Local business owners can increase the visibility of their business on maps or in search results by optimizing their Google My Business listing. Actions such as updating your business information, gathering reviews, and adding attributes and photos translate into the number of people visiting your Google My Business listing and, consequently, also the number of customers. How can you boost the popularity of your listing? In this article, you will discover 10 proven tips for optimizing and positioning your Google My Business listing.
First of all, optimizing the Google Business Profile gives you a better position on Google Maps and in the search engine for local queries. The more information you provide (e.g., opening hours, service categories, etc.), the higher the chance that your profile will appear to a potential customer. Let’s look at an example: a user types in “open shoe stores near me” at 7:00 p.m. If your store closes at 8:00 p.m. and is located near the user’s location, and you include your opening hours, there is a high chance that Google will display your listing.
A Google Business Profile enriched with the keywords searched by the user can be included in the so-called local pack, which is a section in the Google search engine featuring highlighted businesses that appears at the top of the search results for queries like “hairdresser Warsaw”. A potential customer usually considers the businesses appearing in this section first. According to Google, as many as 76% of users searching for a local business visit it within 24 hours of finding it in the search engine (source: thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-strategies/app-and-mobile/mobile-search-trends-consumers-to-stores/). Since many businesses do not optimize their listings, a careful approach to positioning your GBP (Google Business Profile) will increase your competitive advantage.
What affects the position of the Google listing? These are primarily 3 ranking factors of the Google Business Profile:
How to increase the reach of your Google business card? As a business owner, you only have some control over relevance (by using the appropriate categories and enhancing your description with keywords) and reputation (by offering high quality that your customers will want to reward with a positive review). Let’s take a look at how to increase the reach of your Google listing, keeping these 2 factors in mind.
Find out how to optimize your company’s Google profile to effectively attract customers to your business card.
Google business card optimization is primarily about completing all the information:
The company name, address, and phone number should be the same in your Google Business Profile and in NAP business card in online business directories. If anything changes, immediately update all listings and places where you have provided your business information (e.g., in business directories).
Also, check out how to choose the right categories on your Google Business Profile.
If the data is consistent across Business Profiles, e.g. names, categories, website address, phone number, then using growAp you can edit the information on all listings connected to the app with a single click. This results in significant time savings.
Keywords are the terms customers use when they search for services or products. For this reason, they have a strong impact on the positioning of Google Business Profiles (formerly known as Google My Business). To find them, you can:
Then, place the selected keywords in your business description and in your published posts.
Note! According to Google’s keyword guidelines, you cannot use keywords in the business name unless they are an official part of it – such action may result in your listing being suspended.
How to position your business listing on Google? In the description, include information about what the company does and what services it offers. Use the available 750 characters to highlight your competitive advantages. At the end of the text, add a call to action, e.g. Call to schedule a free consultation or Visit us and receive a welcome discount.
If you are unsure how to do it, check out how to create a Google Business Profile step by step.
Try to publish posts on your Google Business Profile at least once a week so that new content appears frequently on your listing. This will ensure that both users and the Google algorithm see that the profile is actively managed and maintained. For this purpose, use different types of posts: news, special offers, and events. Naturally incorporate keywords into the text and attach a high-quality image along with a call-to-action button.
The growAp app offers a mass post publishing option – with one click, a prepared post can appear on selected or all listings. The content can be the same, but it can be personalized for a specific location by adding a link directing to a specific subpage. Additionally, you can schedule both the publication of a post for a selected day and time, as well as schedule its deletion.
Listings with high-quality photos and short videos attract users’ attention. Do not forget to update your Google Business Profile with photos and videos that showcase your company logo, the interior of your establishment, the available products, and your team. Include keywords in the names of the added files.
How can you rank higher on your Google Business Profile? Make sure that you have filled out the Profile with a complete list of products or services offered, along with photos and prices, and in the case of food establishments, include the menu. Additionally, to improve your business’s ranking on Google Maps, provide a detailed description of your offer using appropriate keywords. This action will help the search engine better understand your business profile, thereby increasing your chances of appearing for more specific queries.
In the growAp app, services can be added in bulk – with one click on all or selected locations, you can add the same or different services.
Attributes are the distinctive features of your business that help clients decide to use your services. They include, for example, accessibility for people with disabilities, sustainability (if you offer recycling for certain products), and additional options (parking, the need for reservations, the possibility of paying by card, etc.). Attributes can be added by you as well as by users, so it is worth verifying their accuracy from time to time.
Quickly respond to emerging questions from users and provide them with helpful, detailed answers. You can also add some of the most frequently raised concerns yourself and dispel them. In this way, potential customers will know what to expect when using your services. Additionally, you can enrich your Profile with keywords that users might use to search for products or services.
Note! It is advisable to use the Q&A section now, as it may soon be phased out, as has already happened in India.
All questions are located in a single section in the growAp app, so there is no need to navigate through each Profile to check if a customer has asked a question on individual locations. Such an option is not available in Google Manager.
Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews, for example, by sending messages with a link that makes it easier to add a review to your listing. When you receive a review, respond to it. Thank them for the kind words, and in the case of negative reviews, check what went wrong and propose a solution to the problem. This way, you’ll show that you care about feedback and your customers’ satisfaction.
Find out how to create a Google review link.
In growAp, we provide review reports – in one place you can check publication dates, review content, and star ratings. You can also check statistics regarding, for example, the average rating for individual locations as well as overall, which results in the rating of the entire brand.
Embed a Google map with your business listing on your website, for example on a contact page or in the footer, to help customers find your branch, office, or headquarters. Also add text, a headline, or a button encouraging visitors to check out reviews, view photos, and browse your offer, in order to increase traffic to your Profile and influence one of the ranking factors – popularity.
Thanks to proper optimization of your listing and positioning of your Google Business Profile, entrepreneurs can significantly increase their visibility in search engines and attract new customers. What else can be achieved?
Running a business takes up a lot of time, which is why business owners, especially chains, often decide to delegate tasks related to optimizing and managing their Google Business Profile. The growAp app simplifies the management of multiple listings for various locations, as you can monitor all Profiles from one place. If you want to check how much it costs to optimize your Google Business Profile for multiple locations, start with a free audit.
Positioning your Google Business Profile is a process that requires consistency and dedication. The results won’t be immediate – you’ll notice them only after several months of continuous effort. By implementing the 10 proven tips presented in this article, you’ll improve your business’s visibility in the Google search engine and on Maps, thereby increasing your chances of attracting new customers and boosting your revenue.
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