Google My Business is a free Google tool that allows organizations and businesses to directly manage their online presence on Google Search and Google Maps results. With this tool, the businesses can achieve better visibility locally, as in search results, there is a list of the local businesses displayed to the users. As for the users, they can find and choose one of the businesses close to them, having at their disposal a lot of information, such as:
- address
- opening hours
- business site
- photos and videos
- reviews
For 2022, Google My Business was a marketing asset for every business!
Publish your Google My Business Listing
To benefit the most from Google My Business Listing, you need to use all of its features by completing the listing details. Let’s see some useful tips that will optimize your listing.
1. Fill in the full details of your business
The local search tends to favor the most relevant results. Therefore, businesses with the most detailed and accurate information make it easier for Google to show them higher in search results.
However, this is important not only for Google. It is also crucial for the users and your potential customers. The more information you provide in Listing, the more likely it is to select you over the competition. Do not make your clients guess or make hypotheses.
Your Google My Business Listing should make clear what your business is doing, where it locates, and how users can purchase the offered products or services. Moreover, any extra details provided for your business, like wifi or accessibility for the disabled, can make a difference in the competition.
2. Add photos
Adding a sufficient number of quality photos depending on your business type is another way to stand out in the market. We suggest you add 6 photos at least, while for businesses with facilities, such as restaurants, at least 10. The more, the better! Photos help business listings be much more efficient than traders and entrepreneurs could expect.
According to Google, businesses with photos in their listing receive 42% more questions for directions to their location from Google Maps and 35% more clicks to their home page compared with businesses without uploaded photos.
Make sure that your photos meet Google specifications:
File Type: JPG ή PNG
Size: From 10KB to 5MB
Minimum Resolution: 720px height, 720px width
Quality: The photo must be stable, well-focused, clear, and well-lighted, and not subject to distortions or extensive use of filters. It should also correspond to reality. An attractive Cover Photo is also necessary.
3. Optimize the Google Business Description
As you write down the description, you should focus on two main objectives:
a. To convince a potential customer to select you
There is no magic here. Make sure that you use the 750 available characters to describe your business precisely, and what it offers, and give a good reason to your users to select you.
b. To help Google better understand you
Just like traditional SEO, Google uses a range of indications to decide what to display on search results. So, it is crucial to use the most relevant keywords and expressions for your business for the best results in the search. It is not as difficult as it may sound. Actually, you will probably add more keywords than you need. For example, if you own an Italian restaurant, it is enough to include the description “Italian restaurant” once.
4. Use local posts
A way to connect with your audience is to upload various information while making a post keeping your Google presence active. You can post offers, products, services, events, and happenings directly on Google Search and Google Maps via a post on Google My Business. Follow some tips to accomplish more by posting:
Text range: Posts can be up to 1500 characters long, but we suggest you keep your text short and “to the point”. Only the first 7 or 8 words are visible and users should click to read more. So, make sure that you pass your message to the beginning of your text.
Images: Any photo or video that you upload should be of high quality. Videos are a very powerful tool to attract the interest of the audience. So, if you have the material, make sure that you use it wisely.
Follow the guidelines below:
Image size:
Minimum: 400 width x 300 pixels height, 10kb
Maximum: 10,000 x 10,000 pixels, 25 MB
Video size: the file size (AVI, MP4, MOV, etc.) can be 100 ΜΒ maximum
Call-Τo-Αction: Google My Business offers several CTA buttons that you should take advantage of. The provided options are various and depend on your post type, while there are some CTA buttons that we find frequently, such as Learn more, Order Online, Buy Now! Etc. The links should lead the user to a well-provided and relevant landing page.
5. Receive and manage Customer Reviews
Another section that users visit to decide on a purchase is “reviews”. Customer reviews are pretty influential, and they can convince customers to select you. The most simple and effective way to start receiving reviews is to ask for them!
Besides all these, many businesses stop there. The way you connect to your customers by replying to their reviews shows that they are valuable to you and so does their feedback. Positive reviews have a positive impact on potential customers looking for your business. But the way you handle the negative reviews can also have a positive impact. Moreover, they improve your business visibility in search results.
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