For small businesses looking to improve their visibility inlocal search results, Google My Business (GMB) is a potent tool.
When potential customers search for businesses like yours, you can increase your chances of appearing at the top of the search results by optimising your GMB listing. In this article, we’ll go over a few tactics for using GMB to stand out in local search results.
1. Claim and Verify Your Listing
Claim and verify your business as the first step in optimising your GMB listing. This entails making a listing for your company and subsequently proving that you are its owner or authorised representative. Once your listing has been verified, you can begin adding details to make it easier for customers to find and learn more about your business, such as your operating hours, contact details, and photos.
2. Complete Your Business Information
After your listing has been verified, be sure to fill out all of the required fields. Included are your opening and closing times, phone numbers, and a thorough explanation of your goods and services. Upload images of your business location as well as your goods and services in high-quality. This will improve their understanding of what you have to offer and raise the likelihood that they’ll pick your company over competitors.
3. Encourage Reviews
Encourage your customers to review your business on GMB because reviews affect local search results in a significant way. This can be accomplished by requesting reviews after a sale or service, or by including a link to your GMB listing in your email signature or on your website.
4. Use Keywords
Include pertinent keywords in your company’s name, category, and description to make it easier for customers to find you online. Additionally, you can add keywords to the captions of your images and videos to make them more visible in search results.
5. Keep Your Information Up-to-date
Last but not least, be sure to keep your GMB listing current. This entails periodically updating your company’s schedule, contacts, and offerings. Additionally, be sure to update your listing if you have any special promotions or are closed on holidays.
6. Add Photos and Videos
You can add photos and videos of your company’s location, staff, and everyday operations in addition to high-quality images of your goods and services. Customers will have a clearer idea of what to expect when they visit your business as a result of this. Videos can also be a fantastic way to demonstrate your goods and services, which is especially useful for companies that sell physical goods.
7. Respond to Reviews
It’s critical to acknowledge reviews you receive in addition to encouraging them. Responding to customer feedback demonstrates your concern for your clients and commitment to delivering a satisfying experience. Additionally, responding to reviews can assist you in resolving any issues that clients may be experiencing, which is advantageous for your company.
8. Use Google Posts
You can create and share updates about your company, such as promotions, events, and product launches, using the Google Posts feature in GMB. These posts will show up on your GMB listing and may aid in bringing in more clients for your company.
9. Utilize Google Insights
Data on how customers engage with your business on Google is made available by Google My Business Insights. You can track the number of views, website clicks, and phone calls your listing receives. You can better understand what’s working and what isn’t by analysing this data, and you can then make changes to your listing to make it more appealing to potential customers.
10. Conclusion
For small businesses looking to improve their visibility in local search results, Google My Business is a crucial tool. When potential customers search for businesses like yours, you can increase your chances of appearing at the top of the search results by optimising your GMB listing.
Keep in mind to claim and verify your listing, complete your business information, invite reviews, use keywords, maintain the accuracy of your information, add photos and videos, address customer feedback, make use of Google Posts, and utilise Google Insights. You can draw more customers to your business by making your GMB listing stand out with a little extra work
