By employing a location-based approach, many seasoned SEO practitioners use GMB listings to improve local search results. Google's Knowledge Graph also uses verified GMB data to populate its database with information on local companies and other entities that are relevant to user searches.
Why should I optimize my business on Google?
The main goal of optimising your Google My Business account is to improve your local search ranking. The proximity, relevance, activity, and quality of information are all factors in Google's algorithm for ranking business profiles. You may send these signals to the search engine by improving your GMB profile, which will result in your brand being ranked higher in local results, resulting in increased visibility, engagement, and conversion.
GOOGLE MY BUSINESS OPTIMIZATION TIPS
You can convert your Google My Business profile into a marketing and lead generation stream for your local business with a few simple steps. Here are some tried-and-true Google My Business optimization methods to help you rank for local SEO keywords.
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Create a GMB account:
You'll need your Google My Business Account to access and enhance your Google My Business Profile. Creating a GMB account and notifying Google to link it to your GMB profile is the first step toward optimization. Go to google.com/business and log in with your company's regular Google or Gmail account to get started.
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Make sure you've completed all of the required sections:
By filling out every element of your profile, you're assisting Google in ranking you higher in search results and increasing the number of activities consumers do after landing on your page. Your business name, phone number, address, website, opening hours, category and attributes, posts, reviews, products, services, and much more are just a few of the details to fill in.
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Give clear and accurate contact information:
Make sure your business name and location on your profile perfectly match your store's signs and other online listings. When determining your company's credibility, Google's algorithm frequently considers inconsistencies. In addition, include both regular and holiday operating hours to encourage people to visit your business without experiencing any problems.
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Keep "From the Business" description more effective:
The brief description that displays underneath your business name in your Google My Business listing is frequently beyond your control. It's a summary written by the search engine to provide consistency across the platform.
The only portion of your GMB account where you can change the description is the "from the business" section. It's normally near the bottom of your profile, near the reviews area. Use all 750 characters and fill it with important information to properly optimise the "from the business" section. Repurposing material from your mission statement or "About Us" page and using keywords customers commonly use to identify brands like yours is a fantastic idea.
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Pick a category and a set of attributes:
Did you know that discovery searches account for 84 percent of GMB profile views, whereas direct searches account for only 16 percent? By selecting a category, Google makes category-specific features available to you, making your profile more effective and appealing.
Following your selection of a category, Google will present you with a range of qualities to select from in order to further characterise your item. These are unique characteristics that potential customers may be looking for, such as "free Wi-Fi" or an "on-site gift shop."
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Add photos to your Google My Business account:
Uploading photos to your Google Business Profile through your GMB account dashboard ensures quality and signals to the search engine that your profile is current and up-to-date, which can help you rank higher in searches. In addition, Google serves photos in search results, increasing your visibility in local searches.
Including photographs on your profile boosts engagement as well. Visitors are 42% more likely to seek driving directions to a business on Google if they see images on its business account, according to Google. For best results, consider uploading at least one new image every week.
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Obtain positive feedback from customers:
Google recognizes that customer reviews have the greatest impact on consumer purchases, hence it has included them as a ranking factor in their algorithm. The top three local results (the "Local 3-Pack") for most Google queries are those with several reviews and great star ratings.
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Post content to your GMB profile on a regular basis:
Like on social networking platforms, your GMB profile is all about news, events, deals, and items. Make sure to create useful posts in your GMB dashboard on a regular basis to display in the "Updates" area of your profile.
In general, posts enhance the number of activities your customers can do once they arrive at your profile, signalling to the search engine that you should be ranked higher. Consumers will be more likely to engage with your Google postings since they have a higher intent on search engines than on other social media sites like Facebook and Instagram.
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Ask and respond to questions:
Answering client inquiries may persuade a customer to choose your company. Unfortunately, anyone can answer questions asked on your GMB page, resulting in false information on your profile. Because you can't turn off the Q&A feature on your profile, you'll need to set up notifications to remain on top of any questions and answers that are posted.
You could also be proactive and make a list of the most commonly asked questions about your company and respond to them on your page.
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Adding products and services:
It's vital to add the products and services section to your GMB profile if your offerings aren't specific to your business name. Also, to help your profile rank for more relevant searches, add content to it.
When adding them, including the name, price, and description of your items and services. When a potential consumer clicks on a product, the whole description usually appears. Your products may also be linked from the category area of Google.
