Whether you operate in a B2B or B2C environment, potential customers need to be able to find your company website quickly and easily. After all, in today’s world, a majority of consumers begin their research of products and services online using Google or another search engine such as Bing.
Ensuring that your company is easy to find online is the job of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). SEO is simply a collection of tactics and techniques that help you achieve better rankings for your company website in organic search results.
Effective SEO efforts begin and end with Google. Why? Because Google is the big fish in the digital pond. Worldwide, more than 90% of online searches are conducted on Google.
In terms of SEO, if something is important to Google, it should be important to you as well.
Google My Business
One important, but not yet widely known tool is Google My Business (GMB). Formerly known as Google Local and Google Places, Google My Business is a free tool that businesses and organizations can use to manage their online presence across the Google universe.
Specifically, Google My Business makes it possible for you to own, manage, and update your Google Business Profile. Doing so is important because the information entered into your profile impacts how (and where) your business profile appears in search results.
Business profiles appear in Google Maps and in the local results of Google Search and, when fully optimized, contain a business description, services, operating information, contacts, reviews, posts, and more.
Optimizing your Google Business Profile is a major tool in your SEO arsenal
The Benefits of Optimizing Your Google Business Profile
In a recent article, WordStream and LOCAliQ elaborated on three key benefits of optimizing Google Business Profiles:
1. Boost your local ranking: Google’s algorithm for ranking business profiles does not just consider proximity and relevance but also activity and quality of information. Optimizing your Google Business Profile sends these signals to Google to rank you higher in local search results. This has the potential to bring you more customers.
2. Improved engagement: In many cases, the information found in an optimized profile will answer the questions a potential customer may have about your business. This means that they may not need to even click through to your website.
With potentially more consumers interacting with your businesses through your Google Business Profile than your website, it is important for your profile to be optimized for engagement and conversions.
3. More Conversions: With an optimized Business Profile through your Google My Business account, consumers can discover you in keyword searches, call you, visit your website, research your products and services, view/contribute FAQs, request a quote, book an appointment, make a reservation, and more.
How to Optimize Your Profile
Google has already created your online business profile using publicly available information about your company. However, this does not mean you actually “own” your business profile. In order to optimize your profile, you first need to gain access to it (also referred to as “claiming” your profile).
A Google My Business account is the only means by which you can claim ownership of your Business Profile and attain management rights to it.
The specific steps to take to claim your profile is beyond the scope of this article, but for those interested, there are many useful sources available online:
How to Use Google My Business to Get More Customers (hootsuite.com)
How to Create & Verify Your Google My Business Account | WordStream
Not Just A Listing: Business Profile – Google My Business
Claiming your profile is just the beginning, however. You must also optimize your profile.
According to WordStream, these are the key steps to take:
- Complete every section of your Google My Business account
- Be meticulous with contact information
- Select primary and secondary categories
- Mark off applicable attributes
- Write a complete “from the business” description
- Publish Google posts weekly
- Upload new photos weekly
- Answer questions
- Collect and respond to reviews
- Add your products and/or services
- Activate the messaging feature
- Maintain/update your profile
For the do-it-yourselfer, the WordStream article provides more details about each step as does this piece.
Keep in mind that optimizing your profile is not a “one and done” activity – it is an ongoing process. It is almost impossible to overstate the importance of posting to Google My Business on a regular basis.
More information about the importance of posts and posting (and how to post) can be found in this useful article.
The Take-Away
There are many ways a customer can find your business. Few, however, are more powerful than a simple Google search.
Your business must be present and accounted for online. Google My Business helps to position your business in front of the eyes of potential customers who are looking for your product or service.
Google My Business is free to use, but many businesses lack the expertise or time to set-up, maintain, and optimize their profile.
NWI Business Solutions is here to help. We have extensive expertise in SEO, local SEO, sales and networking skills training, sales process analysis and development, and determining the proper tools needed to build an integrated sales and marketing operation for your B2B or B2C organization. Contact us to learn more.
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