WHAT IS GOOGLE MY BUSINESS
Google My Business Services
Google My Business is a marketing platform established in June 2014. Businesses can easily market their presence to nearby customers and drive local targeted traffic to their business. Since its beginning, this free tool has proven to be an invaluable asset for local businesses.
GMB SERVICES
We set up and maintain your Google My Business profile to maximize your local presence. We enhance and manage your GMB profile to ensure accurate information, engaging visuals, and positive customer reviews. We build citations to reputable South African directories and post engaging content to your profile every week, ultimately increasing foot traffic while improving local search results. We have 10 years of experience, and we have completed the Google My Business Certification.
GOOGLE MY BUSINESS STRATEGY
In this comprehensive guide, we will provide basic instructions to create a Google My Business account to achieve results.
BUILD YOUR PROFILE
When building a Google My Business profile, businesses should add relevant and accurate information about their company. Businesses need to add details such as:
1. Business Name
2. Business Description
3. Business Images
4. Phone Number
5. Operating Hours
6. Website Address
7. Physical Address
Businesses must also add information about each product and service too (not only submit their home page information). If a website offers 100 products, the company should submit product details, images, and prices for each product.
VERIFY OWNERSHIP
Once you have completed your Google My Business profile, you will be asked to verify your business. There are multiple ways to verify your business:
1. Postcard: Google will send a postcard (with a verification code) to your physical address.
2. Phone: Google will either call you or send you a message with a verification code.
3. Email: Google sends a verification code to an email address that matches the domain name.
4. Video Recording: You make a video recording of your business showing your signage, workers, and setup.
5. Live Video Call: You Facetime a Google representative to verify you are the owner of the business.
LOCAL SEO
Business sites listed on GMB perform better with SEO, as it verifies you are an established business, and it contributes to your Domain Authority. Here are the SEO benefits of using GMB:
BACKLINK
You receive a high-quality backlink from Google.
MORE TRUST
You establish more trust with Google as you verify your work.
BETTER UNDERSTANDING
Google better understands what keywords your business should rank for.
TRAFFIC SOURCES
GMB sends real traffic to a website where Google examines the user experience.
GOOGLE MY BUSINESS RECOMMENDATIONS
KEYWORDS AND DESCRIPTIONS
Create an appealing description of your business and include valuable keywords to increase search engine visibility and your chance of being found by local customers. Make sure your description is well-written and contains no grammatical errors. You have 750 characters to write your description. We recommend writing 150 words for your description.
CATEGORIES AND ATTRIBUTES
You must select the right business category when updating your Google My Business profile. The category is like a broad keyword in your Industry. For Instance, there is no ‘SEO’ category; however, SEO agencies will select ‘Internet Marketing Service’ instead. Google uses this data to gain a deeper insight into the nature and purpose of each business, matching it more closely with search queries closely related to an industry.
SERVICES AND PRODUCTS
Google My Business allows businesses to showcase their products and services by listing each item. The more products you add, the more keywords you can rank on Google Search and Google Maps. It can drive traffic and sales to your business. Add your product’s name with a description. Include clear product pictures, prices, and call-to-action buttons.
PHOTOS
Upload pictures of your business to establish trust with users. We recommend adding the following pictures:
1. Outside Business Sign
2. The Business Building
3. Business Logo
4. Products and Services
5. Owners and Managers
6. Employees
7. Cover Photo
GMB profiles with lots of images perform better on Google, and users feel more comfortable and confident doing business with these media-rich profiles.
VIDEOS
Adding high-quality videos to your GMB profile can encourage more engagement from customers and visitors. Videos deliver a stronger message and can influence users to act more than text or banner ads.
Here are video ideas you can create:
1. Intro Video
2. Customer Testimonials
3. Product Demonstrations
4. Useful Tips
5. Meet The Team
6. Promotions
7. Behind the Scenes
Videos can create a more immersive experience by offering virtual tours, behind-the-scenes footage, and testimonials of happy customers.
CUSTOMER REVIEWS
Customers can rate and review your services on Google My Business. GMB profiles with positive reviews rank higher on Google and receive more conversions. It is critical to monitor reviews and respond to positive and negative reviews in a timely fashion. Responding to positive reviews can create customer loyalty, and responding to negative reviews can address the problem with a professional solution.
MESSAGING
Google My Business allows direct communication between businesses and their customers. Potential clients can message you instantly from your GMB profile without having to click on your website. This easy-access communication channel makes it convenient for users to ask questions about your services, without having to waste time looking for your contact form.
