7 Google My Business Tips: Tackle Them Today and Help Your Google Ranking

Setting up a Google My Business (GMB) profile for your company or business is a great marketing tool to increase traffic both online and in person. Here are seven Google My Business tips that will help you take full advantage of the tool.

Fill Out All Basic Info

The first thing you should do when setting up your Google my Business account is fill out all of your business’s basic information. This includes your business name, phone number, hours, address, website and description of your business. You will also need to choose categories for your type of business. There is an option to choose a primary category and also to add additional categories. For a marketing agency, for example, you’d want to choose something like “marketing agency” as your primary and then add additional categories like internet marketing service, web designer, marketing consultant, etc.

As part of claiming your GMB listing, you will also need to verify your business via mail. You will receive a postcard in the mail that includes a code for you to enter into your profile. Be sure to use the exact same street address with every contact with Google.  

Use Keywords Everywhere

One of the most effective ways you can help your business grow online is utilizing the best SEO practices. Keywords are extremely important in helping your business get found online, which is why it’s vital to add them to your GMB profile. Not only will you want to use them in the description of your business, but also in service descriptions, product descriptions, in your GMB post copy, even in replies to reviews. More specific tips for SEO utilization in your GMB profile are mentioned below.

Fill Out Services

It’s important to list the services your business offers on your profile because this is how you will get found. For example, if you own a nail salon, you might list “acrylic manicures” as a service. But don’t stop here. Do you offer a rebalance service for customers with existing acrylic nails? What about acrylic nail removal? You’ll want to add these as their own service with a description as well. Make sure you are using your keywords in your service descriptions as well. It’s likely the services themselves are target keywords for your business.

Fill Out Products

Filling out the products section on your profile is very similar to the services section. In fact, some of your services can be considered products. Say you are an IT support managed service provider (MSP). One of your services may be cyber security. You can use this as a product as well. Another example may be a GMB description for a home builder or developer. You may offer “building homes” as a service and one of your products could be a type of home you build and a general price.

When filling out product descriptions, you have the option to add a photo. You should always add photos when given the chance. Don’t forget to use your keywords!

Add Posts Consistently

One of the features on Google My Business is the ability to create posts. Very similar to social media platforms, you can add a photo with a caption and a customizable button to link and direct visitors to a certain part of your website. Posts are a great way to use keywords, promote special offers and update visitors on your business. You should be consistent with these posts whether it’s one a week, or one a month. 

Add Photos

One of the easiest ways to market your business is with photos, so load up your profile with them. The photos you include will be the first thing visitors see on your profile so choose photos that best represent your business. You will be able to mark one of your photos as the “logo” for your company as well as the “cover” of your profile. You can also assign your photos into categories so if you’d like to include some of the interior or exterior of your office or building, you can label them.

Respond to Reviews Quickly 

You probably know how quickly news and reviews of your business travel through word of mouth. Knowing this, it’s vital that you respond to all reviews left on your profile as quickly as possible. This is especially true for responding to negative reviews. You want your potential customers to see how much you value feedback and it’s also a great opportunity to display your professionalism and problem-solving skills. Remember to use your keywords in your response to reviews. For example, say you own a landscaping business and one of your services and keywords is “spring clean up.” If someone left a review saying you did a great job mulching their property, your response could be, “Thank you for your kind review, Tom. We take pride in providing the best spring clean up service for our clients.” Looking to outsource your Google My Business management? We can help! Book a meeting with us to discuss your GMB and marketing needs.