When it comes to searching for a business, Google is the go-to app for the majority, and for good reason. Google does an excellent job helping its users to find important information like business hours, read reviews, easily compare businesses, make bookings, and find nearby businesses.
When searching for a business, there are a number of factors that Google uses to decide what the customer should see.
Your Google My Business listing feeds data to 3 Google products: The Knowledge Panel, Google Maps, and the Local Pack.
Google will present information based on what it knows about your business and what the customer is searching for.
Let’s see an example:
If you don’t have your business address entered properly,Google won’t know when your potential customer is nearby and won’t prioritize showing your listing.
Your website SEO will also be missing out.
To improve your ranking in Google Maps, you’ll need to make sure that your listing has a complete description with accurate information about what you do and where you’re located.
Here are our top 5 tips to improve your GMB listing in 2022.
1) Make sure your NAP is accurate.
When search engines view your Google My Business page, they look for what they call the NAP – name, address, and phone number. It is crucial that these three pieces of information be accurate and consistent with what’s on your business cards.
Not to mention, more than 9 in 10 consumers say they are frustrated by incorrect information online.
2) Write the perfect business description
In your Google My Business listing, you’ll have the option to add a 750-character description. This is your opportunity to tell searchers about your business.
This is one of the first things that potential customers will see when they visit your Google My Business listing, so it’s important to get it right.
If you can, try to include any unique selling propositions that your business offers.
Finally, make sure you’re sticking to Google’s guidelines:
Enter a brief description of your business: What you offer, what sets you apart, your history, or anything else that’s helpful for customers to know. Focus primarily on details about your business instead of details about promotions, prices, or sales. Do not include URLs or HTML code, or exceed 750 characters in the description field.
Google
3) Choose the right business category and subcategory
According to local SEO experts, the primary GMB category is the number one local pack ranking factor.
Only your primary category will be visible on your business listing, but subcategories will inform whether or not your listing is surfaced for local queries, so they’re very important, too. Here’s where your primary category appears in a GMB Knowledge Panel:
4) Upload amazing photos
To get the most out of this Google My Business feature, and increase your chances of converting searchers, Google recommends businesses upload the following:
- At least three strong exterior photos, taken at different times of the day and showing the approach to the business from common angles
- A minimum of three interior photos
- Product photos for the most popular products and services you offer
- One image of any common areas your business may have, such as the reception
- A minimum of three management and team photos
5) Generate, monitor, and respond to Google reviews
If you’ve got a Google My Business listing, customers will be able to review you there, and the review will be publicly visible for all to see, so it’s important to take control of the narrative and actively generate, monitor, and respond to reviews.
According to surveys, 87% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses. Additionally, only 48% of consumers would use a business with a rating of less than 4 stars.
But Google Reviews are more than just star ratings. Consumers also pay attention to recency, legitimacy, quantity, length, detail, and sentiment.
So what is best way to ensure you’ve got a good star rating? Provide great customer service!
Before asking for reviews, make sure you’re confident in your product or service, customer care, and any other important aspects of your business that might affect the customer experience.
Remember, you can’t please everyone — but it’s important to be prepared for your business to be reviewed honestly, so you’ll want to offer high quality services at every touchpoint.
To generate a regular stream of reviews, you’re going to need to ask for them… consistently. You can’t expect reviews to come rolling in all on their own.
Asking for Google reviews can be done in a few ways, depending on what suits your business:
- In-store, at the point of sale or service
- By email, after a store visit or appointment
- By SMS, after a store visit or appointment
- In-print, with short links on business cards and other materials
By doing this you’ll be able to show positive recent reviews on your profiles proving to consumers that your business is alive and kicking.
6) Use Q&A to answer customer queries and FAQs
Although the FAQ section was designed for customers to ask questions about your business, we highly recommend filling out with your own questions and answers, to preempt any questions customers might have.
7) Set up a booking system
With Google’s appointment booking feature, searchers don’t need to go to your website (or a third-party booking site) to get information and take action.
Does your business offer appointments and bookings? You’ll likely want to set up a ‘Book an Appointment’ button to appear on your Google My Business profile. This feature makes it easy for customers to connect with your business, just make sure you are actively monitoring incoming bookings.
8) Detail your Products and Services
Products and Services offers merchants the opportunity to show off their business offerings directly in local SERPs (Search Engine Results Page). If your business has a product or service that you know is going to be particularly sought after or in demand, then it’s definitely worth listing that to increase your chances of showing up for relevant searches.
Want to learn more about how you can grow your business online? Contact us for a free consultation.
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