virtual. While the COVID-19 pandemic can at least in part be blamed for this transition, much of it was already in motion before that. Additionally, despite the pandemic’s waning effects, virtual commerce will persist.

 

The internet presence of your company is therefore more crucial than ever. We advise you to apply these methods to improve your Google My Business listing in 2021.

 

1) If you haven’t already, claim your page.

The procedures you must follow to claim your Google My Business profile were discussed before. It just takes a few minutes to open a Google My Business account and claim your business profile if you already have a Google or Gmail account.

 

2) Insert images

Using photographs on your listing will result in 35% more hits to your website than not using photos, according to a statistic. Users are unquestionably more engaged by visual material than by written stuff.

 

When selecting images for your Google My Business listing, be thoughtful. You’ll need images that reflect the brand identity you’re going for while also providing a detailed look at your team’s personalities, the environment where you operate, and other elements.

 

Make virtual visitors feel as though they are familiar with your company before they decide to swing by for an actual visit, if they so want.

 

How many photos do you really need? We advise including three to six photos at the very least on your Google My Business profile.

 

Remember that the platform also allows you to create virtual tours. Hire a Google-approved photographer to take some pictures of your business area and submit them for a 360-degree tour. This strategy might be particularly effective if space is essential to your company’s operations—as it would be at a hotel, for example.

 

3) Gather testimonials

The opinions of others regarding your company are far more valuable than your own. You may, however, house reviews on your profile thanks to Google My Business. If you have any faith in your company, we advise doing just that!

 

Nearly 90% of consumers believe internet evaluations as much as they do personal recommendations, so the advantages are obvious.

 

People can read more personal testimonials about your work in reviews. They demonstrate to people what doing business with you might appear and feel like.

 

The advantages don’t stop there, either! More reviews can increase the number of relevant visitors who see your Google My Business page. For example, Google is more likely to list your page in the mapping listings if it has at least a few dozen ratings.

 

Want more testimonials for your company? Asking delighted or devoted consumers to submit a review on Google is completely acceptable—just don’t be pushy about it.

 

Establish your service zones.

Online customers who have access to your company’s physical address will be aware of where you are based. However, this does not imply that your offerings must be restricted to the same region.

 

In recent years, a huge number of firms have gone online, and even those that haven’t may aim for several locations. You can set up many service areas for your business on Google My Business, and they will all be rated equally.

 

Depending on what is most pertinent to the scope of your organization, you can designate your service areas to a region, city, or zip code.

 

5) Include a company description

You can now add a business description from your Google My Business account to let visitors know what you do—what goods, services, and value you offer.

 

You’ll have to keep it short. There is a character limit of 750 for the description. To help Google understand when your business is relevant to search queries, combine an alluring description of your business with SEO keywords.

 

Consider the search terms that customers would use to find your company. Use them in your company description, and make sure the description is well-structured and simple to understand. Avoid “keyword spam” by keeping the terms compatible with your actual branding and offerings.

 

6) Focus on local search

Google will prompt you to conduct a search for your business while you set up your Google My Business account. This is how you claim it as your own, making ensuring that neither your pages nor your locations are duplicated in the process.

 

You include a phone number on your Google My Business profile, as we previously mentioned. Use a local area code to attract local clients who could be more amenable to working with you.

 

Remember to maintain consistency (and accuracy!) in your name, address, and phone number across all online platforms. This assists your page for local search optimization in addition to helping eliminate confusion.

 

7) Classify your company.

This one was also mentioned earlier during setup. It’s important to emphasize categories once more because they will help you reach clients looking for the goods and services you provide.

 

Therefore, take care to group your company into categories that make sense. You must select from Google’s available categories because you cannot create your own.

 

Select a main category that best describes your entire business. More categories that focus on certain services and/or goods you provide and could be relevant to search queries will be available for you to add.

 

learn about local searches

You can gain important insights from your account as you optimize your Google My Business listing using the aforementioned techniques. Analyze your audience and local search performance with the dashboard tool. You may see: under the analytics tab.

 

Customers are utilizing certain search terms to reach your business profile.

No matter if clients came across you via Google Maps or Google Search.

how well your images are doing in comparison to those of other users in your category.

On your business listing, you will also be able to see a breakdown of the activities that have been taken. All of this information is priceless when it comes to perfecting your Google My Business page and your entire digital marketing plan (did users click through to your website or inquire about directions to your business).

 

Businesses everywhere can benefit greatly from knowing where clients are coming from and what steps they take during the buying process!

 

Am I better off with a Google My Business page instead of a website?

A crucial tool for increasing the visibility of your company in search results is Google My Business. A business website is still necessary, despite how important a Google Business Profile may be.

 

Instead, a Google My Business profile functions as a supplementary tool. It provides the opportunity for your company’s information to appear on Page One of the search results, increasing traffic to your website.

 

So, in addition to your Google My Business account, here are some other reasons you should make an investment in a website:

 

1) Customers anticipate that small firms will have websites

Your business website and phone number are both essential in 2021, and you can link to both from your Google My Business page. In fact, if you don’t have a website to attract customers, you can be losing as much as 70 or 80 percent of them.

 

About that many customers believe that having a website is crucial. By having a unique website, you can provide potential customers a place to go before they walk through your doors (or make an online purchase).

 

A website provides a method to present your products and services in a manner that a Google My Business page cannot, as well as explain your company’s story (both aesthetically and verbally).

 

Customers now demand that firms anticipate their demands. If a company cannot maintain the expectation of having a website, potential customers will not visit.

 

2) Web page? more of a center for your marketing initiatives

Your online marketing profile undoubtedly consists of a number of components, including Google My Business, social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram, and other business listings. But without a central hub, they’ll all be cut off.

 

That hub should be your website. It’s a location you can control and design, and it links to and from all of your other listings and social media profiles.

 

Your website is a potent tool for gathering first-party customer data in addition to driving conversions and sales. With the aid of forms and other conversion tools, it can provide direct engagement:

 

scheduling appointments

subscriptions to blogs

Direct transactions

submissions of job applications

Newsletter subscriptions

Since Google Chrome and other browsers no longer support third-party cookies, a strong first-party data collection operation is more important than ever. In 2021 and beyond, a website powered by the newest AdTech technologies will be essential.

 

3. Google has complete control over your Business Profile, not you.

Google My Business is a fantastic tool for your company. It serves as a central location where you can collect and manage reviews, promote your company on Search and Maps (among other Google applications), and inform customers about your company.

 

Even while you make use of its potential, keep in mind that you don’t have total control over it. Google has a history of making unexpected adjustments to its goods and services. You’ll understand what we mean if you ask any SEO professional about Google’s search algorithm.

 

What elements of your business profile show up in search results may change according to Google. If it notices something that doesn’t adhere to Google’s guidelines, for example, it might remove your listing.

 

Unlike your website, though? You have complete control over it, so anything is possible!

 

4. Not everybody makes use of Google My Business

Yes, Google My Business offers a quick and simple way to learn more about a company. It is significantly more practical to search on a mobile device. Google My Business will only ever appear on Google, so bear that in mind.

 

Yes, Google dominates the majority of the market for search engines, but they don’t control the entire pie. There is a market where Google My Business is absent where Bing, along with other search engines, are still rather prominent.

 

No matter whatever search engine is utilized, your website will be accessible. A website is just as effective at catching clients’ attention as Google My Business is.

 

Not both-or, but neither-or

We make this point not to discourage you from setting up a Google My Business account, but rather to nudge you toward never relying on just one factor. A robust online strategy involves a number of pillars. A dedicated website and Google My Business work better together.

 

Management of online reputation and Google My Business

You need to keep up your online reputation! Your online reputation is crucial because Google My Business is the top source of reliable online reviews and because customers read reviews before making purchasing decisions.

 

At SimpSocial, we are aware that your best marketing tool is a solid reputation. For our clients, we provide reputation management services. A sizable chunk of these services include Google My Business client engagement.

 

That is not unexpected. After all, evaluations submitted to Google My Business are displayed in Google Search and Maps results. These are some of the more noticeable reviews, and Google also takes customer reviews into account when determining rankings.

 

Services for Reputation Management from SimpSocial

Yes, businesses with low ratings are less likely to appear in search results. Among the most crucial SEO tools in your arsenal are your Google reviews. Fortunately, our knowledgeable reputation management specialists can help by

 

removing critical reviews that are flagged as being against Google’s review guidelines.

React to both favorable and unfavorable comments.

Work with your company to plan sincere replies to bad reviews.

Keep in mind that anyone who posts a review on Google has the authority to edit or remove it.

 

We can assist you in addressing any issues customers may have and working to raise your overall ratings by interacting with unfavorable reviews. In the process, you might gain many more clients while also saving one!

 

Podium, a supplier of interaction management technologies, and SimpSocial are pleased to be partners in encouraging new consumers to offer feedback about your company.

 

With their help, we can raise the number of reviews for your company on popular websites like Facebook in addition to Google. Every review, in our opinion, ought to start a discussion that can help you grow your company.

 

Integrate your company with Google My Business

Even though Google My Business is only one tool, it has a significant impact online. Not only is it a smart idea, but local marketing demands it.

 

We at SimpSocial want to ensure that you utilize this product to its fullest potential. There is no better time than now to set up your Google My Business account, if you don’t already have one.

 

Contact our Reputation Management staff while you wait. See how we can boost your Business Profile above those of your rivals and increase digital traffic on the most widely used search engine in the world!

---

Back to Blog