If you’re a local business owner, you’ve likely heard that Google My Business listings impact how your local search results show up on Google. But what exactly does this mean for your bottom line? In this blog post, we’ll cover insights from the experts on how local business listing visibility impacts ranking as well as increases visibility on the web.
According to Shane Barker, a local SEO expert:
“Having a GMB listing is absolutely essential for local businesses. And if we don’t have one, we’re doing it wrong.”
Google My Business (GMB) listings are the online representation of a business’ information in Google Maps. They include the name of your business, address, phone number, photos, reviews, and website URL. Today, over 5 million businesses have claimed their Google My Business page and the company is announcing that it has over 10 million local businesses on the platform. All this amounts to a lot of potential customers for just about any type of business imaginable – no matter how niche or big.
GMB Page Optimization Process:
Let’s break down the process of optimizing a GMB page so that your business will show up better, and lead to more sales.
- Setup and claim Google My Business page
- Add keywords
- Get your descriptions right
- Fill in the required details like address, opening hours, etc.
- Add posts along with photos and videos
- Choose the right Call-To-Action buttons
- Collect and respond to reviews
- Add social profiles
- Add Q & A
Why does your business need Google My Business (GMB)?
Google My Business plays an essential role for online stores, small businesses, local businesses & companies as an information repository to locate (or) guide to your business location. It verifies through email & phone verification to get your business listed on Google.
More Benefits with GMB?
- We can show the products and services on the web through the GMB page
- The customers are going to rate & comment on your products and services.
- The reviews, comments and the score that has been given to our business is really important to get more trust & reputation towards the business and It helps to attract new customers.
- It helps to get the user to enquire through a phone call with the call option. So, your business must be verified here.
Importance of GMB for Local SEO
Google My Business has always been important for local searches to making one’s business visible online. Because it is the first thing that users find when they search for the relevant keywords or your business. It provides businesses with a way to connect with customers and be found on Google that can lead to higher visibility, more traffic, and the possibility to generate sales leads.
In the words of John Mueller, the senior webmaster analyst, Google
The rise in popularity and use of this platform is not surprising as it is currently one of the easiest ways to claim and maintain control over online presence.
Local SEO 3-Pack
Google My Business listings also help you listed in Local SEO 3-Pack, the listings of 3 businesses above the organic search results when searching for terms using keywords like near me or near [Location]. These will be listed based on the searcher’s location, and query relevance.
Whether the users are searching on Google Maps or in the Google Search App, GMB creates a central hub for your business details. If you’re looking to rank well in Google Local searches, you will benefit from making sure the GMB listing is correct and with up-to-date information.
When used strategically, Google My Business can bring you a lot of customers, and hiring a local SEO agency can ensure it. Try speaking to one of our professionals to get your business optimized with our SEO services.
