Five must-haves to your Google enterprise itemizing

Home Business Magazine Online

As a business owner, you already know the importance of showing up in Google search results. What you may not know, however, is that without properly submitted company information, your company will not appear in Google listings.

When it comes to local marketing, Google My Business (GMB) is included Google Maps Marketing is a useful free tool for small businesses.

Just think about how different this platform is compared to social media networks and what unique metrics and insights can benefit your company in the long run! Local search has an intentional approach where users have the will or interest to do something right away.

Would you like to rank higher in the “Local Pack” on Google? Here are five essential elements to look out for.

1. Set the actual working hours

There are a number of benefits to deleting business listings.

Your customers will benefit from knowing that you are open and how long they can expect your business or office hours to be. This is important to you too, as showing the correct opening times allows customers who otherwise might have missed your visit to come by if needed, which ultimately boosts sales.

Are your working hours different on certain days? State it and don’t mislead potential customers.

If you have multiple stores with different hours of operation for each of them, make sure that this information is also clearly stated when posting their store’s schedule online or in print materials.

Taking up business hours has some additional benefits besides misleading customers. For example, it can increase your sales by creating a sense of urgency. You can ask how.

Well, when people see you close for the next hour, they will be motivated to quickly buy things from your store before it closes.

2. Publish regular updates

It is very important to have up-to-date information on your GMB listing. And here is why.

People tend to search for local businesses online. If you have precise information like address, phone number and other details, it will be shown in the SERP.

If you run multiple businesses, be sure to include all of the information about your business locations when adding them to the Google Maps directory. This allows potential customers who live nearby looking for your services to find their closest location.

To avoid confusion, make sure that your business addresses are clearly separated for each business location. Failure to provide the appropriate postcodes can cause people to find misinformation and cause problems in their searches.

Remember, the more specific information you give your customers, the better it will like Google and your business will be Rank it higher in the search results.

3. Optimizing GMB photos and videos

Google Photos are valuable assets for generating new business and getting people to discover your offerings. They give you the opportunity to present your company in all its glory.

For example, if you’re a hotel or restaurant, the photos in Google My Business show your liveliness and speak directly to potential customers.

Try to pay special attention to the following:

• Profile photo – One of the best practices is to upload your logo as a profile photo. Just make sure you upload it in the required format. This photo needs to get to the point as it will appear when you post Google posts, videos, photos, or respond to your customers’ reviews.

• cover photo – This is the heart of your listing if Google serves as the result when people search for your business. Sometimes Google may not show your original cover photo but will show other photos that seem more appealing at the moment.

• Other business and product photos – Together with your profile and cover picture, you should upload additional pictures to make your entry more informative. Videos are also a great idea because they can be used as an educational tool for potential customers who need information about the company that they cannot reach by email or phone.

4th Collect and answer reviews

Have Google reviews can work wonders for your business – especially when they are positive.

By having positive reviews from your customers, you can easily differentiate yourself from your competitors in local Google search. People searching for companies in your industry can make a more informed purchase decision based on this real customer information.

Therefore, high ratings and feedback is a key strategy for companies trying to compete with bigger brands.

You can use different strategies and approaches to collect reviews, such as:

• Ask for reviews via email
• Obtain personal reviews
• Request by SMS
• Collect on your website
• Print a QR code on printed materials

However, it is not enough to collect a number of reviews. It is just as important to respond to it.

First and foremost, customers want to know that their opinion matters. So hearing from you makes them feel good. Make sure they are always satisfied by responding with interest when they provide feedback.

In addition, replying to reviews makes you a search engine favorite. Google really wants you to take care of you and provide valuable information to your customers – including feedback responses.

5. Optimize for local keywords

The inclusion of keywords is a real MUST.

Include keywords and search phrases in your Business listing will significantly increase your ranking, especially since it is listed directly on Google.

First, you need to optimize for the standard local SEO keywords like “near me”. Believe me, every one of your competitors in the area is optimized for that keyword and if not, you will lose potential customers and sales.

To get the most out of the keywords, do your research and gather ideas.

Are you a plumbing service company? Then go ahead and find all the relevant keywords and key phrases that your customers are using to find companies in your niche.

Is “Plumber In North Carolina” Right? Optimize for it. Are you searching under “Emergency Sanitation Services Boston City Center”? Optimize for that too.

Use google autocomplete, analyze competitors, use specific keyword research tools or whatever will help you find the relevant ones that will help you rank higher and of course bring you traffic and conversions.

Bottom line

Your Google My Business profile is the first point of contact for customers to find the latest information about your company – especially after the pandemic.

It is absolutely essential to open in this new world where businesses are reopening at breakneck speeds. If you don’t keep updating it, you’re bleeding potential customers left and right!

The post Five must-haves for your Google business listing appeared first Home business magazine.