Ashar Jamil — January 1, 2020 46% of all Google searches have local intent. 83% of businesses get seen in discovery searches, and over 64% of customers have used Google my business listing to find a local business’s address or phone number.
Let’s face it. Your customer base is on the internet right now. Searching for a service, product or a local brick and mortar shop. And, considering 80% of all searches happen on Google, the chances of them landing on Google my business listing is pretty high.
The problem? Most of them won’t go past the first page or the local pack (the first three business snippets that appear when you search for local service). The good news is you can increase your visibility, attract more customers and outrank your competition just by tweaking your google my business page a bit.
Here’s how.
Use Google’s Booking Feature
If your business uses an appointment-based approach, you can take advantage of Google My Business’ booking button feature and combine it with scheduling software to allow your customers to book your services or time right on Google’s search page. Easy, fast, and will help you stand out from the local crowd.
Most people are looking for fast and easy communication routes. Give it to them. You should also use the GMB ‘Request a Quote’ or messaging app to allow your customers to reach you easily. Pro-tip? Always be prompt with your replies.
Make Sure Your NAP is Consistent
NAP stands for Business Name, Address, and Phone Number. It’s one of the most important and overlooked factors. Take a quick look at your GMB listing and make sure your NAP is accurate, up-to-date and consistent with your other local business citations.
Citations are online references to your business’s NAP. And, Google uses them to evaluate your business’s online authority and credibility. They help with business discovery and Google algorithms reward local businesses with a greater number of citations by ranking them higher.
Plus, Google’s voice assistant uses your NAP to pick up pointers about your business so it can relay them to the searches. Any mismatch in your NAPs will not only put you at a disadvantage with searchers using Google Voice Assistant but will also have a negative impact on your search rankings.
Use Google My Business Post Feature
Your GMB posts are additional advertisements for your potential customers. They bring you exposure, help the customer understand different parts of your business, promote CTA, and boost your Google ranking factor. Post a minimum of 4 times a month. When you post, Google shows your posts to mobile searchers. You can also use Google My Business’ insights feature to find out keywords you’re not ranking well for. You can create posts optimized around those phrases and drastically improve your rankings.
Collaborate With Local Businesses
Another strategy that helps is collaborating with other local businesses in your niche or ones that compliment you. It can be a local event, a seminar, a joint offer. It shows Google you’re popular in the local space.
Reviews. Reviews. Reviews
I cannot stress enough on how important reviews are. According to a study Uberall conducted, conversion rates peaked when businesses attained 4.9 stars, and the conversion growth spiked by 120% when the ratings improved from 3.5 to 3.7 Most people look at reviews first. They establish trust and provide the validation your customer needs before going in for a purchase. One bad review and you can lose customers for years to come. As a general rule of thumb, aim for more reviews than your competition.
Visuals Make All The Difference
Try and aim for 10x the photos your competitor has. I know that’s a lot. But the results will be in your favor, I promise. Businesses with more than 100 images get 520% more calls, 2717% more direction requests, 1065% more website clicks, 520% more calls, and 713% more discovery searches than the average business. Let the photos provide an enticing peek into your business.
Spend money on a professional 360 virtual tour of your business place. And use more video snippets and stories in your profile. Show your business place, show the process behind your work and customer testimonials. Use it to promote your brand value and what you stand for.
Occupying real estate on the first page is a difficult job. But Google listings are free. In the recent past, Google has been optimizing its search page and adding widgets so people can find what they need on the Google page itself. This means, there’s a big possibility most of your potential customers won’t even visit your website. This is why prioritizing your GMB listing will lead to a long-term increase in sales and visibility.
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