There are several things to do for your local business on Google. Check out these quick and easy local business tips to do that.
RELATED: Add These 6 Tips To Your Small Business Marketing Strategy
Stand Out on Google with These Local Business Tips:
1. Posts and Promotions in Google My Business
Type of Posts:
- What’s New – highlight anything new with your business or the USP (unique selling point) of your business.
- Events – promote your upcoming and current events directly on your Google listing in Search and on Maps.
- Offer – (should be) for limited-time promotions. Support your message and draw attention with some photos or videos. Options include online redemption or a coupon code for in-store visits.
- Product – broadcast any new products or services you are offering by showing a picture of what you offer, as well as a description and price range.
Effective Content To Use On Google My Business:
A. High-Quality Pictures & Videos
High-quality pictures and videos can:
- Grab the attention of potential customers (as they usually scroll for the “results”)
- Reinforce your information/message
You can turn good reviews into all kinds of marketing material (in digital or print format) with the Small Thanks With Google program.
B. Short and Sweet
- The ideal length of posts falls between 150-300 characters.
- Opt for all vital information included in Preview mode (not “Learn more”)
- Put yourself in the shoes of your target audience and consider words and phrasing that appeal to them.
- Back up with different variations of buzz words.
- Take a group vote before publishing.
C. Stay Professional
Don’t get too personal with your posts, especially on GMB. While Facebook and Instagram offer more leeway, Google My Business is a place for the business side of things—professionalism is better!
D. Proofread
Misspellings or poor-quality content are among the most common mistakes. Make sure to do proofreading and final checks before publishing.
E. Stick to The Rules
As you may know, there is no place for content that is offensive or violates another person or location’s privacy on Google.
Stay away from those types of content unless you want your business to get dinged. Unsure? Check out Google’s list of content that would fall into this category here.
F. CTA & Landing Page Optimization
Add attractive and clickable CTAs that best communicate the action you want users to take.
Your landing page should be clean and aligned with your posts – Optimization includes backlinks to recent blogs, funneling users to a lead capture page, or driving traffic to a new product.
2. Claim Every Location That You Can
Embedding a map on your website creates a super user-friendly way for website visitors to see exactly where you’re located, which further improves your company’s local SEO.
A map is alright. But a map that users can enlarge and move is much better. Zooms help them to see where your local business is to their approximate location.
RELATED: How To Use Locl’s Insights To See How People are Finding Your Google Listing
3. Engage in Google Reviews
When it comes to making online purchases, trust is a key player. Research by Think With Google finds that 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Two ways to build trust for good reviews are:
- Provide fantastic service – give customers a good reason to write their stellar reviews.
- Make it easy to write reviews – a URL on the bottom of receipts, a link in your monthly newsletter, or information on your social media accounts can all help.
(Maybe a discount for reviewers – You will not only benefit from reviews but also have more customers show up to use their in-store coupons!)
Make sure that you reply to less than desirable reviews, too. It shows prospective customers:
- You’re honest and willing to fix something that went wrong.
- You are caring and pay attention to your service and customers.
- You’re accommodating and easy to work with.
4. Provide Up-To-Date Information and Ample Photos
Misinformation can lead to missed opportunities and bad customer experiences. An up-to-date Google My Business account keeps your customers informed and guarantees strong local SEO. Therefore, your GMB listing should include:
- Business Hours
- Contact Information (phone, email, social media accounts)
- Other Essential Details & Updates – (expanded services, temporarily closed, fully reopened, promotions, coupons, etc.)
Uploading photos to your Business Profile through your GMB account dashboard helps signal to Google that your business is active and updated, ensure your profile looks its best, and boost engagement. Some easy ways to use photos to optimize your GMB Profile:
- Use something that best represents your brand for the cover photo
- Include interior and exterior views, happy customers, and team photos – or refer to Google’s photo guidelines for more details
- Focus on images’ quality
5. Optimize Your Listing With Locl
Optimizing your listing is a mandate, yet it can also be pretty challenging:
- It’s hard to keep everything up-to-date and optimized.
- Lose customers to other local competitors because of untimely actions.
- Understanding all the features of GMB takes time.
Are you a small or medium-sized business’ owner who has difficulty with Google My Business? It’s time for a change with Locl! We provide:
- Useful Analytics
- Easy Profile Management
- Timely Recommendations
- Map Listings Optimization
- User-friendly Dashboards
- Use Google My Business features like a pro in minutes
These local business tips provide you some of the easiest ways to help your business shine on Google. To further optimize your GMB listing, Locl can give you a boost!
Optimize your business with Locl? Click here for free sign-up with your Google My Business account, no credit card needed, and start using it right away!
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