The Benefits of an Optimized Google My Business Profile
Having an optimized and active Google My Business profile can help your business drive more sales and improve its local SEO. However, the first question you might be asking is, what is a Google business profile?
A Google My Business (GMB) profile is a one-stop-shop for a customer to learn all the necessary contact information for your business, such as the address, hours of operation, phone number, website, customer reviews, etc.
It is a great way to boost your business’s visibility and increase your SEO rankings at the same time. The point of SEO is to make your website appear at the top of Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs), and a GMB helps to do just that.
The idea of GMB is for business owners to continually manage their online presence and update the information that we used to find in the phone book.
Since a GMB includes your location, or it should, creating a listing is a great way to get local exposure.
So, what should you include in your GMB? And once you have a GMB profile, how do you make the most out of it?
Two common questions. Let’s answer them!
What Should You Include in Your Google My Business Profile?
When you create a GMB, you’ll receive a form questionnaire from Google. It’s important to answer every question and provide accurate, detailed information. Standard information is your business address, hours of operation, business category, reviews, phone number/email address.
There are three reasons why it’s crucial to answer every question:
- You don’t want a customer searching for your phone number and being unable to find it.
- The general public can fill in any missing information to your listing, so you don’t want to risk inaccurate information.
- When you enter an address, a Google Maps location automatically generates for your business. And you want people to find you.
In your business description, you have 750 characters to add some strategic SEO keywords that tells someone a bit more about your business and what makes you unique.
How to Make the Most of Your Google My Business Profile?
You’ve done it! You’ve created your profile. Now what? Here are three quick tips that will help you make the most of your GMB.
1. Add Pictures and Videos
People (and Google itself) like to see a range of content on your profile, which is where photos and videos can come into play. With photos and videos, you can showcase what makes your business stand out and give people a sense of what to expect when they visit you, so they feel like they’ve been there before. By adding pictures and videos, you create a sense of familiarity.
Bonus tip: When uploading photos, be sure to label them appropriately and with SEO keywords. For example, if you own “Bob’s Chevy Dealership in California,” instead of uploading “001.jpg,” label the photo “BobsChevyCAShowroom.” This allows for your profile to be more searchable on Google.
2. Engage with Your Customers Through Reviews
When someone takes the time to review your business, take a moment to respond. You can thank the person for leaving a review and visiting your business, but it’s important to acknowledge their review. Responding to a review will also give you a chance to include SEO keywords in your reply, but be sure to keep it sounding like a human wrote it.
If there’s a negative review, don’t let it go unchecked. See what the issue is, acknowledge it, and show other potential customers how you handle a complaint.
Reviews are a common way for customers to ask you questions. Maybe you’re opening a new store soon, and they want to know when it’ll be open. Perhaps a new model is coming out, and they want to see if you have it in stock. By answering questions, you bring in customers, boost your engagement, and improve your SEO ranking.
This brings us to our final step.
3. Check Your Profile Regularly
After you create your GMB page, it’s important to check and update it regularly. Google generally likes profiles that are regularly active.
How often do you come across another business’s GMB page and find the wrong information? Maybe you call the phone number or try the email address, and they don’t work?
Are the hours correct? The last thing you want is for an excited customer to arrive at your front door only to be greeted by a Closed Sign.
How many customers is that business losing because their contact information is wrong and they’ve failed to update their information? Don’t let that happen to you.
Don’t let your GMB Page sit idle. A GMB is a living document and not something you can set and forget. By posting weekly photos and responding to reviews and questions regularly, your business will grow a local customer base, and your SEO rankings will rise.
Need Assistance Crafting a Killer Google My Business Profile?
Local customers are searching for businesses like your every day, let’s make sure your profile appears front and center when they do!
With the fusionZONE team at your side, we’ll collaborate with you to create a captivating profile that features engaging, relevant content and up-to-date information. Contact us today (or give us a call at 424-232-0728) and let us help you transform your online presence with an unbeatable Google Business Profile.
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