Google My Business might not be the sexiest part of your marketing strategy. But that doesn’t make it any less vitally important to your business!
In this blog we’ll be sharing our top tips for getting your Google My Business (GMB) profile optimised for best results!
Claim and verify your business information
It’s no secret, Google calls the shots when it comes to your search results ranking, so it makes sense that you’d want to do everything you can to keep the platform working in your favour. You’ll probably be familiar with optimising your own website and maybe even running a few Google Ads here and there, but Google My Business is just as important, and often overlooked.
Firstly, you’ll want to claim your business profile, the simple steps for this can be found online here.
Google My Business is free to use, and is where you can manage your overall online presence across Google search results, including Google Maps.
It’s a one-stop-shop that gives your customers (and prospects) the opportunity to find out who you are, what you do, where you’re based, how to contact you, and when you’re open.
This is where you verify all of your business information, so make sure you review your profile regularly, ensuring everything is up to date.
Complete every field
It’s really important that you fill out every field required on GMB, but as a minimum, you want to make sure you include the following:
- Business Name
- Address
- Contact telephone number
- Website
- Hours of business
Once you have these basics covered, you can then move on to adding the more in-depth answers such as the products and services you offer and answering some FAQs. These fields will be the pillar of your GMB account, with your regular content being your ongoing strategy.
Make sure the information you include on your account is 100% accurate and in exactly the same format as people will find on your other platforms, right down to the hyphens in your address, business name, or space in your postcode. Inconsistencies will damage your rankings and confuse potential customers!
Regularly update your profile
By regularly, we mean at least 1 post per week. Don’t think of your GMB profile as a set-it and forget-it kind of platform. As with everything Google-related, you want to make sure you’re adding regular, high-quality content that accurately reflects your business – the algorithm will thank you!
And as a result you’ll show high-up in local search results, helping you reach real customers who will actually visit or use your business.
The higher your business shows in a search result for someone looking for your product or service locally, the more likely they are to choose you and convert into a sale.
You can easily create professional looking graphics to share on GMB that are the right size on websites like Canva.
Ask for reviews!
We’re sure by now you understand just how important reviews are, and GMB is no exception. Make sure you’re proactive with your customers and clients, asking for reviews when you know you’ve done a good job, promoting real feedback that’ll demonstrate this to other visitors.
You could have the best marketing strategy in the world, but without real reviews from real customers, you’re missing a trick!
Whether you include a link to your review page in email follow ups or simply ask your clients in person, you’ll be doing your profile and business a big favour!
Get started today
We hope these tips have been helpful – now the key is to get started, and start getting the most from your Google My Business profile. No matter where you are, whether you’ve already claimed your listing, or if your profile is currently sitting inactive – any action is progress!
It’s a great platform, and we are sure you’ll see a big impact from a well-optimised and regularly updated profile.
Thank you to our guest Blogger Chantelle Davison – Choice Words By Chantelle