Google My Business is unquestionably the spot where you should concentrate your efforts whether you are just starting your business or have decided to be more visible online in your neighborhood or city to boost the number of clients. This is why you should take some time to understand how to optimize Google My Business.
Google has been striving to use organic traffic to give quick responses on the SERP (the Google results page). In essence, it attempts to provide solutions even before visiting the sites listed in the search results. As a result, if you type in a search term like “SEO consultant near me,” it will immediately inform you which companies are the best or closest, along with customer feedback.
This should serve as sufficient motivation to begin updating and boosting your Google My Business listing such that it outperforms that of your neighborhood rivals.
But first, let’s explore the next steps.
What is Google My Business?
You may control how your company is showcased in search results using the free platform or tool known as Google my Business. It can be accessed at https://business.google.com. You can edit your company name, service hours, locations, respond to and keep track of client reviews, and upload images and videos.
Improve and Optimize Google My Business Listing
Have you heard of Local SEO? This is unquestionably the first and finest action to take to enhance the visibility of your company in Google’s search results. What does this mean if you’re an entrepreneur trying to spread the word about your company to as many clients as you can? Well, it’s really quite simple: if your business has accurate, thorough, and optimized information inside the Google search results, your chances of attracting customers to your area will increase.
To achieve the best results in Local SEO we recommend to go through each of the steps in the list below:
- Claim your Business Profile
- Fill out each field of your Google My Business profile
- Careful when inserting contact information
- Select primary and secondary categories
- Mark off applicable attributes
- Provide a “from the business” description
- Review and handle questions or comments
- Gather feedback on your Reviews and reply to it
- List your goods and/or services
- Configure messaging
- Keep your Business Profile updated
Verify your business’s existence on GMB
To control the data displayed in Search, Maps, and other Google platforms, you must verify your company listing. as the owner or manager, only you will be able to access the information, allowing Google’s algorithm to ensure that it is accurate. From previous experience, sending a postcard is the most efficient method, albeit the slowest.
Google will mail you a postcard containing a code and a link that you must click on in order to get verified.
Optimize Google My Business Listing
Include as much information and media as possible, such as a business profile photo, the area you serve, your hours, qualities (such as “wheelchair accessible,” “free wifi”), the day and year you launched, as well as a public phone number and website URL. In the following paragraphs, we will explain further in detail all the information needed to better optimize your Google My Business listing.
Insert the company’s information
Try to be as specific as you can about your enterprise and don’t forget any details. Take advantage of every opportunity that Google gives you and make your profile as comprehensive as you can. In most situations, the following details should be added to your Google My Business listing:
Categorization
Not only would listing your company in a particular category make it easier for customers to find you, but it will also alter the options accessible in your Google My Business account. You will also have the ability to include a link to your menu, for instance, if you run a restaurant. There are numerous possibilities, for hotels as an example.
Many people make the error of selecting too many activity categories that are irrelevant. This confuses Google rather than helping it. Adding other categories will benefit both you and Google, even though only one main category will show up when people happen to see your listing in search results. Google will have a better understanding of your area of specialization, and thus, more people seeking for similar services might see your listing.
Opening Hours
Make sure you accurately value the hours your business will be open. If your company has basic office hours or is a small business, you shouldn’t always post the position as open. Even if you’re closed, somebody could phone and leave a bad review.
Every year, keep posting about holidays. Consider how important it is to value diverse holidays like Easter. The days must be rated correctly for Google to recognize that your listing is superior to that of a rival and prefer it in the search results.
If your business operates on a seasonal schedule, remove all opening hours while it is closed and add them back when it reopens.
Website and Analytics
Even though Google will always provide you monthly data through email, enter your site correctly, and don’t forget to install Analytics to maintain the traffic from MyBusiness under control. At the time of enrollment into Google My Business, all URLs must be live. Use your website’s home page for single-site enterprises. Use the unique page for each location if your company has many locations.
Goods and Services
This section is one of the new options added in Google My Business. This is only available for a limited number of service businesses (dentists, lawyers, insurance agents, hotels, marketing agencies, and others).
Fill this with all the services you offer, their prices and detailed information and don’t worry if they don’t show up next to your business in the search results.
Add a description of each service up to 1000 characters. Take advantage of this space to describe each service for customers using advanced keywords
Add Images And Videos (Also User Generated)
You should upload images as one of the fundamental guidelines for enhancing your Google My Business listing. And not only one, many! You may add photographs and categorize them to show the ones that relate to the interiors and the ones that relate to:
- Exteriors
- Personal
- The Team Working
- User Generated Content
Remember that you can also include a 360-degree panorama. Make sure you’ve finished uploading the cover and logo in the identification section if you want the card to look visually appealing. The section that appears in the Google SERP will also contain the latter.
Monitoring Your Listing
The fact that you just uploaded a bunch of information, unfortunately, is not enough. To keep your Google My Business page optimized, you must ensure that your information is always up to date and that you respond to any actions that occur, such as customer reviews.
With 30% of consumers indicating that
Review answers are important when choosing a business. This is what 30% of the prospect affirmed when asked about it. Customers want to see engagement between businesses and their customers.
This will also demonstrate that your company values client input.
Pay attention to your dashboard and your competitors.
Try to see your peers occasionally in addition to responding to comments and inquiries. Find out how you rank in the Google Local Pack by doing some research, and if any competitors outperform you, try to figure out why.
Vjola Canka
