With the growing digitization, the competition among local businesses is also increasing. All local businesses, whether big or small, need to be present online to reach their target audience. And being present online is not just about having a website. You also need to make sure that your website shows up when people search for relevant keywords related to your business. This is where Local SEO comes into play.
Local SEO is all about optimizing your online presence to make your website more visible in local search results. And one of the best ways to optimize your Local SEO is by using Google My Business (GMB). Google My Business is a free platform provided by Google that allows businesses to manage their online information. This includes their business name, address, phone number, website, business hours, and more.
By providing accurate and up-to-date information about your business on GMB, you can improve your chances of showing up in local search results. Furthermore, GMB also allows customers to leave reviews about your business. These reviews can help boost your Local SEO even further.
How can Google My Business help your local business?
There are several ways in which GMB can help improve your Local SEO. Let’s take a look at some of them:
It helps you get found online
The first and most important benefit of GMB is that it helps your business get found online. By providing accurate and up-to-date information about your business, you are more likely to show up in search results when people search for relevant keywords. Moreover, GMB also allows you to add photos and videos of your business, which can help attract more attention to your listing. Also, GMB optimization increases rankings, which proves beneficial in driving more traffic to your site and creating more sales, alongside advertisement.
It helps improve your click-through rate
Another benefit of GMB is that it can help improve your click-through rate (CTR). CTR is the percentage of people who click on your website link after seeing it in the search results. A higher CTR means that more people are interested in your website and what you have to offer. One way to improve your CTR is by using GMB to add photos, videos, and other rich media to your listing. This can help make your listing more visually appealing and thus encourage more people to click on it.
It helps you get more leads
GMB can also help you get more leads for your business. This is because GMB allows customers to leave reviews about your business. These reviews not only help improve your local SEO but can also convince potential customers to do business with you. When your Google My Business is optimized, your business is more likely to show up in local search results. This, in turn, can help you get more website visitors and leads for your business.
Improved business branding
Another way in which GMB can help improve your business is by helping you with your branding. This is because when customers see your business listing on GMB, they will also see your business name, logo, and other important information about your business. This can help create a more professional and trustworthy image for your business.
How to optimize your Google My Business profile?
Now that we know the benefits of GMB, let’s take a look at how you can optimize your GMB profile to improve your Local SEO.
Add photos and videos
As we mentioned earlier, one way to make your GMB listing more visually appealing is by adding photos and videos. Customers are more likely to click on a listing that has photos and videos than one that doesn’t. Furthermore, you can also use these photos and videos to present your products or services.
Choose the right categories
Another important thing to do when optimizing your GMB profile is to choose the right categories. There are different types of businesses, and each type of business belongs in a different category. For example, if you have a restaurant, you would want to choose the “Restaurant” category. Choosing the right categories is important because it helps Google understand what your business is and where it should show up in search results.
Use keywords
When writing your GMB profile, it’s important to use keywords. Keywords are words or phrases that people use to search for businesses like yours. By including relevant keywords in your profile, you are more likely to show up in search results when people search for those keywords.
Get reviews
As we mentioned earlier, one of the benefits of GMB is that it allows customers to leave reviews about your business. These reviews not only help improve your Local SEO but can also convince potential customers to do business with you. To encourage customers to leave reviews, you can send them follow-up emails after they make a purchase or interact with your business in some other way.
Recommended: 10 Best Way to Optimize Your Google My Business Listing
Wrapping up!
Google My Business is a powerful tool that can help improve your Local SEO. By optimizing your GMB profile, you can attract more website visitors and leads for your business. Get started today and see the difference GMB can make for your business.
