Don’t sell yourself short; make sure you have a Google My Business profile.
With the vast majority of consumers using Google to aid with buying decisions, it’s easy to see why being listed appropriately is one of the most important marketing steps your small business can take to increase its search ranking.
Did you know that 88% of consumers who do a local search on their smartphone visit or call a store within a day? In fact, nearly 46% of all Google searches are seeking local information.
Don’t miss out on those potential customers!
Learn how we can help you set up your GMB now!
If you’re a local business with a physical location, it’s critical that potential customers can locate you!
Fortunately, Google has an awesome tool to help business owners, and it’s called Google My Business (GMB).
Here’s the awesome part about it…
It’s free!
So what is Google My Business?
In short, Google My Business is a free tool provided by Google that allows business owners to set up a brief profile that displays their:
- name
- address
- phone number
- hours of operation
- website link
- social media links
- online reviews
- services
- photos
in relevant search results like Google’s Local Map Pack (Google Maps), Local Finder, and organic rankings (search listings) in general.
A critical first step in ANY local SEO strategy is to claim and verify your local business’ Google My Business (GMB) listing and optimize it for “near me” searches.
When someone searches for your business on Google, the information used in the setup of your GMB profile (name, address, phone number) is pulled from your Google My Business page and populated in the search engine results page.
Your information can also be displayed in local results when someone searches keywords related to your business. As you can see above, these web agencies have their address, description, category, reviews, and pictures, all coming from their Google My Business page.
Where Does Information From Your Google My Business Page Appear?
The information from your Google My Business page will show when someone searches for your business (or for your type of business) on Google in three different places:
- Google’s Sidebar
This section is known as a ‘knowledge panel’ that can appear when someone searches a business by name. - Map Result
The same information for a business is listed on mobile devices, except the map result appears at the top of the screen instead of on the side, as a local business is searched. - Local Results
This section of Google’s search results shows three businesses that are nearest to the geographical location used in the search (i.e., Denham Springs).
Google will pull similar information from a Google My Business page for mobile searches, but instead of listing just the address, it will also show how far that business is from the searcher’s current location.
Now, you’re probably wondering, “Ok, all of that is good to know, but do I really need a google listing for my business?”
Consider this:
According to a Local Pack click-through study performed by Nifty, on average, 24% of consumers are clicking on the Local Pack when searching for services. Without a GMB listing, you would be missing out on a huge number of potential customers.
Also, according to Entrepreneur magazine, ranking your Google local listing has a higher return on investment (ROI) in the long term than pay-per-click (PPC) ads. Therefore, it is all-around important to invest time and money into optimizing and ranking your GMB listing.
Don’t just set it and forget it!
As with any digital marketing tool, a Google My Business page requires regular engagement and maintenance. However, with how often Google updates its platform and makes algorithm adjustments to improve search results further, you may find it difficult to keep your profile up and find that it was removed from critical search results.
Fortunately, when you work with BlakSheep Creative, you can spend less time navigating through Google’s ever-changing landscape and more time focusing on what you do best – serving your customers and running your business.
Contact us today for a free consultation and learn how we can help your business flourish online.
