How To Optimize Your Google My Business Listing

We all understand the immense importance of local search. It is because local search is dominating Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs), which are tied to a user’s location. Thus, it is very immediate and tangible to drive customers with a user intent to your business. Let us dig into how to optimize your Google My Business listing.

For local searches, Google ranks businesses based on distance, performance, and relevance. That is why the “My Google Business” listing is important to increase your business’ ranking in local search. Even more, it will also shine a light on the online presence of your business outside your website.

To make the most out of it, you must know how to optimize your Google My Business Listing.

Why Is It Important To Learn “How to optimize your Google My Business Listing”?

 

Many businesses are not leveraging Google My Business listings, as there is a tendency to set up a business profile, and then forget about it. There are various reasons to optimize your Google My Business listing. According to Moz, Google My Business listings are still an influential factor to dominate local searches. Due to this, the importance of creating an optimized Google My Business listing can help you rank higher which in turn will increase your business. With an optimized listing, you can rank in local packs. It can also help in boosting visibility and engagement as well. Even more, it will also let you bolster the appearance of your business in Google maps. Besides this, you can also benefit from Google Reviews. There are many reasons to invest your time and efforts in learning how to optimize your Google My Business Listing.

A Guide On How To Optimize Your Google My Business Listing

 

Do you want to know how to optimize your Google My Business Listing? Then, here are some important steps to take:

Completely Populate Your Google My Business Profile

 

It is the first step of “How to optimize your Google My Business Listing.” When it is about creating and publishing your GMB profile, Google wants to know a lot about your company. Do not get frustrated. Stay calm, and make sure to populate your entire GMB profile.

It is because, with this, you can provide your business’ valuable details to your customers at a glance. Not filling out your profile completely means giving your competitors a better chance to attract that customer. So, the key to this point is to fill out every bit of information Google asks you. And let your visitors know everything about your business and its values.

Choose A Specific Business Category

 

It is another must in how to optimize your Google My Business Listing. Choosing a business category and subcategory will help you get found in searches. It is important as about 84% of views of business profiles on Google originate from discovery searches. It can help you to highlight your business’ features that are category-specific. It will make your profile more engaging and attractive with ease.

Optimization Tips:

 

· Be specific

· Avoid overdoing it

· If your business falls into multiple categories, then divide them into primary and secondary categories.

Optimize Your Contact Information

 

No guide on “How to optimize your Google My Business Listing” can be completed without your contact information optimization. Optimizing and providing the right contact information is key to your business growth. It is because your new customers have to see how to reach you via these sources.

As per a report on Local Citations Trust: “93%of people get frustrated with wrong or incorrect information available in online directories. 80% of potential consumers lose trust in a business with the inconsistent business name and contact information online.” Make sure to use accurate contact information and optimize it.

Optimization Tips:

Let us have a look at the key points of optimizing your contact information:

· Ensure your company name is identical to what you are using on your store signage. It means it should appear exactly as it is in the real world.

· Make sure to match your company name and address with other listings on the internet. It is because Google takes the inconsistencies into account when assessing your business for credibility.

· Remember to mention your regular and holiday operational hours. It will also let you avoid adding negative reviews by someone who visited your store and found it closed.

· Add correct contact information. Add an active phone number and email address as well. So, it will be easier for prospects to reach you.

Load Your Profile With High-Quality Images

 

Visual content is key to attracting more customers. High-quality business images can help your Google My Business Listing stand out. These can give your potential customers an idea of what to expect. To make your business look as good as possible, you must use high-quality pictures. It is even better if you get these taken by a professional photographer.

To reap the benefits to the fullest, create a 360-degree virtual tour as well. As per Google insights, businesses with quality images and virtual tours generate 2x more interest than those who do not use them.

Do Not Violate Any Google Rules

 

Anything you are doing for “How to optimize your Google My Business Listing” will be for zilch if you incur a Google offense penalty. Google can suspend your Business listings for many reasons. Getting a Google penalty is bad for your business’ reputation. So, make sure to avoid doing anything that can put you at risk. Make sure you read the Google My Business Listing guidelines here to what they expect.

Optimization Tips:

 

Some important things to avoid adding to your list of How to optimize Google My Business Listing are here:

· Avoid using a redirecting URL instead of the actual site’s URL.

· Do not add keywords in the business name field.

· Also, avoid creating multiple listings for one business.

· Only use accurate physical storefront locations where customers can actually go.

· To stay on Google’s good side, avoid playing with things that can lead you to Google’s offense penalty.

Write An Engaging Keyword-Rich Business Description

 

Your description of the business is the very first thing visitors usually notice. Remember, the description appearing under your business name is under Google’s control. What is in your control is the section that appears in the lower part of your profile. It is more often under the customer’s reviews part. So, this section is known as “From the Business.”

You can use this part to describe your business.

Optimization Tips:

 

Tips to optimize business description are below:

· The description here allows you to write up to 750 characters. So, you must use all these characters wisely. Ensure to add your key business information within your first 250 characters.

· Also, you can repurpose your mission statement or about us information here. It is because these are always perfect for letting others know who you are.

· Make sure to research some high-impact industry-related keywords your audience is using to search for your services. Spread these keywords throughout your business description. You can use tools like Jaaxy to find high-impact keywords.

· Remember, do not repeat the business information appearing in different sections of your business profile. Instead, use this space to let your visitors know how you are different from your competition. Or you can describe the core values of your business here as well.

· Avoid including HTML here.

Get Google Reviews For Better Results

When it is about optimizing your Google My Business Listing, getting customer reviews is essential. Search results with positive Google reviews and ratings are more attractive than those without. Google understands customer reviews influence the buying process of consumers. It has become an important ranking factor in Google’s algorithm. So, you can also use the impact of Google Reviews in your Google My Business Listing. It is because solid reviews can help you more easily attract more business.

Optimization Tips:

 

Here are some tips to optimize the reviews on your Google My Business Profile:

· Ask your loyal and long-term customers to provide their feedback to gain momentum.

· Tell your customers to use keywords in their reviews. Thus, these can help people with the same pain point with ease.

· Reviews of your business services will encourage your customers to write about your services. So, this will help you reveal a lot about the services of your business.

· Be careful and avoid incentivizing your reviews with any kind of offer. It is because honesty is the best policy here.

Final Thoughts:

 

So, that is all about how to optimize your Google My Business Listing. You must remember that like SEO, Google My Business Listing optimization should also center around providing quality and accurate information about your business. So, you will be able to attract more views and ultimately more customers.

Let us know your thoughts on How To Optimize Your Google My Business Listing. Please share what has worked for you in the comments section below!