If you are a business owner, you must already know the importance of a business profile and business listing to increase the visibility of your business. Google, the most popular search engine, has introduced its own business listing solution named Google My Business, where you can create, manage and enhance your business profile and get noticed by customers searching for your products or services. It’s a free marketing tool used by almost all big and small businesses to convey essential details about their business, like contact information, opening hours, and address.
With rapid digitization and increased internet accessibility, the first thing a prospect does in their buying journey is, perform a quick Google search to discover businesses nearest to them offering their desired products or services. It doesn’t matter if you are a high-street or completely digital business. Customers expect you to be online when they search for businesses near them on Google. And hence, having a Google My Business listing enables you to be seen by prospects, especially the ones in your locality, from where the majority of your customers come if you are a local business.
Local businesses benefit from Google My Business like no other. The most common Google searches end with ‘near me’ as customers look for solutions available in close proximity to them. By having a well-optimized Google My Business profile, your local SEO can get a boost, making you appear on the first page of search results and attract more visitors. Furthermore, with the advanced metrics available in the Google My Business dashboard, you can stay abreast with your progress and address areas where you are falling short to keep improving and growing.
In this article, we will discuss 7 Google My Business hacks that can help your local business get more recognition and grow.
Complete your profile and verify its elements- As basic as it sounds, completing your Google My Business profile can prove to be highly beneficial for your business as Google will have more information to match your profile with the searches. It may not seem like a hack, but it can work like one if you sincerely complete all the elements of your profile. Google itself states that customers find complete profiles 2.7 times more reputable and are 70% more likely to have a look and 50% more likely to purchase from a business with an up-to-date, duly filled profile. These stats indicate how you can achieve significant growth for your local business by simply completing all elements of your Google My Business profile. Also, make sure to verify all the verifiable information like contact details and location, so Google knows that you are a genuine business and pushes you up in search results.
Leverage Google + – Your Google My Business Dashboard is linked with Google +, which is Google’s very own social media platform. While it isn’t as big in proportions as other prominent social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, it’s better linked to Google’s various channels, including the search engine, than any other social media platform. You can start posting on Google + and engage with users to establish your business’ popularity in the eyes of Google’s algorithms. By regularly sharing informative content related to your business on Google +, you can double the visibility of your Google My Business profile and also boost your search rankings, thereby growing your local business.
Use keywords in your profile- Keywords are at the heart of SEO and are necessary if you want your business to rank higher on Google. Including keywords relevant to your business in your profile can do a world of good to your SEO efforts. However, make sure to use keywords strategically and not stuff your profile to organically rank higher on SERPs. You can conduct keyword research using Google’s keyword planner or any third-party tool available in the market.
Ask for reviews- Consumers can leave a review for your business on your Google My Business profile. Reviews are important as they provide an insight into what your customers like and what they aren’t. Additionally, people are naturally inclined to trust what others think of your business more than how you portray it. And so, positive reviews play a crucial role in inspiring trust in your prospects about your business and encouraging them to convert into customers. You can easily share a link asking your customers to review your business. Be responsive to questions and reviews, both positive and negative, to appear more trustworthy to prospects.
Include attributes- Google My Business gives you an option to add special features and attributes to your business profile. For example, if you are a digital marketing company, you can add a services section where you can list all the services offered. You can also mention amenities you offer your customers, like free Wi-Fi, a pet area, etc.
Add images and videos – You can easily add images and videos related to your business directly from your Google My Business profile. Try to portray the work environment and ambiance of your business place. By uploading high-quality pictures of your business and allowing customers an inside look, you can drive further action and lead them to your sales channels, like your website or your physical space.
Utilize your free marketing kit- You will receive a free marketing kit upon creating your business profile on Google which you can use to create posters, stickers, and social posts, among other marketing materials. Leverage these free marketing collaterals to provide updates and share positive reviews creatively and appealingly.
Conclusion
These are 7 Google My Business hacks you can use to grow your local business to a great degree. If you want the most out of your Google My Business profile or are an SEO agency wanting to offer advanced local SEO services, work with a white label digital marketing company. A reputable white label digital marketing company like Dintellects can help you grow your local business for much less than the standard local SEO pricing. Dintellects offers affordable local SEO packages for small businesses, enabling SEO agencies to serve their customers with first-rate local SEO services for budget-friendly prices.
