Google My Business is a free platform that allows businesses to manage their online presence across Google. It includes a business profile, customer reviews, and insights into how people are finding your business. But is Google My Business worth the effort for local SEO? Let’s find out!
Is Google My Business worth the effort for local SEO
Thinking about investing time in setting up or claiming your Google My Business (GMB) listing, but not sure if it’s worth the effort?
If you’re a local business, the answer is most likely yes! Here’s why:
Your business will show up on Google Maps
If you have a physical location, setting up a Google My Business profile will ensure that your business appears on Google Maps. This is valuable real estate, as most people who are looking for a local business start their search with Google Maps.
You can add photos and videos to your profile
Google My Business allows you to add photos and videos of your business, which can help potential customers get a better sense of what your business is like. This is especially valuable if you have a brick-and-mortar business, as customers can see what it’s like inside and outside your store.
Google My Business allows you to add as many locations as you want. If you are a franchise owner, or you have multiple businesses in complementary industries, this can be a huge boon to your business. GMB allows for two separate routes to your locations.
How to Add a Second Location to Google My Business
You can list hours of operation and contact information
Make sure potential customers know when they can visit your store by listing your hours of operation in your Google My Business profile. Additionally, include your contact information (phone number, email address) so that people can easily get in touch with you
Customers can leave reviews
One of the best ways to get feedback from customers is to allow them to leave reviews on Google My Business. Reviews not only give potential customers an idea of what to expect if they patronize your business, but they also help improve your SEO.
You can see how customers are finding your business
Google My Business provides insights into how customers are finding your business, which can be valuable information for crafting your marketing strategy. For example, if you see that many people are searching for your business on Google Maps, you know that it’s important to invest in local SEO.
You can post updates about your business
Google My Business allows you to post updates about your business, which is a great way to keep potential customers in the loop. For example, if you’re running a promotion or launching a new product, you can let people know by posting an update on your Google My Business profile.
Customers will start seeing your brand as more trustworthy
If you’re active on Google My Business, customers will start to see your brand as more trustworthy and credible. This is because they’ll see that you’re taking the time to manage your online presence and engage with potential customers.
Did you know?
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Approximately 97 percent of people who conduct an online search look for local businesses.
You can see an increase in website and foot traffic thanks to Google My Business
If you’ve set up your Google My Business profile and are actively using it, you should see an increase in website traffic and foot traffic (if you have a physical location). This is because potential customers will find your business more easily online and offline.
Your ROI will increase
Because Google My Business can help increase website traffic, foot traffic, and brand trustworthiness, it’s likely that your ROI will increase if you invest time in setting up and maintaining your GMB listing.
So, is Google My Business worth the effort for local SEO?
Overall, Google My Business is worth the effort for local SEO because it allows you to better manage your online presence, add photos and videos, list hours of operation and contact information, get customer feedback, and see how customers are locating your business. So, if you haven’t already set up a Google My Business profile for your business, we recommend doing so!
How to set up a Google My Business account for better local SEO
Knowing the importance of Google My Business, you might wonder how to set up a GMB account. Here’s a quick overview:
- Visit business.google.com and sign in with your Google account or create one if you don’t have one already.
- Enter your business name and address. If your business has multiple locations, you can add them one at a time.
- Select the category that best describes your business. You can choose from a list of categories or add your own.
- Include high quality photos and videos of your business.
- Set up your hours of operation and contact information.
- Get started with Google My Business today to improve your local SEO!
If you need help to set up your account or optimizing your listing, just ask for help! There is no need to mess around with your listing on your own when you can have a team of experts do it for you.
10 Tips to make Google My Business worth the effort for local SEO even more
Here are a few tips to make Google My Business even more effective for your local SEO:
- Make sure your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent across all online directories.
- Use keywords in your business description.
- Optimize your Google My Business profile with keywords and rich content for better local SEO results.
- Optimize your website for local SEO.
- Encourage customers to leave positive reviews on Google and other review sites.
- Respond to customer reviews.
- Use Google Posts to share updates about your business, special promotions, or events.
- Add a Google+ page for your business and link it to your website.
- Setup a free Google Analytics account to track website traffic from organic search.
- Claim your free Google Maps listing.
As you can see, there are many benefits to using Google My Business for your local SEO efforts. By following the tips above, you can make sure that your GMB listing is working hard for you and helping you to improve your SEO. So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to rise!
Local SEO puts your company next to individuals who live nearby. These are most likely prospective clients. Local SEO allows you to take organic keywords from your business and make a localized term out of it.
What are the benefits of Local SEO for small businesses
P.S. If you’re looking for more help with your local SEO, check out Rank Location software. It’s a great tool that helps you to track your local SEO progress and get more insights into how you can improve your ranking.
