In this article we will share with you why we recommend a Google My Business listing to all our small business clients.
If you want to improve your local SEO, then claiming and verifying your Google Business Profile better known as Google My Business listing is essential.
But you may say, “I already have a Facebook account, do I really need more visibility? “.. and the short answer is YES- you need to make it easy for customers to reach you so you need to be where your customers are and not everyone is on Facebook- yes there are almost 3 billion users on Facebook, but there maybe a few that would rather find you through Google and Google maps and that’s why we recommend Google My Business
What is Google My Business/ Google Business Profile?
It is a free business listing on Google – and is ideal for local online searches, which means that it drives local search traffic on Google.
Why is this Google My Business/ Google Business Profile good for my business?
Your free Business Profile on Google helps your business show up when it matters most: the moment customers are searching for your business or products or services like yours on Google Search and Maps.
Business Profile lets you take advantage of your business’ presence on Google. With your Business Profile Account, you can manage and update your Business Profile and build a website to attract and engage more customers. Business Profile’ Business Profile encompasses what was once known as Google Places for Business, Google Listings and Google+ Business Pages.
With a Google Profile
- More customers will find you
- They will be able to engage with you
- It’s Free
- It helps your business being found on Google Maps too.
How much does it cost.
Any business can use a Google Business Profile as its free of charge.
Although bare in mind, that set up, implementation and management of your profile is a lot like other social platforms and will require constant attention. An digital agency like Chilli Media, will be able to offer you a range of support services to ensure your Google Listing is optimally utilised.
Do I need a Business Profile if I already have a website?
Yes! Your free Google Business Profile complements your website by adding more visibility to your current business website on Google Search and Google Maps. You can even add a link to your website on your Business Profile. Just imagine how many people are driving past your business while using Google and that may have been an untapped opportunity.
Is it only for shops and retailers?
No, whether you’re a home-based business or a service-area business, you can list your business details to appear on Google with or without a physical address. However, you will require a physical address to verify your listing.
Do I need to verify my business listing?
Yes, verification allows Google to confirm that you are the rightful owner of the business, so that you have permission to manage your Google Business Profile.
What other tips can you share?
You can post photos and offers to your profile to show what makes your business unique, and give customers reasons to choose you every time.
Be consistent with name and address– Google Maps ranks businesses it can trust, and one measure of your trustworthiness is the consistency of information about your business across the web.
Use a local phone number– Use a local telephone number with the area code of your location. This will help you to rank higher in Google Maps, and it will also verify for searchers that your business is located in that area.
Keep your hours updated– Google Maps business listings tell users if that business is open, closed, or opening or closing soon. (And during the pandemic, whether it’s temporarily closed—making it an important SEO tactic during COVID-19.) Keeping these hours updated signals to Google that you are active and, therefore, trustworthy, and this will help with your rank. It will also prevent customers from making the trip out to your store only to find that it’s closed or closing—which can sometimes spark a negative review (which hurts your ranking on Google Maps).
Add photos to your Google Maps business listing-Google loves it when you upload photos to your listing. First, because it signals that you are an active listing worthy of ranking higher in results. Second, because Google’s photo-recognition technology is advancing and Google is starting to show images in local search results. And third, because the SEO rule of thumb is that Google loves what consumers love, and consumers love photos.
Post regularly to your Google Maps business listing-Like Facebook, you can publish posts that appear right on your Google Maps business listing. Regularly posting like this sends signals to Google that you proactively manage your listing, which it considers when ranking. In addition, when consumers are on search engines, they have high intent, so through Google posts, you can get your offers in front of a ready-to-engage audience.
Why should I be concerned about rank higher on Google Maps?
Research shows that Google Maps is the preferred navigation app for 67% of consumers. And with consumers rarely looking past the first few results when looking for a place to go, it’s crucial to make sure your Google Maps listing is optimized to show up first for relevant searches.
Research also shows that these consumers end up on Google Maps business listings from a keyword (aka “discovery”) search far more often (84% of the time) than from business name (aka “direct”) search. That being said, it’s important that your listing ranks high on Google Maps for these terms your potential customers are searching.
Another reason to rank on Google Maps is that the top three Google Maps listings will also display in regular Google Search results if applicable. And with 46% of searches on Google having local intent, showing up in that “Local 3-Pack” can greatly increase the visibility of your business.
Google Business listings increases your business visibility
How can I get my business listing to rank higher on Google maps?
So how do you get your business listing to show up higher in Google Maps? Just like how there are on-page and off-page optimizations for local website SEO, there are on-listing and off-listing optimizations for business listing SEO. But first, you need to get listed on Google Maps and claim your listing, which we’ll be covering next.
Add your business to Google Maps
- Of course, you can’t rank higher or perform successful Google Maps marketing if you don’t have a Google Maps listing in the first place. If you already have one, skip this section. If you don’t have a listing or are not sure, follow the steps below to add your business to Google Maps:
- Go to Google.com/maps or to the Google Maps app on your smartphone and search for your business name.
- If it appears in the drop-down menu with a location next to it, then you have a listing! Skip to the next section.
- If your business name doesn’t appear, you’ll see an option in the drop-down menu to “add a missing place.
Claim your Google Maps business listing
The second step in getting your business to rank higher on Google Maps is to claim your listing.
This is because when you create your listing, all you are able to provide is the name, category, and location; but when you claim your listing, you can provide many more details about your business, and the more information a business listing contains, the higher it will rank on Google Maps.
Plus, you can’t do any of the other steps in this guide if your listing is not claimed.
- The prerequisite to claiming your business listing on Google Maps is having a free Google My Business account. If you have an account already, simply pull up your Google Maps business listing, select the option that says “Claim this business” or “Own this business?” and follow the prompts. If you don’t have a Google My Business account, head over to this post and we’ll walk you through creating an account and claiming your business with it.
Add information to your Google Maps business listing
- When someone searches for a business or place near their location, they’ll find local results across Google in places like Maps and Search.
- For example, you can probably find local results if you search for ‘Italian restaurant’ from your mobile device. We try to show you the kind of nearby restaurant that you’d like to visit.
- To improve your business’s local ranking, use Google Business Profile to claim and update your business
Update your business info for better visibility
- You may find that your business doesn’t show up for relevant searches in your area. To maximise how often users find your business in local search results, ensure that your business information in Business Profile is accurate, complete and engaging.
- Enter complete data
- Verify your address
- Keep your working housrs accureare
- Manage and respond to revireds
- Add photos
How Google determines local ranking
Local results are based primarily on relevance, distance and prominence. A combination of these factors helps us find the best match for your search. For example, our algorithms might decide that a business that’s farther away from your location is more likely to have what you’re looking for than a business that’s closer, and therefore rank it higher in local results.
Experience the benefits of ranking higher on Google Maps
We threw a lot at you in this guide, so here’s a quick recap of all the strategies we covered for ranking higher on Google Maps:
- Create and claim your Google Maps business listing
- Complete every section of your Google My Business dashboard
- Keep your name, address, and [preferably local] phone number consistent
- Properly describe and categorize your business
- Add photos and posts to your listing regularly
- Get Google reviews
- Consolidate duplicate listings
- Have a responsive website
- Target your website for local keywords
- Embed a Google Map on your website
Business listings on Google Maps are becoming more advanced, allowing consumers to quickly get the information they need and make informed purchasing decisions. Follow the tips in this post to get your business showing at the top of Google Maps, and you’ll get to experience the increased visibility, engagement, and revenue that comes along with it!
You do not need to spend thousands of Rands every month on Google Ads if you are already on the first page of Google 😉
Start managing your Business Profile on Google today!
Contact Chilli Media if you need help with Google My Business or other digital marketing frustrations.
