Google My Business can be a powerful tool for certain types of companies to attract more customers, but most people aren’t tapping into its full potential. Many don’t even scratch the surface.
When most people create a profile, they just fill out the basic contact info and leave it at that. That’s a good start, but there are numerous other details you can optimize to improve your listing’s ranking. These details can also help demonstrate your expertise, inspire trust, and convert searchers into leads.
The best part is that it’s not incredibly complicated. It just takes time and consistent effort.
1. Contact Information
Obviously, you need to add your business contact information to your Google My Business profile, but that’s the bare minimum. This includes your address, service areas, hours of operation, and your phone number.
2. Description
Your description can help improve your ranking and provide a great opportunity to give searchers a reason to do business with you.
Many people fail here by either writing a poor description or not writing one at all. Treat this like you would any other piece of content—focus on the problems you solve for your customers instead of rambling about how long you’ve been in business or how large your company is. Make it about them and their needs, not about you and your ego.
Include keywords that people might use when searching for the type of products or services you offer, but don’t go overboard. Keep in mind that you have limited space (750 characters), so make sure the most important info is at the beginning.
3. Reviews
Positive reviews can quickly transform your business from an unknown entity into a much more trusted one. This is a concept called social proof, which is deeply rooted in human psychology. It takes a lot of work to get customers to leave reviews, but it’s definitely worth it because of the effect it has on building trust.
The key here is to ask when positive emotions are at a peak, and guide your customers on key points to include in their review. Respond to each review, especially negative ones, to show you care about your customers and are willing to address problems.
4. Posts
Posts on Google My Business can help increase visibility and conversions by providing the opportunity to display a headline, image, text post, and a call to action button. Current CTAs include options like Book, Order Online, Buy, Learn More, Sign Up, Get Offer, and Call Now.
Utilize posts to publish both promotional and informational types of content, enticing searchers with value. A well-crafted post with a call to action can be a powerful way to get searchers to engage with your brand.
5. Questions & Answers
Considering that the foundation of SEO is based on answering questions for searchers, Q&A can play a strong role in optimizing your Google My Business profile. You don’t need to rely on others to ask questions; you or your employees can ask and answer them.
This tactic can help your profile rank higher and demonstrate your expertise. Frame these questions from the perspective of the customers and avoid self-promotional content.
6. Photos
Most profiles have few or no photos uploaded, which is a missed opportunity. Add more photos to improve your ranking and showcase your products or services. Utilize a combination of photos of your physical location, products, customers, and staff. Consistently upload new photos, aiming for at least one per week.
7. Products
Highlight the products you offer, giving searchers more insight into what you offer and increasing your likelihood of earning them as customers. Include a call to action linked directly to a page on your website.
8. Services
This tab highlights what you do for customers. While Google offers auto-suggested services based on your service category, you can add custom services if needed.
9. Veteran-Led Business
Google has added the ability to denote Veteran-led status on your profile. This feature can increase trust with searchers who specifically want to buy from Veteran-owned businesses, especially from fellow Veterans.
Dealing with Unwanted Changes
Occasionally, you’ll find changes suggested to your Google My Business listing that you didn’t make. These could come from Google, well-meaning searchers, or even competitors. Regularly log in and decline unwanted changes to maintain visibility and a positive impression on potential customers. This shouldn’t be too difficult if you’re already logging in to create posts, upload photos, and respond to reviews.
Image Credits
All screenshots taken by author, June 2020
