It’s a fact: approximately 90% of customers consider reviews when making a purchase decision, meaning your business’s online presence and reputation are more important than ever. One of the most popular tools businesses utilize for their online presence is Google My Business.
A free tool, Google My Business gives you the ability to manage your business information, interact with customers, and more. Optimizing your Google My Business listing is key to your local optimization and digital marketing efforts. Let’s jump into our tips on how to get the most out of your Google My Business listing.
Verifying your Google My Business listing unlocks the keys to the castle, giving you access to all of Google My Business’s features. If you have verified your Google My Business account - way to go! If not, don’t fret - it’s simple:
Once you receive your verification postcard:
After you’ve submitted your verification code, your listing will begin showing up in search and Google Maps.
Once you’ve verified your Google My Business listing, it’s time to add images to your profile. Don’t underestimate the power of images in your listing: Google My Business listings that feature images receive 35% more click-throughs to their websites.
You don’t need to pay to have professional photos of your business taken - a smartphone camera will do! Ensure you add your logo, a cover photo, and interior and exterior pictures. You can also add a video that showcases your business.
Google posts allow you to promote your services, blogs, offers, events, and more to your audience. The main benefit of utilizing Google Posts is that your content will appear in search and map results, giving your business the opportunity to promote content or services - for free. To ensure your posts stay relevant, Google Posts expire after seven days, while posts promoting an event last until the event has passed.
If you’re a business owner, chances are you’ve received a notification about a less-than-stellar review. When this occurs, the first step is to take a deep breath. Once you’ve taken the time to understand the review, it’s crucial to respond.
Not only does responding to reviews build trust: but in 2021 Google announced that responding to reviews improves your local SEO. Here are some tips for responding to negative reviews:
A critical component of Google My Business is to ensure you stay up-to-date on how the platform changes. New features are being added regularly, and it’s important to understand how these features can affect your business.
And it’s no surprise that Google is consistently updating and refining its platforms. In 2018 Google announced the shutdown of Google+. A final timeline was announced: Google+ would no longer be available as of April 2, 2019.
Utilizing Google My Business will certainly have a positive effect on your business. This platform gives you the opportunity to connect and interact with potential customers, manage your reputation, and focus on enhancing your local optimization and digital marketing efforts.
Have other questions about enhancing your digital marketing efforts? We’re here to help at LAIRE! Contact us with any questions or to set up a free 20-minute assessment.