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When it comes to local SEO (Search Engine Optimization), the main goal of most businesses is to appear at the top of Google Maps. This is because that’s where most of the attention (and clicks) will be drawn. The map display is hard to miss and visually dominates the top of search results when Google determines that a search performed has a local intent.
You need a Google My Business (GMB) profile to find your business on Google Maps, but claiming it and verifying ownership isn’t enough. To get the most out of it, you need to optimize it and stay active.
If you are a new business or have not yet applied for a listing, you can do so here. Rule of thumb: Make the most of all available character space and information fields. If Google gives you the opportunity to include information about your business, please include it.
This is the source of local business data that Google uses for its local search algorithms. In addition to applying and completing your profile, here are some tips to help you maximize its potential.
Optimize descriptions for specific locations
The description can be up to 750 characters long, which isn’t much. It is important to make the most of this space and optimize it for the location.
When someone searches for a business or service (we use ‘interior designers near me’ as an example), Google tells us that the individual performing the search is using location services on their home PC or mobile phone. If so, we use your company’s address in conjunction with the IP address of the individual performing the search. If you are using a mobile device.
If your business serves cities or towns other than your physical address, you should skillfully incorporate those variations into your description. If you can’t do it without looking spammy, consider adding something to the end like “We also serve the following areas: (list of cities and towns)”.
Geotag your photos to increase your local discoveries.
Use the geotagging option when uploading images to your GMB profile. If you pay attention to local search results, you’ll notice that even in local search results, Google is showing more images and displaying business information next to them.
why? As visual content is becoming more popular, thanks in part to social media apps like Instagram, Google is experimenting with this feature.
With many companies not adapting quickly, this strategy gives you the opportunity to be first in the market. This will provide a constant source of new content for your feed.
Utilize “posts” for benefits and attracting customers.
A few years ago, Google My Business was just a directory listing. Only business addresses and contact information were listed. Now replaced by social media feeds, GMB is constantly rolling out new features for its users.
One of our newest features is Posts, which appear directly on your Google My Business profile and maps. This gives you the opportunity to share special offers and business news, as well as announce new products and services. Not only is this a great way to communicate with your current customers, but it’s also a great way to expose information that will be visible to prospective customers and help convince them to check out your product.
With so much competition for the same customers, this is another way to promote your offers, keep your customers updated on what’s going on, and engage with people who are interested in what your business has to offer. One way. Posts can also include a call to action (CTA) such as “Learn More”, “Buy”, “Visit”, “Call”, etc.
Enable SMS contact option in GMB.
This is a feature that many people do not take advantage of. If your business doesn’t enable the SMS contact option, you’ll miss potential inbound contacts. Consumers today rely on text messaging as their primary means of communication as it is more convenient than the phone.
If you enable this in your GMB profile, you can connect your mobile device to both field texts to see them and reply to them. Messages are routed to and from your phone through Google, so your personal mobile number is never seen.
Lists with this option enabled often get more attention, even if other lists are above them, simply for convenience. I prefer to send texts. See here for detailed instructions on how to enable this feature.
Focus on Google reviews to improve your CTR and rankings.
Finally, your Google My Business profile is your home for online reviews. These are great for your business in two ways. First, consumers are naturally drawn to businesses with more or higher reviews, making your business more attractive. Google’s local SEO algorithm then takes reviews into account.
Make a valiant effort to secure reviews from past customers and put systems in place to facilitate reviews from all customers. A series of automated emails, a CTA at the bottom of your final invoice email or shipping confirmation email is always an easy way to pose a ‘question’.
If you focus on providing the highest quality products and services, you will find that your customers will be happy to honor your requests. you just have to ask them.
Businesses ranked #5 in Maps search results may outperform other listings because they have significantly more reviews. This is how consumer behavior works.
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