Having a properly optimized Google My Business listing is not only essential to a business’s search engine optimization, but also to make sure that potential customers are seeing the right information about a company in searches. Often times when a Google My Business listing is available, customers will make a judgement about a business before they even click through to the official website! Your business should have an optimized Google My Business profile to make the best possible first impression on potential customers and to be further optimized for searches.
Include a List of Services
For most businesses, many of their keywords also happen to be their services. Google My Business gives users an option to add a list of services, descriptions, and pricing to their listing. Along with showing users more about what you do, this allows Google to further associate your site with those keywords and improves your rankings.
Add Images
Images of services or products are a huge selling point for businesses throughout many industries. Pictures of mouthwatering meals can make restaurants seem more enticing, while pictures of perfectly manicured lawns can boost the authority of a landscaping company! You can also add your logo to Google My Business listing, and a picture of your storefront so that users become more familiar with your brand.
Maintain Your Reviews
Many past customers and clients will turn to Google to write a review, and a business’s average rating out of 5 stars appears right beneath their name in a Google My Business listing. This rating is crucial to the first impression your business makes to users. First, try to make sure your satisfied customers are writing reviews and keeping your ratings up! Second, you should take the time to respond to all reviews, positive or negative. This shows that your business values feedback & demonstrates attention to customer service. Thank positive reviewers for their kind words, while also thanking negative reviewers for their constructive criticism and asking them to reach out privately to speak about further amending any problems with their experience.
Update Location & Contact Information
If you are a top ranking, Google will sometimes show your listed location as a map dot to users. Many potential customers will use your Google My Business listing to find your location, website, or contact information – Google has a built in click to call feature, and a button to visit your website. Google also lists business hours so that users can find this information without having to navigate to your site. Needless to say, calling an outdated phone number, or worse, visiting a closed location will cause frustration for your potential clients and you could end up losing a customer. It is crucial to keep all contact information & location listings up to date on Google. You can also set your Google My Business listing to have temporary hours set only for holidays or vacation time.