Having an online presence for your business is something you should view as a priority. If you have an actual storefront for your business, finding ways to get online consumers to visit it is important. Local search engine optimization is a great way to accomplish this goal. Using geo-targeted keywords in your content is just the first step in attracting attention from people in your local area.
Nearly 50% of all search engine users are looking for local information. When people that live in your area search for the products/services your business offers, you need to show up on the first page of results. While there are many ways to make your local presence known online, none are quite as effective as correctly using Google My Business. The following is more information about what Google My Business is and how to use it to your advantage.
What is Google My Business?
Google My Business is a free tool that allows business owners to manage their online presence on Google. The main goal of this tool is to help consumers find information about businesses. Your Google My Business profile allows you to provide information about your company’s story, where you are located and your hours of operation. Once you verify your business with Google, you will be able to edit the information on your Google My Business profile easily.
Optimizing Your Google My Business Profile
After you claim your Google My Business account, you need to start optimizing your profile. The more information you can provide local consumers about your business, the easier it will be to turn them into actual customers. The first thing you need to do to your Google My Business profile is to provide basic information. The sections on the profile you can complete right away are:
- Business name
- Website address
- Hours of operation
- Phone number
- Business address
Other sections like products/service, questions/answers and category/attributes will require more time and thought to complete.
Meticulous Contact Information is Important
If you have a sign in front of your storefront, you need to make sure the name on the sign matches your business name on your Google My Business profile. You also need to make sure your business name and address are identical on all of your online listings. Indicating your company’s regular and holiday hours is also a great way to optimize your contact information.
Pay Attention to the From the Business Section
You need to realize that the description of your business that appears below your business name is auto-generated by Google. While you don’t have control over what this description says, you can use your profile’s “from the business” section to provide unique information about what your company does.
Taking information from your website’s “about us” page and optimizing it with popular industry-related keywords is a great way to optimize the content in this section. However, you should avoid repeating any information found in other sections of your Google My Business profile. You also need to avoid embedding links in this text.
With these tips, you can generate more website and foot traffic with the help of Google My Business.
By, Peter Roesler, President of Small Business SEO. 25+ years in marketing! Yippee.
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