We've all seen the high ranking Google My Business profile of another business and wondered, "What would it take for my business to make it up there?".
And rightfully so, having a high ranking Google My Business page, especially in the top three results (known as the “map pack”), can skyrocket the amount of customers a business has calling in for service.
Optimizing your Google My Business (GMB) listing takes time, unfortunately there is now way to get this done over a weekend, so prepare yourself to put some time and thought to get the results you deserve. Reaching the coveted “map pack” helps you increase your visibility, traffic, and your ranking in the local community by giving your company instant credibility. It also makes it much easier for customers to find and communicate with you.
Here are 8 powerful tips every local business should utilize now to skyrocket your Google My Business profile:
- Claim and verify your listing: The first step is to claim your business listing and verify your ownership. You can do this by visiting the Google My Business website and following the instructions. Google may send you a postcard in the mail to the business address you entered into your GMB profile with a code to confirm your presence at the address.
- Complete your profile: Fill out all the required fields in your GMB profile, including your business name, address, phone number, website, hours of operation, and category. You can also add photos and videos to showcase your products or services.
- Use keywords: Use relevant keywords in your business description, as well as in the services and products sections of your profile. This will help Google understand what your business is about and make it easier for potential customers to find you.
- Resize your photos for a clean display: Lots of things can make your company look unprofessional, and a poorly resized, pixelated photo is one of them. Here are photo guidelines directly from Googles website.
Photo Guidelines:
Your photos look best on Google if they meet the following standards:
- Format: JPG or PNG.
- Size: Between 10 KB and 5 MB.
- Recommended resolution: 720 px tall, 720 px wide.
- Minimum resolution: 250 px tall, 250 px wide.
- Quality: The photo should be in focus and well lit, and have no significant alterations or excessive use of filters. In other words, the image should represent reality.
- Get reviews: Encourage your customers to leave reviews on your Google My Business listing. Reviews can improve your local SEO and increase your credibility with potential customers. Responding to reviews using keywords pertaining to your product or service will give a slight boost to your ranking as well.
- Keep your information up-to-date: Make sure your profile information is accurate and up-to-date. This includes your business hours, address, phone number, and website. You should also update your photos and videos regularly.
- Post updates: Use the GMB posts feature to share updates, news, and promotions with your customers. This can help you attract new customers and keep your existing ones engaged. Also, Google places business that regularly interact with their GMB page a little boost in the rankings.
- Use Google Q&A: Respond to customer questions in the Google Q&A section of your GMB listing. This will show potential customers that you are responsive and engaged.
By following these quick, easy steps, you can skyrocket your Google My Business listing and improve your online visibility.
The main thing to remember is improving your GMB page is more like a marathon than a sprint: keep taking care of it, responding to reviews, and posting regularly, and your Google My Business profile will become a low-cost lead generation machine.
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