How to improve your Google My Business Ranking
Are you ready for the best Google My Business page? These are seven simple ways to optimize your Google My Business listing and increase its ranking.
1. Complete data required. Keep it updated with key information.
To reap the full benefits of Google My Business, you must keep your profile current. Make sure that your business information is visible on the local search results panel. Also, make sure to update it through your Google My Business dashboard.
This includes your:
Name of the business
Telephone number
Address
Website (linking back to your homepage).
Hours of operation
Categories for businesses
2. Make sure your GMB listing appears on Google Maps
Did you know that 26% of U.S. businesses view Maps-based results from their views?
Google Maps automatically adds your GMB listing(s). Potential customers might search for your business on Google Maps. Having it listed with accurate and current information can make it easier to find you.
3. Verify your business listing and claim it
You should verify the business listing as you did in step 1. Google will usually request verification when you create an account or update critical information.
Verifying the authenticity of your business will make it stand out from its competitors and increase its visibility on search engine result pages (SERPs).
Consider getting your business Google Guaranteed. Although this isn’t a free opportunity for your business, it can help you gain trust from customers and give you extra credibility.
4. High-quality photos can be added to your business listing.
Photos are twice as trustworthy and drive 35% more clicks for business listings than those without.
GMB listings average 11 photos. This will help local businesses and home-service companies appear more trustworthy to local searchers.
You can encourage more customers to get involved with your business by fostering authenticity. Every picture is worth a thousand words.
5. Create a Q&A section
You can invite anyone to ask questions about your business listing through the GMB tool. These questions can be answered by both business owners and members of the public.
Pro tip: Always check in to see if there are any new questions and respond as quickly as possible. This helps to avoid false information being given and a potential for someone else to answer the question. These questions are more active if you answer them. This will increase the Google algorithm’s ranking signal.
6. Post regularly on your business profile (announcements and offers, etc.).
You can also update your customers via your Google My Business profile, just like social media. You can use this to announce general information, seasonal discounts or blog posts, as well as to provide updates to your customers through Google My Business.
Make sure to:
Post regularly (certain types of posts expire every other week, so it is important to engage with your audience on a regular basis).
For better traffic, align your marketing campaigns and your posts
To drive more customers into your business, include links and calls-to-action (CTAs).
Your Business Profile panel will display posts as “Updates”. They may also appear in Maps-based results.
7. Encourage Reviews and Respond to them
90% of customers will find you online, looking at reviews and deciding whether to do business with you. Google also knows that reviews have the greatest influence on customer purchases.
Positive word-of mouth from customers is the best publicity. You can have both positive and negative reviews on your listing. Your business should get as many 5-star reviews as possible.
Google My Business profiles are a great way to manage your business’ visibility on the most popular search engine in the world.
GMB will allow you to increase your online presence, get more customers and connect with existing customers via a steady stream of reviews.