Using Google My Business Pages For Local SEO
Every business with a website wants more exposure in the search engines, and here is when SEO for local businesses comes in. Several approaches can help a local business improve its search engine rankings, but unfortunately, there is no specific way.
This is a collaborative effort, much like the majority of SEO-related activities. Providing current details such as store hours and contact information is an excellent method to attract clients’ attention.
Google’s Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is an excellent tool for local SEO business plans. However, what is it?
What is Google My Business?
Before we start, it’s important to note that Google My Business has been rebranded as Google Business Profile.
No matter what you call it, Google Business Profile remains the central hub from which you can control your business’s appearance in Google Search.
It’s a must-have if you want control over how your business shows up in Google Maps, the Knowledge Graph, and organic search results.
Your business listing can be updated with new contact information, hours of operation, photographs, etc. In addition, unique configurations show various purchasing options (delivery or pickup).
You also have a wide range of additional customization options, such as the capability to moderate client feedback.
7 Best Local SEO Tips for Optimizing Google My Business
If you want to increase your organic visibility and get high-quality leads, it takes more than just creating a Business Profile or claiming an existing listing.
Follow this local SEO business plan of Google My Business (GMB) best practices and optimizations to increase your local visibility and customer interaction. Make sure you use all the strategies in this local SEO checklist.
Complete Your Business Profile
You should start by giving people the basics, like your company’s name, address, phone number, website, and operating hours.
If your Google My Business page is complete, it will raise your visibility in local search results and give customers more options for interacting with your business. Check your website, social media profiles, and other listings against the data you enter here to ensure accuracy.
Even something seemingly innocuous as putting “Street” in your website address but “St.” in your listing address can send up red flags in Google’s eye. Maintaining consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) data is one of the most important ranking elements in local SEO. It is an integral part of local business SEO.
Informative Business Description
The business description is a crucial component of your listing for user understanding and search engine optimization purposes.
An efficient Google My Business (GMB) description meets Google’s requirements. It contains essential search terms, vital information about the business (such as its products and services, history, what makes it stand out from competitors, and anything else that may be of use to customers), and other details about the business.
It should be an essential part of your local SEO business plan because it plays a vital role in local search optimization.
Upload Business Images
As such, Google strongly recommends that you include images of your business in your listing. Images highlighting various parts of the business will help set it apart on Google and boost conversion rates.
You may boost your rating by regularly submitting photos to your Business Profile, showing Google that you are actively managing your account and listing.
Also, since Google increasingly features visual content in local search results, this provides yet another channel via which your target audience might find you. It is among the important local SEO ranking factors.
Include a Business Logo
Adding your corporate logo to your Google My Business listing increases your brand recognition and exposure.
The logo is featured prominently in the Business Profile for companies that have basic information like phone numbers and hours. You can use it as your local SEO strategy.
Create a Cover Image
One option for personalizing a business profile on Google Search and Maps is to upload a cover photo. As one of the most prominent features of the listing, the cover photo should be an image that effectively conveys the nature of the business.
An image of the outside of the building is the most popular choice. Still, an interior view can effectively promote a restaurant’s or bar’s environment or highlight a product’s unique selling points. Keep it in your local SEO business plan.
Choose Categories that Fit Your Business
From “accounting firm” to “website designer,” Google provides more than 3,000 options for businesses to label themselves. Customers can get more relevant results for the services they need by narrowing their search using these options.
For a given business profile, you can choose one primary category (the one that will be shown in the listing) and several secondary categories (which won’t be shown but will give Google more information on the nature of the business).
Many local SEO specialists believe the primary Google My Business category to be the most critical factor determining a company’s position in the local pack.
Add Google Posts to Your Business Profile
Posts in Google My Business are a fantastic way for businesses to introduce their brand’s personality and foster relationships with current and new customers.
Google Posts, comparable to status updates on other social networking platforms, can be used to publicize news and events, drive traffic to your website, highlight new or best-selling products, and more. It can be an essential part of your local SEO business plan.
While it’s true that publishing your Business Profile isn’t the same as keyword-optimized content, it can nevertheless have the same sound effects on your search engine rankings as submitting images.
Conclusion
So, make sure your Google My Business account is up and running and at its best all the time to make your local SEO business plan effective. Although listings are important, a well-organized website is essential for good search engine results and maximum benefit.
Improve it in every way possible. It’s essential to have a strong link profile. Therefore, creating local content optimized for your target keyword and geographic area is a good idea.
Promote customer feedback by inviting them to rate and review your company on your website or the My Business platform. Make sure your profile is up-to-date and engaging; fake profiles get you nowhere. You can also choose local SEO services if you need help with how to use GMB for local SEO.