Drive Traffic to Google My Business Listing with Expert Tips and Best Practices

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To drive traffic to your Google My Business listing, you need to optimize your profile with accurate and up-to-date information.

Make sure your business name, address, and phone number are consistent across all online platforms, including your website and other local directories.

Google recommends that your business name should include relevant keywords to help customers find you.

A study found that 76% of local mobile shoppers visit a store within a day of conducting a search.

Google My Business allows you to upload high-quality photos and videos to showcase your business, which can increase visibility and engagement.

By responding promptly to customer reviews, you can show that you value customer feedback and care about their experience.

Optimizing Your Listing

Optimizing your Google My Business listing is key to getting found in local search, standing out above competitors, and winning customers online. You can make your listing stand out using Google Paid Search and by optimizing your Business Profile on Google.

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An optimized Google Business Profile has more features and is more attractive and engaging than a basic one. It's like the difference between Carl's short box and Ernie's more detailed profile.

Optimizing your Google Business Profile helps consumers choose your business over competitors. It's also essential for effective local marketing, giving you a 24/7 marketing and lead generation tool for your local business.

To optimize your Google Business Profile, you can follow 13 ways to turn it into a lead generation tool. These include sharing photos of your products and services, answering questions directly, and providing a visual map of your company's location.

A well-optimized Google Business listing is one of the most important elements of local searches. It can help you show up more often in local searches and find new customers.

To get started, verify your Google My Business listing and curate your basic and rich data to better distinguish your business online. This will help your business show up in search engine results pages (SERPs) and attract new customers.

Listing Setup and Configuration

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A well-optimized Google My Business listing is free and really quite simple to set up. You can update hours, special promotions, post blogs with call to action buttons, videos, photos, and more.

Developing a Google My Business listing is estimated to count for 25% of local search ranking factors that Google uses to determine where you are listed on a Google Search Engine Results Page. This is a significant factor in local searches.

Adding photos and other visual assets to your Business Profile can help your business to better engage and interact with users, with businesses that include photos receiving 42% more requests for directions on Google Maps and 35% more clicks through to their websites than businesses that don’t.

What Is a Listing?

A Google My Business listing is not something you can search for, but rather information you provide to Google to populate on the search engine results pages, knowledge graph, and Google Maps.

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It's free and surprisingly simple to set up, taking just a few minutes to get started.

Your listing is estimated to count for 25% of local search ranking factors that Google uses to determine where you are listed on a Google Search Engine Results Page.

Developing a Google My Business listing allows you to update hours, special promotions, post blogs with call-to-action buttons, videos, photos, and more.

Business Profiles with photos receive 42% more requests for directions on Google Maps and 35% more clicks through to their websites than those without photos.

Adding photos and other visual assets can help your business better engage and interact with users.

Create an Account

To create a Google My Business account, head to Google.com/business and sign in with the regular Google/Gmail account you use for your business. This will give you access to the Google My Business dashboard where you can connect your account to your Google Business Profile.

Credit: youtube.com, Google Business Profile Set Up: 2024 Step-By-Step Tutorial For Best Results (Includes Verification)

A Google My Business account is separate from a Google Business Profile, so don't worry if you're not sure what that means. Just know that you need to have a Google My Business account to make optimizations to your Google Business Profile.

To sign in, use the same Google/Gmail account you use for your business, not your personal Gmail account. This will ensure that your business information is connected correctly to your account.

Verify Contact Information

To ensure your Google Business Profile is accurate, make sure your business name is identical to the one you use on your store signage. This means exactly as it appears in the real world, without adding location names or keywords.

You should also ensure that both your business name and address match your other listings across the web. This means using "st" vs "street" or "co" vs "company" consistently, as Google's algorithm takes these inconsistencies into account when assessing your credibility.

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Indicate both your regular and holiday hours to encourage customers to visit you and avoid potential negative reviews. This is especially important to avoid disappointing customers who take the trip out to your store only to find it closed.

Here are the specific steps to follow:

  1. Match your business name exactly to your store signage.
  2. Ensure your business name and address match your other listings across the web.
  3. Indicate both your regular and holiday hours.

Descriptions and Categories

Describing your business and choosing the right categories are crucial steps in setting up your Google My Business listing.

Choosing a category is a must for optimizing your Google Business Profile. This is because 84% of Business Profile views on Google originate from discovery searches, where the consumer searched for a product, service, or categorical term and your business's profile appeared.

A well-chosen category can also help you access category-specific features that make your profile more attractive and effective. For example, restaurants can include a menu or reservation button, while hotels will pull in star ratings.

To optimize your Google Business Profile using categories, be specific and choose the most relevant categories for your business. If you're a nail salon, choose "Nail Salon" and not just "Salon." You can find a full list of GMB categories here to ensure you find the most specific one for your business.

Credit: youtube.com, How to set up listing categories | Sharetribe Tutorial

You can also choose secondary categories that apply to your business. Set your primary category to your chief offering, such as "Grocery Store", and then choose additional categories that match your offering, such as "Grocery Delivery Service" or "Gourmet Grocery Store."

Here's a list of tips to keep in mind when choosing categories:

  • Be specific
  • Choose secondary categories
  • Don't overdo it

By following these tips, you can ensure that your business is accurately represented and easily found by potential customers.

A description of your business is also an essential part of your Google My Business listing. This description will act as keywords for users when they search for your business on Google. You can choose what category is right for your business while also implementing a tidy description of your business.

When adding a description and selecting a category for your official URL, you can also boost the SEO of your website. This is especially true if you're a business that doesn't have a name that indicates its service, such as Fresh Express or Amelia's Catering.

By choosing the right categories and adding a descriptive paragraph about your business, you can increase your visibility on Google and attract more customers to your business.

Visual Content and Engagement

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Visual content is a game-changer for your Google My Business listing. You can add photos to your Business Profile through your Google My Business account dashboard, which is important for ensuring quality and being active with your profile.

Adding at least one new photo every seven days can help signal to Google that you are up-to-date and active, positively impacting your ranking. You can also add videos to your profile, and even use Google's Street View app to add a 360º photo.

To optimize your photos, make sure to include happy customers, interior and exterior views, and team photos. Avoid using stock photos, special effects, or branding, as Google wants to represent your business as it appears in the real world.

Improve Engagement

Improve Engagement is key to getting more customers to your business. More and more consumers are entering and exiting Google without going to any other website, resulting in "zero-click searches." This means your Google Business Profile needs to be optimized for quality engagement and conversions.

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Posting to your Google Business Profile is a great way to increase engagement. Posts can include announcements, offers, events, and products. They show up on the "Updates" section toward the bottom of your Business Profile, and might become more prominent based on the search query.

Consumers have higher intent on search engines versus other posting platforms, so they are more likely to engage with your Google posts. They can also follow your Business Profile and get notified of new posts and updates. Plus, your Google My Business posts will even appear on Maps – it's free advertising for your local business!

Here are some tips for optimizing your Google Business Profile with posts:

  • Post regularly, not just to send signals to Google, but also because certain post types expire every seven days.
  • Use event and offer posts for marketing campaigns that have a timeline.
  • Include links and CTAs in every post.
  • Take advantage of special post types, like the COVID-19 post type, to effectively communicate with your audience.

Write Your Description

Writing a compelling description for your business is crucial in making a great first impression on potential customers. You have 750 characters to work with, so use them wisely.

Use all 750 characters, with key information in the first 250 characters. This will ensure that your description is both informative and attention-grabbing.

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Repurpose content from your "About Us" page or mission statement to save time and effort. This will also help you to stay consistent in your branding.

Use keywords your audience uses to find businesses like yours. This will help you to rank higher in search results and attract more customers.

Don't repeat any information already visible in the other sections of your profile. Use this space to talk about what sets you apart from competitors and what customers like most about your business.

Here's a quick checklist to help you optimize your "from the business" section:

  • Use all 750 characters.
  • Repurpose content from your "About Us" page or mission statement.
  • Use keywords your audience uses to find businesses like yours.
  • Don't repeat any information already visible in the other sections of your profile.
  • Don't include links or HTML.

Add Photos

Adding photos to your Google My Business profile is a great way to enhance customer interaction and engagement. By uploading photos, you can ensure quality and accuracy, as anyone can add photos to your profile, resulting in a range of quality.

Uploading photos regularly signals to Google that you are active with your profile and it is up-to-date, which positively impacts your ranking. Google is advancing in image recognition and starting to include photos in local results.

Credit: youtube.com, Boost Engagement by 650% with Visual Content! Why Images & Videos Matter in Digital Marketing

To optimize your Google Business Profile with photos, follow these tips:

  • Add at least one new photo every seven days.
  • For your thumbnail photo, upload your logo.
  • For your cover photo, use something that best represents your brand.
  • For other general photos, refer to Google’s photo guidelines for specifications.
  • No stock photos, and no photos with special effects or branding.
  • Focus on quality images that have clear depictions.

Geo-tagging your photos can further indicate to Google your prominence in your area. Adding videos, too, can help showcase your business and increase engagement.

Increased Visibility

Increasing your visibility on Google is crucial to driving traffic to your Google My Business listing. Higher GMB rankings place your business at the top of local search results and Google Maps, making it easier for potential customers to find you.

Your Google My Business profile is what shows up in the knowledge panel when customers search for your business on Google, making it essential to create and optimize your profile. Optimizing your profile can help your business to rank higher on Google Maps and on the first page of Google Search results.

To increase your visibility, ensure your listing is accurate and consistently updated with high-quality images. This will help you to reach a significantly wider audience in less time and with a focus on what matters most—your customers and clients.

Local SEO and Rankings

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Local SEO and Rankings is a crucial aspect of driving traffic to your Google My Business listing. Optimizing your Google Business Profile sends signals to Google to rank you higher in local results, increasing visibility and engagement with your business.

To rank higher on Google Maps and on the first page of Google Search results, you need to optimize your Google My Business (GMB) listing. This includes completing your profile with accurate details and quality photos.

A strong Google My Business presence shows your business's relevance and authority in the community, fostering local loyalty and support. This is achieved by incorporating location-specific keywords throughout your GMB profile and using local business schema markup on your website.

To rank #1 on Google Maps, make sure your GMB listing is complete and up-to-date with accurate details and quality photos. Actively collecting and replying to customer reviews, and including relevant keywords in your business description, is also essential.

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Here are some key factors to consider for a successful local SEO strategy:

  • Complete and accurate GMB listing: Ensure all business information is accurately provided, including business name, address, phone number, and operating hours.
  • Location-specific keywords: Incorporate location-specific keywords throughout your GMB profile to enhance local search visibility.
  • Local business schema markup: Implementing Local Business Schema Markup on your website helps search engines understand and display your business information more effectively.
  • **Actively collecting and replying to customer reviews**: Respond to customer reviews and use them as an opportunity to engage with your customers and improve your business.
  • Regularly update your listing: Keep your GMB listing up-to-date with fresh content, including new products, services, and promotions.

By focusing on these key factors, you can improve your local SEO and drive more traffic to your Google My Business listing.

Customer Engagement and Conversion

Improving customer engagement and conversion is crucial for driving traffic to your Google My Business listing. This is especially true with the rise of "zero-click searches" where consumers are finding the information they need directly in search results pages.

More and more consumers are interacting with businesses through Google Business Profiles than their websites. You'll want to optimize your profile for quality engagement and conversions.

An optimized Google Business Profile can help you acquire customers by allowing them to discover you in keyword searches, call you, visit your website, and more. This is especially true if you have a regular profile, but taking it to the next level with Google My Business can make a big difference.

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With an optimized profile, consumers can view and contribute FAQs, request a quote, book an appointment, and make a reservation. You can also track clicks to your website, appointment, or menu link using UTMs and Google Analytics.

Collecting and highlighting Google Reviews is a crucial step in improving customer engagement and conversion. Positive reviews can enhance your credibility and improve your chances of ranking higher in local search results.

Responding to reviews, both positive and negative, demonstrates engagement and customer care, which can further boost your rankings and build trust with potential clients.

Measuring and Improving Performance

To measure and improve the performance of your Google My Business listing, it's crucial to create a Google Business account to familiarize yourself with its features. This will help you understand how to optimize your listing effectively.

To increase your GMB traffic, keep your profile current with accurate information and attractive images. Regularly sharing updates and promotions, actively seeking and responding to reviews, and using relevant keywords are all essential strategies. Engaging with local content will also help attract more visitors.

Collect and Utilize First Party Data

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Collecting and utilizing first-party data is a game-changer for your Google My Business strategy. This valuable information can be gathered directly from customers through interactions, transactions, and feedback.

You can use this data to tailor your marketing strategies and improve customer engagement. By leveraging insights from your data, you can drive more targeted and effective marketing efforts.

Gathering first-party data is a proactive approach, as seen in Sekel Tech's innovative method. This allows you to stay ahead of the competition and make informed decisions about your business.

Encouraging and responding to customer reviews is a key part of collecting first-party data. This not only shows that you value your customers' opinions, but also helps to improve your Google My Business rankings.

By utilizing first-party data, you can optimize your marketing efforts and enhance your GMB profile. This leads to more targeted and effective marketing efforts, ultimately driving more customers to your business.

How to Boost Views

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Boosting views on your Google Business Profile is crucial to increasing visibility and engagement with your business. Ensure your listing is accurate and consistently updated with high-quality images.

To improve your GMB rankings, ensure your listing is accurate and consistently updated with high-quality images. Encourage and respond to customer reviews, use relevant keywords in your business description, and keep your content fresh. Engaging with local content and maintaining an active presence will also help boost your rankings.

Regularly sharing updates and promotions, actively seeking and responding to reviews, and using relevant keywords can drive more traffic to your GMB listing. Engaging with local content will also help attract more visitors.

Optimizing your Google Business Profile sends signals to Google to rank you higher in local results, which means more visibility and engagement with your business.

Why It Matters:

A higher Google My Business (GMB) ranking not only increases your business's visibility but also directly impacts foot traffic and sales. For instance, if your business consistently appears in the top three results, you'll likely see a steady stream of new customers who discovered your business through Google.

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Being featured in the Google Map Pack significantly increases your business's visibility to potential customers. It appears prominently at the top of the search results, making it more likely for users to click on your listing.

Completing and updating your GMB profile fields helps Google understand your business better and improves your chances of appearing in local search results. This includes ensuring accurate information, regularly posting updates, gathering positive reviews, and more.

Here are some key benefits of optimizing your GMB profile:

  • Increased visibility to potential customers
  • Improved chances of appearing in local search results
  • Established trust and credibility with users

By appearing in the Google Map Pack, you can target users who are actively searching for businesses like yours in their local area. This is especially true for local search queries, where users are looking for products or services in their vicinity.

Advanced Strategies

Creating a Google Business account is a great starting point for getting found in local searches. This is because your Google My Business (GMB) profile is what shows up in the knowledge panel when people search for your business on Google.

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Your GMB profile is also the source of the information that shows up in the map pack, which is the group of 3 listings at the top of organic search results. This means that having a complete and accurate profile is crucial for getting noticed.

To take your SEO strategy to new places, consider leveraging advanced digital advertising solutions for a precision-powered digital campaign. This approach ensures personalized and context-rich engagement, leading to higher conversion rates and a stronger online presence.

A key benefit of Google My Business is that it allows you to reach a significantly wider audience in less time. This is especially important for local business owners who want to spread the word about their business.

Expert Tips and Best Practices

To drive traffic to your Google My Business listing, make sure to claim and verify your business on Google Search and Google Maps, as this will help establish your online presence and improve your visibility in search results.

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Use high-quality and accurate photos to showcase your business and products, as this can increase the chances of users clicking on your listing. A minimum of 5 photos is recommended to give users a comprehensive view of your business.

Regularly post updates and offers on your Google My Business listing to keep users engaged and informed about your business. This can include promotions, events, and new products.

Respond promptly to all reviews, both positive and negative, as this shows users that you value their feedback and care about their experience. This can also help improve your overall rating and increase trust with potential customers.

Use the "Ask a Question" feature on Google My Business to encourage users to ask questions about your business, which can help increase engagement and drive traffic to your listing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I drive traffic to my business?

Drive traffic to your business by hosting engaging events, seminars, and workshops that attract passersby and encourage customer loyalty. Start by reaching out to your existing customers and using location-based services to draw in new ones

Francis McKenzie

Writer

Francis McKenzie is a skilled writer with a passion for crafting informative and engaging content. With a focus on technology and software development, Francis has established herself as a knowledgeable and authoritative voice in the field of Next.js development.

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