Every local business dreams of engaging with more and more of a local audience. Whatever the product or service you provide, at the core your business is about connecting with the potential customer and developing trust and your Google My Business profile can help you do that.
You already know we’re big on making sure you’re Google My Business (GMB) profile is claimed and up to date, but here are 3 simple ways you can leverage GMBs functionality to market your business and help grow your incoming business leads.
1 – Make sure your Google My Business profile is as robust and complete as possible.
Accurate business information (Name, Address, Phone) in your listing is a must, but it’s time to think about taking it to the next level.
Now consider your hours, website link, email, FAQ’s logo, photos, and description. Make sure these are fully displayed and accurate. Think of it almost like a simple website or a robust business card.
Put yourself in the shoes of someone who is browsing. Are you providing all the information they need to make a decision to contact you? Are you proud of your business description and images? Does your GMB profile represent your business well?
2 – Use Google My Business posts to share content and drive conversions
GMB allows you to post updates to your profile. These can be images, events, videos and even bookings. Think of it as a blog/social media marketing channel. These posts are displayed within your GMB profile and show up in search results within your profile. A recent study showed that the use of Google Posts created an average conversion increase of 11% (Moz Blog).
Consider adding a regular rhythm of posting alongside your additional social media channels. Most social media managers now have the ability to schedule these posts similar to Facebook and Instagram. Like any social media the goal is to built trust, expand your business reach and establish credibility.
3 – Request Google My Business reviews and respond
Your potential customers are making judgment calls about you based on your online reputation within search results.
Develop a plan to get more reviews in order to differentiate you from your competitors. Your GMB profile actually provides you a link to send to your customers to enter in a review. Super easy!
Responding to both positive and negative reviews will help earn your customer’s trust. To make things easy, confirm that you’re receiving notifications when a review is submitted and you can respond within your Google My Business profile.
Your GMB profile is becoming a powerful tool for engaging the community around you and the best thing about it is that it’s free. If you need help managing your local online presence, please schedule a chat with Matt to discuss the next right steps for your business.