GMB or Google My Business is your business profile that needs to be promoted for better opportunities. While talking about promoting business, we need to know that Google business listing needs optimization along with Google Ads and the business website. To reach your targeted audience, use resources, and tools that Google offers to business holders.
The Google My Business Profile listing is a powerful resource that displays a snapshot of your business, highlighting the best features enabling your potential customers to find and learn about your business. It engages the audience without fail and is free of cost.
A recent study shows that these business profiles receive a landing of 1260 views for their page, and among them, only 59 actions are taken, which is around 5%. It is an abysmal result, and it happens because the business does not use the extensive tools provided by Google. You need to strategize if you wish to improve your rank in local SEO SERP, and we can tell you how. Stay glued!
As children, we used to draw a flowchart of computer programs to achieve the result. The same applies here. You have to make a flowchart that must lay down every significant step in your business. The flowchart includes:
- Claiming your business profile
- Providing complete information on each section of GMB
- Choosing the primary and secondary groups
- Carefully providing the contact information without any mistake
- Creating an impressive description of your business
- Marking applicable features
- Publishing posts on Google regularly
- Uploading images on the platform
- Posting replies to all queries
- Responding to reviews
- Updating products and services
- Setting up messaging
- Maintaining your business profile
By optimizing the above factors, you can improve your rankings on local search engines. Also, learn to use the term, Business Profile as Google recognizes a business with it.
How Optimization Helps in Improving Rank?
Effective local SEO marketing improves your business rank. The simple idea is to beat your fellow competitors, and that can be done online these days because people refer to businesses online nowadays. The first thing is to improve the engagement with your target audience. The Google Business Profile is a powerful tool as people searching for anything related to your business visit the listings and leave the search engine. Your website needs optimization to guide the searchers to land on your targeted page.
Google’s algorithm considers relevance, proximity, quality of information, and activity. If you optimize these points, your rank improves on local search pages. Ranking higher translates into more visibility on which your business depends. It is essential to have a creative name for your business because that turns out into your USP. People who search for products or services will discover your business in their keyword search when your profile has been optimized. A negligently done profile never comes up in the first few listings on the search engines. Moreover, if they are interested enough, they will visit the business website, call you, request a quote, book an appointment, and make reservations which means an increase in engagement, and this is what you want. You can also study Google Analytics to find out about your performance.
If you wish to make the result more palpable, search for an optimized business profile and see the difference. You will know how much of a visual impact it creates.
How to Achieve Optimal Effect for Your Business Profile?
Lead generation for your business is your target here, and for that, you need to optimize your GMB. Here is how to do it and gain an edge over your competitors.
- Business profile and GMB – Google My Business Account and Google Business Profile are separate things. The account is used to optimize the profile to rank higher on SERPs and generate more business. So, have an account to reach out to a larger audience by optimizing the profile. Also, have a separate business email account. Do not use the personal one.
- Provide Complete Information – Providing complete information builds trust. It highlights transparency which is essential in online business. So, provide comprehensive information to rank higher on local search pages. Whatever the subheads, complete the information section with authentic information. Remember to allot more time to sections that say category, products, and services, from the business and business-related queries. Also, state the business hours. Check the spelling of your business carefully.
- Description – The description on your business profile is generated by Google. So, you cannot do anything about it. But, the description in the “from the business” section of the GMB dashboard can be written by you. So, use proper keywords to optimize this section. The first 250 characters out of the 750 are vital where you state significant information. So, no repetitive information. Instead, write about your USP.
- Selection of Categories – Your rank must improve on search pages. Most customers find your business through discovery searches where they type keywords connecting to your business. Thus, category selection is imperative for a particular type of business. Google makes the category-specific features available on your profile giving it a boost. Some businesses fall into multiple categories, and for them, it is essential to select secondary categories properly.
- Choose Applicable Features – In this section, Google offers more space to provide additional information on your business. Choose the attributes carefully because this is your chance to streamline your business for potential customers. Mistakes can cost customers.
- Upload Images – A photo is equivalent to a thousand words. So, upload meaningful images that can build your business brand. Without a photo, your business will not have a face to be recognized. Optimized images can work wonders for any business because it has a strong visual impact. Use your logo with the images. Remember to post at least once every week. Use the 360-degree photo along with videos, if possible on your profile. Also, geotag them to indicate your prominence in your locality.
- Reviews are Vital – It is common knowledge that people click on pages with more stars than the ones with fewer of them. It is common human behavior where they like discussing products they have used and let others know about their experience. Whenever you search for a business on SERP, the first three are ones with five stars meaning good reviews. Again, reviews can also have keywords in them for improvement of rank. Generating discussion is your goal because that is how buyers connect. Also, make the process easier for them. Always encourage customers, existing and new, to write reviews. Customers feel empowered to voice their opinions about products and services used by them.
- Google Business Profile Post – Use this profile to post about current business events, offers, announcements, and product launches. These appear in the “updates” section of the profile. It will increase actions on your business profile by customers. So, Google will take note of positive signals. Always include CTAs and links to your posts. Keep track of marketing timelines and post expiry to remove any negative impact. Also, you can seek testimonials by sending questionnaires to your customers.
- Additional Info – For additional information, you can include products and services in the listing. Provide the name, description, and price of the products and services referred to in the section. The full description shows up whenever the searcher hovers his/her mouse on the particular product or service. So, you can use relevant keywords in this section to rank higher in the searches.
- Messaging Service – This is a marvelous feature, particularly in this age where the buyers or shoppers mostly use their hand gadgets to order stuff. This feature lets the potential shopper send a text message directly to your Google Business Profile. Customers always want to be in touch with the seller for security purpose, and this help to do that, thus making a great opportunity for you to pitch your product to them. Remember to set up message alerts on your business profile.
Using all these features to optimize the Google My Business profile, you will be able to rank higher on the SERP. However, a proper full-proof business strategy will help meet the standard of these impressive features. As you create a brand and establish goodwill in the market, it will also be your responsibility to maintain those. Thus, it will always require a solid backup plan to function. Keep updating your business information. Keep informing about events to your customers that improve engagement. Remember, you will have to keep them glued to maximize your profits. Also, keep an eye on the latest features that Google is offering.