GMB Best Practices
Are you a small business owner looking to improve your online presence? Google My Business is an essential tool that can help you attract more customers and boost your visibility in local search results.
Google My Business (GMB) is a free tool that allows businesses to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. By creating and verifying a GMB listing, businesses can appear in the "local pack" results in Google Search and Google Maps, which can help to increase visibility and drive traffic to their website.
Here are some best practices for optimizing your GMB listing for SEO:
Claim and verify your listing: The first step in optimizing your GMB listing is to claim and verify it. This involves creating a listing for your business and verifying your business's location and information. This step is critical because unverified or incomplete listings may not appear in search results.
Complete your business information: It's important to make sure that your business information is accurate and up-to-date. Include details such as your business name, address, phone number, and website. Also, make sure that you use the same information across all of your online listings, including your GMB listing, website, and social media profiles.
Add photos and videos: GMB allows you to add photos and videos to your listing, which can help to increase visibility and engagement. Be sure to add high-quality photos of your business, products, or services to help attract customers. You can also add videos, like a virtual tour of your store or behind the scenes of your business operations.
Encourage reviews: Reviews play an important role in local SEO and can be a powerful way to increase visibility and credibility. Encourage customers to leave reviews of your business on GMB by providing them with a direct link or by sending them an email after their purchase. Be sure to respond to all reviews, both positive and negative, in a timely and professional manner.
Use categories and attributes: GMB allows you to select from a list of categories and attributes that best describe your business. This information is used to help search engines understand what your business is about and what it offers. Be sure to select the most accurate and relevant categories and attributes for your business.
Optimize your GMB posts: GMB posts are a great way to share news, events, and other information about your business. Optimize your posts by including keywords and relevant information that can help search engines understand what the post is about. Also, you can use posts to promote special offers, announcements, and new products.
Monitor your GMB insights: GMB provides insights on how customers interact with your listing. Use these insights to understand how customers are finding your listing and what actions they're taking. This information can be used to optimize your listing and make it more effective.
Utilize the Google My Business API: Utilizing the Google My Business API can help you manage, update and monitor your listings programmatically at scale. You can use the API to automate repetitive tasks, such as updating your hours, receiving notifications of reviews, or responding to customers.
Add a link to your website: You can add a link to your website on your GMB listing. This can help to increase visibility and drive traffic to your website. Make sure the link is accurate and is working properly.
Keep your information updated: Keeping your information updated is essential for SEO. Regularly check your GMB listing to ensure that all the information, including hours, contact information, and photos, is up-to-date. Also, update your listing with new products, promotions, and events, to keep your business fresh in the minds of customers.
Google My Business is a powerful tool for local SEO. By following these practices, you can ensure that your business stands out in search results, attracts more customers, and ultimately drives more revenue.
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