Local SEO through Google My Business will give your website that boost it needs – getting found online is one of the most important things your business can do.
Standing out to your potential customers is quite difficult, especially when your competitors are aiming to do the same.
List Your Business on Google
In practice its quite simple to create a listing on Google, the step by step instructions are easy to follow and understand.
The more you put into making your business profile look good, the better results you’ll get.
Have your business logo ready to upload, and use colorful, professional-looking photos to entice customers in. Google My Business makes it easier for customers to find information about your business online, including hours of operation, contact information and directions – all across multiple devices.
This coupled with an attractive website will create an ongoing improvement – building your business’s reputation.
An optimized Google My Business listing is 70% more likely to attract location visits and makes a business 2.7x more likely to be considered reputable.
How does this help my business?
It boils down to consumer behavior and trust factors.
Reviews are the main life-blood of local searches, online reviews are known to impact search result rankings, consumer trust, and click-through rates.
- 97% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses
- 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations
- Positive reviews make 73% of consumers trust a local business more
- 49% of consumers need at least a four-star rating before they choose to use a business
Consider if you have ever done the same when looking for restaurant or any service driven business that you have never used before, The studies done on how GMB can affect your business positively, is nothing short of insightful & essential moving forward.
Getting Users to Engage
The 3 most important tips to remember are the following:
- You can ask your customers to review your site. Google has made the process as simple as a click, which you can Create a Direct Review Link to Your Google My Business Listing – which you can incorporate into your marking automation or communication.
- Responding to questions and reviews is important, Thanking your positive reviewers and solving problems for your negative reviewers can help boost your ranking and shows Google that you are responsive.
- Make sure your listing details are correct and constantly update your listing with posts
Conclusion
An important first step in any local SEO strategy is to claim and verify your local business’ Google My Business (GMB) listing. Getting on Google My Business can increase your chances of showing up in organic rankings in general.