HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOUR GOOGLE MY BUSINESS LISTING IN 12 STEPS

1. HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOUR GOOGLE MY BUSINESS LISTING IN 12 STEPS Google has completely transformed the way search works. People today can find any information about what they are looking for without even visiting a website. As a local business owner, your business information should be discovered in the local search. If not then you are missing a golden opportunity to give your business much-required boost locally. How will you create your business presence online in the local search? By setting up your business location on Google My Business Listing. GMB listing helps to grab the viewer’s attention and increase your rankings in local search results. Let’s understand first what is Google My Business. What is Google My Business? Google my business is the free tool offered by Google that helps manage businesses their online presence across the search engine. With Google my Business you can boost your business all the way in Google’s Local Pack, Local Finder, Google Maps, and organic rankings in general. How Google My Business will Benefit you? There are 3 benefits of Google My Business: 1.Improve rankings in local search results 2.The awesome shopping experience for buyers 3.Increased traffic to your website, social channels, and front door Head on and create a Google My Business listing on Google by sharing the basic information about your business, like address, phone number, business hours, websites and types of payment received. Make sure you select the relevant category for your business.

2. Once your company information is added, you can access your dashboard to start personalizing your listing. Google has added many features and options to optimize your Google My Business page. Especially for local businesses optimize your Google My Business Listing, since an optimized GMB page helps Google understand more about your business. The point is if Google knows more about you, the more type of searches your GMB listing can appear in. Here are Google My Business Listing Optimization tips 1. Claim Your Google My Business Listing This is the first step to get your Google My Business listing up and running Follow these steps: Search in Google and check whether your business is already having GMB listing If the business already has a GMB listing you just need to claim it Head on to Google My Business Page and enter the business information If it notifies you that someone has already verified the listing then click Request Ownership to claim the listing. • • • • 2. Verify your business After submitting your business information and your service area you need to verify your listing Follow these steps: Use mail for verification so Google knows that your business is legitimate •

3. Google will mail you a code (four-digit PIN) Use the link provided in mail and enter the code • • That’s it! Now you are ready to unlock all GMB features 3. Enter your complete business information Complete your Google My Business profile fully. This will help your customers to find more information about your company when they search for products and services in your industry. Follow these steps: Enter your business name, full address, the local phone number, operating hours, prices and the URL of your website 4. Ensure your NAP across the web If your Google My Business listing is accurate, that’s not enough. Along with GMB listing, you also need to ensure that this information is consistent with all the major directories on the web. 100% NAP consistency is a benchmark for Google to include your business in the local pack. Once it’s done your business will get a boost in local rankings. Online directories and social bookmarking sites are not only used by Google but they are used by humans also. So NAP consistency is important for the user journey. Follow these steps: Make sure that your NAP information is correct on your Google My Business profile Any discrepancies will seriously lower your local search accuracy and it will be hard for people to find you If your business is located on multiple places, put the same NAP information for each location page on the website and map embed Log in to your Google My Business dashboard and ensure all the information is correct • • • •

4. 5. Add a perfect business description This text field is a remarkable place to attract users. Reflect your business purpose accurately to improve search visibility. Follow these steps: Add 750 character information to your Google My Business profile Add eye-catching characters to reflect your business purpose (No reference links for sales and promotions) Use one or two keywords to build your description such that search phrase appears early in the text Include location keywords targeting the location Edit the section as many times as you want until you hit on the perfect matched size • • • • • 6. Select an appropriate category The selection of a business category plays an important role as it connects with your customers who are searching for the services you offer. The main point is it tells Google to decide which searches are relevant for your business. Follow these steps: Choose from the available list of categories, do not create of your own If specific categories are missing then select more general category that still describes your business accurately • •

5. 7. Upload relevant and high-resolution images Pictures are the most important aspect of Google My Business. It also helps your GMB listing to grab the local search attention. So add high-quality pictures to attract potential customers. Research also has shown that posts with images have 3x more chance of sharing then without images. Follow these steps: Use 360-degree images of your business for customer Upload three interior pictures of your office/showroom showing ambiance, atmosphere, and decor Upload three exterior pictures of your building so your buyers know which building is yours Upload pictures of your team members so people know whom to look for when they come Encourage your customers for leaving reviews with images in their feedback Follow these best practices while uploading photos • Format: JPG or PNG • Size: Between 10 kb and 5 kb • Resolution: 720 px tall, 720 px wide • Quality: Image should be real, no alternations or excessive use of filters • • • • • • 8. Talk to your customers directly through Goggle My Business Messages Sometimes customers found the information on Google, want to talk to you but don’t want to call you. That’s where Google’s messaging feature steps in and helps to send a text message than a phone call. Thus mobile messaging is a highly effective marketing strategy to engage with people looking at your GMB listing and help in closing the sale.

6. Follow these steps: Activate and unlock the Google My Business messaging feature so a customer can ask a question through SMS text from your Google My Business Listing Turn on the messaging button in your Google My Business dashboard Set the message which people will receive after they send you a message and your mobile number • • • Note: Messaging option is only available to mobile web users, not available to a mobile app or desktop users. Google has also created an option to post news and share business updates on your GMB listing. Let’s see how Google posts can optimize your listing 9. Add posts to showcase your brand and boost conversions Google posts are an effective way to increase your local search visibility. This feature was opened to all businesses in 2017. This allows you to share your content on Google search and Google maps in your business knowledge panel. You can share content about your business in a variety of ways. For Example Blog articles Upcoming events Special offers Short news update eBook downloads Showcase a product • • • • • • You can add text, gifs, and even call-to-action buttons Follow these steps: Maximum 300 words per post but only 60-70 characters will be shown if you use CTA The full post will be visible on mobile if no CTA button is used Image of your business should be with resolution 400 px X 300 px Share the engaging content in your post Talk to your customer directly Check the engagement metrics and insights provided by Google Set up UTM campaign tracking URL to any links on your GMB listing • • • • • • •

7. Last but not the least, hit publish button, your post will be visible on your listing for your users Note: Your Google post may disappear after seven days so craft you post on time 10. Request for reviews and Respond to them Reviews are the lifeblood of local search since it generates trust and confidence of customers in your brand and products. Therefore 90% of people read reviews and make a purchase decision. Positive Reviews = Good Impression of your Business =More sales Follow these steps: Send a link to all your customers through email or text requesting for reviews After gathering reviews on your listing, respond to them • • 11. Create and upload videos Videos are the best ways to attract, engage and communicate with your buyers. Have some marketing videos and upload to your Google My Business Page Follow these steps: Upload to your photos (Maximum length of videos up to 90 sec, Size under 100 MB) Upload videos as a post • • 12. Gather insights and optimize your Google My Business listing

8. Measurement is very important for improvement. To measure the impact of your Google My Business Listing. Google My Business has inbuilt tools that give you incredible insights. With that, you will be able to understand how users interact with your business. Google My Business Insights: How customers find your business? Whether customers find your business listing on Google? What actions do customers take when they visit your business listing? (Whether they visit your site, click on directions, browse your photos, or call you) Areas that your customers are located in? • • • • Gather this information, see the customer’s action and optimize your listing accordingly. Let’s say if people are searching for directions then you can guess that the address on the listing is not detailed enough. Conclusion Google My Business Listing is an incredible free tool offering plenty of benefits for local business owners. This tool helps to increase your visibility in local search, position your business information in front of the potential customers looking for your product, service, or experience. To unlock all the features of GMB and optimize it. Optimization of GMB listing will get your business information on top of the Google page and increase your customer’s reach.