If you are looking to optimize your Google My Business listing then this guide is for you.
Many brick-and-mortar store owner thinks SEO is not for them, and that it is hard. But did you know that 18% of local smartphone searches led to a purchase within a day (as of 2019)?
64% of consumers have used Google My Business to find contact details for local businesses in 2019. It’s really important to bring your business online during this COVID-19 crisis.
With Google My Business, you can manage your store’s location on Google Maps and online reviews.
The process of Google My Business Listing optimization starts with setting up a Google My Business Listing (if you haven’t yet).
Here are the steps to create and optimize your Google My Business Listing:
Create a GMB Listing
Go to Google My Business’s Page and click on Manage Now.
You will see a form. Fill every relevant field. You would like to ensure that all the information you provide is accurate, and your profile is as complete as possible.
Even if you don’t have a physical store, you can still create a GMB listing. Just Mark Yes, in the last option, i.e., “I deliver goods and services to my customers at their location.”
You will then be asked to select your service area. Choose the appropriate option.
Choose a Relevant Category
You will have to select your business category to help Google decide on which searches your Google listing belongs in.
Google doesn’t let you create a category on your own. So, if you don’t find a specific category for your business, choose a general one that still describes your business.
Enter Contact Details
Once you have chosen a category, you’ll be asked to fill in the contact details of your business.
Enter your business phone number and website URL (if you don’t have a website, select I don’t need a website).
Verify Your Business Listing
You need to verify your account to gain complete access to your listing.
There are three ways to do so. One is by submitting the code mailed to your business address.
Second, is through the phone. If your business is eligible for mobile verification, you will see Verify by Phone at the beginning of the verification process. You will receive a code on your mobile phone, which you need to enter into GMB.
Third, email verification. Just like phone verification, you will get a code on your Google account associated with the GMB.
But, wait, that’s not it. You also need to optimize your listing to get the most out of Google My Business. Let’s have a look at how to optimize it.
Ensure Your Business Information is Up-to-Date
To begin with, check your name, address, and phone number are correct. If you have recently changed your business phone number, you must update the same in the GMB.
Also, your information must be exactly the same as what is currently listed on your website.
When it comes to categories, be as specific as you can. For example, if you sell gourmet, choose gourmet grocery stores instead of the traditional grocery store option.
To edit your listing, open Google My Business and click on Info on the left column.
You can then edit the business name, address, category, service areas, opening hours, contact number, and description.
Add More Information About Your Business
Use attributes to highlight your business’s capabilities in a way that might not be possible from the business category that you have chosen.
Does your hotel offer free wifi, parking, or laundry services?
Does your car garage offer public restrooms or a sitting lounge?
Attributes can highlight these additional services.
To add attributes, open Google My Business and click on Info on the left column.
Scroll down, and you will see Highlights. Click on the edit (pen) sign and start adding the attributes.
Additionally, add a profile picture to let users know that it’s your official account. A cover photo can be used to showcase your business’s exterior or interior.
To add photos, click on the Photos on the left column.
You will see options to add Logo (profile photo), cover, and video.
Click on Choose Photo on each one of them to add an image.
Ensure that you upload high-quality images to make your business look good.
Earn Reviews and Respond To Them
Google loves reviews. The more reviews you have, the better you rank.
Review signals account for 15.44% of the ranking importance.
Also, people trust reviews as much as they believe referrals from friends. 60% of customers look at Google My Business for reviews on a local business.
Therefore, it is important to ask for reviews from your customers. Even Google My Business says, “Remind your customers to leave reviews”.
It’s also important to respond to the reviews. Over half of the consumers expect businesses to respond to negative online reviews within seven days.
Even bad reviews are helpful. They allow you to solve the problem and turn the bad review into a good one. Here’s a great example of how to respond to a negative review.
You can thank your customers who leave a positive review to show that you care. Here’s an example of a perfect reply.
To respond to reviews, open Google My Business, and click on Manage Reviews in the menu (at the left-hand side).
You will see all the reviews along with a reply button in each.
Add Posts To Share Business Updates
Last but not least, add posts to share content about your business. It could be anything from an upcoming sale to a new product in your store.
Seattle Mariners, a baseball team, is an excellent example for a brand leveraging Google posts to promote their brand.
To add a post, open Google My Business, and you click on Create Post at the top of the Homepage.
After clicking on Create Post, you can choose if that’s a product, event, offer, or something new in your store.
You can then add text, images, price, description, and call-to-action button.
You can even add call-to-action buttons on your posts such as buy, learn more, reserve, and get an offer.
Note: Google posts disappear after seven days, so it’s important to be timely and hyper-specific when creating an event or offer related posts.
Final Thoughts
Optimizing your Google My Business listing is important to stay on top of your competitors and to reach a large number of local searchers. Ensure that your information is up-to-date and accurate.
Add as much information as possible about your business. Make sure you upload a high-quality profile picture and a cover photo. Also, ask and respond to your customers’ reviews. Additionally, create posts to inform users about new products or offers and to lure them to visit your business.
