Some view it as a free feature from Google. Some view it as an all-powerful tool for business. Whichever way you see it, the Google My Business feature from Google is a factor you cannot ignore if your goal is to secure a higher local SEO ranking. Unfortunately, even though it’s free a lot of businesses are unaware of its full potential and therefore, end up either not utilizing or under utilizing this super SEO tool. Here are 8 effective ways in which you can get your GMB profile to add some serious power to your local SEO building efforts
1) Get your business details right:
It is not uncommon for a business to have changes in its name, address and contact over the years. The problem arises when these changes don’t get updated in places where customers come looking for information on your business. Don’t be caught NAPing when it comes to updating the Name, Address and Phone Number of your business in your GMB profile.
2) Categorize your business:
Customers search by category; which means they’ll put in ‘roofers’ when they need to change or repair their shingles, mend leaks, clear away mold or even replace the entire roof structure. So, make sure to mention the category that you’re in.
Customers also finetune their search in a sea of choices by adding descriptions to their main search words. For example, someone who’s looking for roofers with a specific type of expertise may put in ‘metal roofers’, ‘flat roofers’ and so on. The takeaway, add a sub-category that defines your area of expertise within your main category.
3) Make your story interesting:
A customer visiting your GMB page is a lot like a prospect opening the door of his or her home when you ring the bell. You only have a minute to get their attention, establish your relevance and inspire them to take action. Better make that minute count, by adding in compelling facts about your business, the services you offer, the vision that got you started, the factors that make you unique, the quality of your staff, the track record of your services delivered and so on. The stronger your profile, the higher the chances of customers engaging further with you. Just one more thing, you have 750 characters to frame your pitch.
4) Don’t be camera shy:
Pictures tell the story of your business a lot more vividly and convincingly than words. According to recent research, businesses with 100+ images on GMB get 520% more calls, 2717% more direction requests and 1065% more website clicks than businesses who don’t put images on their profile. Make sure to give customers a 360* view of your business by sharing images of your exterior, interior, products, staff or any other detail that will ease your process of winning not just their attention but their trust as well.
5) Request for positive reviews:
Don’t end your service experience with satisfied customers by merely thanking them or seeing them off at your door. Ask them to post a review which describes their experience with your business, and request them to do this within a day or two. The reason, potential customers check at least 10 reviews on an average before they engage with a business. The reviews left by your existing customers will play an important role in getting the attention of prospective customers, who’re seeking the products or services offered by your business.
Replying to positive reviews and expressing your gratitude is another thing you could do. It will not only encourage existing customers to revisit you but will also send out a warm and reassuring message to new customers that you care about their priorities, needs and satisfaction.
6) Showcase your product or service range:
Imagine your customers being able to view your products or areas of service, from wherever they are. With handy features like Product Editor, you can curate a showcase of your business’s offerings that’ll be viewable across devices. For example, if you’re a dental clinic offering a range of cosmetic dentistry services, you can use this feature to showcase images pertaining to services like teeth whitening, dentures, Invisalign and more. You can not just categorize the images of your products/ services but also add supporting details that’ll help customers gain a fuller understanding of what to expect from you when they come visiting.
7) Be active, be informative:
Merely having a GMB account doesn’t stir up Google’s attention. It’s pretty much like a person sitting motionless, and the world being oblivious to his or her presence. But the moment the person gets up and starts to do something, people take notice. Get active with your GMB account by putting out content in the form of mini blogs that either tell more about what you have to offer or about the newest developments in-store. The frequency and quality of your posts will increase your visibility and rankings in local searches, which will result in a greater number of customers preferring you over your competitors.
8) Impress customers with the right answers:
There’s much more to Google than what meets the eyes of business owners and founders. Q&A is one such feature that’s often overlooked by businesses seeking to ramp up their local SEO. Q&A in your GMB account allows you to provide answers to questions that come from product or service seeking customers. Customers are always wanting to know more and will be impressed with businesses that keep track of their questions and deliver prompt and useful responses. Make it a point to utilize the Q&A feature to check the pulse of your customers and guide them to your business by resolving their doubts and curiosity in the best way possible.
If used effectively, your Google My Business account can prove to be one of the best things to happen to your SEO strategy, and your business. We’re SocioSquares – a proven and trusted digital marketing agency that has been helping scores of small to medium sized businesses in optimizing their SEO strategies for better leads. We hope the GMB-related strategies featured here will prove helpful to you in improving your local SEO. To know more about how we can help with local SEO for contractors, local SEO for plumbers or SEO services for contractors, get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to guide your business to higher, better leads.
