How to Optimize Your Google My Business Listing for Maximum Visibility

Intro

Google My Business is a free tool that allows businesses to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. It enables people to find your business details like location and contact information. In fact, 64% of Internet users have used Google My Business to find a company's email address or phone number.

Also, a Google My Business Profile allows previous customers to leave reviews. And as you may know, good reviews equal trust and thus more sales.

Because of such benefits, it is important to optimize your listing so that potential customers can find you easily. That's exactly what this article is going to cover — Googe My Business optimization.

10 Steps to Optimize Your Google My Business

Below you'll find the necessary Google My Business optimization steps you need to follow to reach more locals with your business.

1. Claim and Verify Your Business

Claiming and verifying your business is the first step to optimizing your Google My Business listing, and it's an important step to take to ensure that your business is accurately represented on Google. It allows you to manage the information that appears on Google Maps and in local search results.

You'll have control over the information that potential customers see about your business. As if that's not enough, it helps improve the chances of your business appearing in search results when people are looking for businesses like yours nearby.

To claim your business, you'll need to do as follows:

• Go to business.google.com and click on the option that says to manage your business.
• Search the name of your business. If your business is already listed, you'll be able to request ownership of the listing. If it's not listed, you can create a new listing.
• Verify ownership. Verification helps Google confirm that you are the owner or authorized representative of the business. You can verify your business by phone or email.

2. Select the Most Appropriate Business Category

Choosing the most appropriate category for your business is essential when it comes to optimizing your Google My Business listing. The category you select plays a major role in how Google displays it to customers. When you claim your business on Google My Business, you'll be asked to select a primary category that best describes your business.

It's important to choose the most relevant category for your business to help your business appear in relevant search results. For example, if you own a restaurant, you'll want to select the "restaurant" category. If you own a plumbing business, you'll want to select the "plumbing" category.

If you can't find a specific category that fits your business, you can choose a more general category or create a custom category. Just be sure to choose the category that best represents your business and what you do.

3. Complete All the Fields in Your Business Profile

When it comes to optimizing Google My Business, one of the most important things you can do is fill out every field in your business profile. This includes adding a description of your business, contact information (phone number, address, website), hours of operation, and images (including your brand logo and cover photo).

A complete profile makes Google better understand and show your business to people nearby. Potential customers are also more likely to trust you if you filled out every detail. They'll also appreciate it if they don't have to move from one web page to another to find a way to communicate with you.

4. List a Local Phone Number

Adding a local phone number to your business profile is important as it helps customers reach you easily. People prefer calling businesses with a local number instead of a toll-free one, simply because they believe that the former is more reliable and trustworthy.

Plus, when customers call you from their own area code, Google can understand which areas your business serves. This is especially true if you provide services or products to a specific area.

5. Add Relevant Keywords

When it comes to the business description, make sure to include relevant keywords that describe what you do. Think about what potential customers might search for when looking for businesses like yours and include those words in your description.

You can either go to Google for keyword suggestions from its Autocomplete feature or provide answers to relevant "People Also Ask" questions. AI SEO tools can also help in finding the right keywords with their difficulty scores and search traffic. Another idea is to use an AI writer to create an SEO-focused copy that can convince anyone viewing your store’s description.

Keywords not only apply to the description but also to the business name. As much as Google also shows your business category, people are more likely to spot "Alpha Movers" and know what it's about rather than something as plain as just Alpha.

Check these more examples:

6. Be Strategic with Business Photos and Videos

Adding a variety of photos and videos to your Google My Business listing is a great way to showcase your business and attract customers. Visual content can help customers get a better understanding of your products or services. That's why they should all accurately reflect your business and showcase what you do.

To add photos to your Google My Business listing, log in to your account and then locate the "Photo" tab. From there, you can add photos and videos by dragging and dropping them into the upload window or by selecting them from your computer.

Be sure to only use high-quality photos and videos that users won't have a hard time looking at. You can add photos of your team, store, customers or clients, or you can create videos that showcase your business in action. Never be tempted to use images from stock photography marketplaces.

Here’s an example of a photography listing with great work photos:

7. Add Services, Products, Special Offers & Events

One of the newer features of Google My Business is the ability to add services, products, and special offers or events. You can provide potential customers with detailed info about the products or services you offer and show them any special offers or events that you have coming up.

Adding this information to your listing can be a great way to make it stand out from the competition and attract more customers. Plus, it helps Google understand what type of business you are and how to better display your listing in relevant searches.

8. Keep Your Information up to Date

It's important to keep your listing up to date so customers can find accurate information about your business. Also, your business's local ranking on Google and appearance on Maps depends on how accurate and up-to-date the business information isThat’s why you need to monitor local rankings and always update any changes in services or products, special offers, phone numbers, hours of operation, availability, and more.

Google will ping you when a customer makes a change to the info on your listing or posts a review. Make sure to stay on top of these notifications and update your listing accordingly. This will help you maintain your business's visibility on Google and ensure that customers have access to the right details about your business and thus enhancing your store visits and sales.

9. Encourage and Respond to Reviews

Getting customers to leave reviews on your Google My Business listing is a great way to showcase how satisfied they are with your business and encourage others to do business with you.

When it comes to getting reviews, the best approach is to ask happy customers if they would be willing to leave a review on your listing. You can also remind customers to leave a review after they've used your products or services.

Additionally, make sure you respond to any reviews that customers may have left on your listing. Responding to reviews shows potential customers that you are engaged and attentive to customer feedback. This can help build trust with them.

10. Use Google My Business Insights

Google My Business Insights is a great feature that can help you understand how customers are engaging with your business listing. For example, you'll be able to see how many views your business is getting, how many people are clicking on your website or calling your business, and how many people are asking for directions to your store.

You can use this data to understand what customers are looking for when they find your business and how they're interacting with it online. The same information can help you determine which strategies are working best for your business and which need improvement.

Conclusion

Google My Business is an incredibly powerful tool for businesses to leverage in order to boost visibility and engagement. With the right strategies, you can make your listing stand out from the competition and attract more customers.

Plus, with features like Insights, you'll be able to get a better understanding of how customers are interacting with your business online. Make sure to use all the features available to you and stay up-to-date with any changes in order to make the most out of your listing.