Drive Enquiries with Google My Business
For a small business, being found online can be easily achieved by optimising your Google My Business listing. This will increase your visibility and local ranking on Google and drive enquiries to your business.
More than ever before, Google prioritises local listings in its search results. This vital real estate, which is often found at the top of the results page or on Google maps, is a great way to generate new sales enquiries. Plus, having a verified listing is completely free!
You don’t even need to have your own website, as Google My Business has this functionality too, albeit in quite a limited way.
How does Google determine local ranking?
There are three major factors Google uses to determine which businesses show in their results.
Relevance – to the keyword being searched
Distance – the location area of the searcher and the business areas served
Prominence – reviews can play an important part in increasing your exposure
These factors are combined to find the best match for a customer’s search. However, it is not an exact science as its algorithms are always adapting and you may see just one, three, or no Google My Business listings on a search results page or maps area on any given search. Google may determine that a business further away is more relevant than another and so rank it higher in the local results.
How do I optimise my listing?
First, check on Google whether your business already has a basic listing as many are pre-populated via telephone and address records. You then need to ‘claim’ the listing to be given ownership and make sure it is verified. This will ensure that it can be found in search results and you can optimise and update the listing as required.
If you do not have a listing already, go to Google My Business, log in and begin to create your listing by detailing all of your business information. Remember to include your ‘service areas’ as these are the locations most likely to show your results in search pages. Write your business name exactly as it appears on other directories and on your website as this forms part of your ‘online footprint’ and shows to Google that you are the same company across all of your listings, building your prominence as a ranking factor.
Your Business Description
Here is your opportunity to tell your story. You need to provide a brief overview of your business and demonstrate clearly the benefits of using you to customers. This is your chance to showcase what you do and how you do it well!
Reviews Matter
Positive reviews from existing customers create trust and 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as they trust personal recommendations. Gaining reviews is a must-do and really helps with your visibility and conversion to enquiry.
Ask existing customers to leave a review on your Google My Business listing. More reviews = increased visibility and Google will often favour your listing on related terms for local searches. You can get a short link to send to customers by clicking ‘share review form’ on the home screen of your Google My Business admin panel.
When a customer leaves a review, take the time to respond. This will show customers that you are engaged with them and also gives you the opportunity to proactively tackle any negative reviews. But, it is best not to respond aggressively or defensively as this will likely put off other potential customers and is not good customer service. Show understanding but also clarify any points in the review which may be contentious.
Listing your Products & Services
To be found for relevant keywords and product terms, you need to make sure you have listed all of your products and services in your listing. You can even add photographs and a short description in the products section. Within the services section, you can choose from pre-populated options or create your own custom fields.
Photos
A picture says a thousand words and so adding photographs to your listing can really help your brand stand out. Remember to include your logo and a cover photo. You can also encourage customers to post images to your profile – this is especially beneficial for retail businesses and will enhance customer experience. The images should be your own or you must have copyright permission to use.
Post Regular Updates
You have the ability to enhance your listing by posting regular updates, similar to how you would on social media channels. Use hashtags where appropriate and use an image to help explain your message. You can also add calls to action through the various options on the post screen such as ‘call now’ or ‘learn more’.
Posts are only visible for seven days on your listing but will often appear as extra information on your listing on search results within this time and can help keep potential customers informed.
Insights
A great tool in Google My Business is the insights tab. This is accessible from the admin panel and enables you to keep track of your views on different sections of your listing and also what keywords people have used to find you. It’s a great way to check your progress and can help inform your marketing decisions.
Advertising
As with all Google products, you can also promote your Google My Business listing through advertising. To do this you need to link your Google My Business account with your Adwords account.
Further information
I hope this quick-start guide has given you some useful tips on how to optimise your local Google My Business listing. For further information, take a look at Google’s support article or drop me a line on rebecca@newviewmarketing.co.uk
