What is Google My Business and Why Do I Need It?
Not sure how Google My Business can help you? We break down both what it is and why you might want to leverage it to support your local business SEO efforts.
“You should treat your website like your digital shopfront — it definitely says something about you and your business.”
With Google My Business, you can enhance the profile of your business in the Google search results to increase its effectiveness and visibility. Together with other small business Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) techniques like content creation and on-page optimised small business website design, even small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are in a position to compete with large companies for customers.
Having your business listed by Google is a vital SEO step for any business wishing to increase its visibility on their Search Engines Results Pages (SERP). With a business listing, customers looking for products or services related to your business who are in the geographical area you serve will be able to find you more easily on Google’s search result pages. Given that 53% of customers research online before purchasing a product or service, placing yourself where your potential customers can find you when they search will significantly increase your competitive advantage.
Better yet, targeting potential customers with precise information about your offers and your core business competencies will further increase your visibility and potential to attract warm leads. To add or manage the information shown to customers about your business on Google, you should register or claim it on Google My Business.
What is Google My Business?
As earlier indicated, Google My Business is a tool that gives you the ability to optimise and manage your Business Listing on Google. With a Google My Business account, you can reply to customer reviews, add vital information about your business and follow up on leads more effectively.
Creating a Business Profile is relatively straightforward. All you need to do is set up a Google Account if you don’t already have one, then follow the steps to verify your business. While there are some businesses that you can verify directly by text, phone or email, most will be verified by post where Google will send you a physical verification postcard. Be sure to check where yours fall.
Why Do You Need a Google My Business Account?
According to SEO experts, half of all smartphone users who conduct a local search end up visiting a store within the same day. The SERPs are, as a result, a great avenue to fish for high-intent organic leads that are likely to lead to sales. Due to the high level of trust customers have towards Google Business Profiles, small businesses can leverage it to increase their customer reach.
Below are some ways you can use Google My Business to turn your business profile into an invaluable local marketing tool:
- Increase Customer Engagement
A business profile presents an excellent platform for interacting with your customers. Google users will be able to post their reviews, ask questions and even contact you directly. By managing your profile in your Google My Business account, you can engage your online audience by answering their questions, responding to reviews, and even posting updates and promotional offers that you might currently be running. - Highlight and Accurately Present Your Business
Most of the content posted on a given profile by Google users consists chiefly of their personal opinions and the limited information they know about that business. Instead of leaving what potential customers can read about you just to chance, you can leverage your Google My Business account to provide important information such as your hours, products and pricing, a link to your website, and other details that will help highlight the best features of your business.
To effectively utilise the power of a Google My Business profile, you might also wish to accompany it with a website to expand upon vital information your customers might want to know before making a purchase with you. A custom web design will allow you to optimise this content freely and present your business in exactly the way you want, and potential customers finding you in the SERPs are able to navigate directly to your website, straight from your Google My Business profile. Just like in the traditional brick and mortar sense, you should treat your website like your digital shopfront — it definitely says something about you and your business when customers first see it, so make sure you’re out to impress them to attract their custom. - Gain Important Insights
The Google My Business dashboard provides key insights about your local search performance and your audience. You can view the queries used by customers to find your profile, actions taken on your listing, and the performance of other features such as your photos. These enable you to track your progress and take the requisite measures to improve your visibility. - Promote Your Local Search Engine Ranking
In the same way Google ranks its websites and ads, there is an algorithm that ranks Business Profiles. The Google My Business dashboard allows you to edit your profile, incorporate keywords, and perform other optimisations as recommended by local SEO experts. This will help your business show up more in local searches and get more eyes on your products or services.
Handling a small business’s SEO could seem like a daunting task with a lot of effort and expertise required. If you are wondering where to begin, we are ready to help you out, with a free consultation to get your needs assessed and provide you with meaningful solutions. We are able to provide assistance with anything from a small business website design, fully custom web designs for large businesses, or SEO and marketing techniques to improve your ranking on the SERPs. Contact us today for more information, or get a free and instant online quotation for our spectacular website design and hosting service.
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Written by Carlos & Jackjon,
Part of the content team at Red Robin Creative.
