Now that you have your Google My Business page claimed and verified, it’s time to start thinking about what content you’re going to share and how you’re going to show up for your searchers.
Remember, your business wants to show up on Google when people look for you. It’s called findability. And your Google My Business page is one of the first pieces of online real estate that will show on Google Search and Google Maps.
So now you need to get that page ready to turn visitors into customers.
Once you have your page verified by Google, you will have a lot more flexibility when you’re updating your page.
Your main dashboard is going to give you a lot of options to start customizing your page. Today I’m going to discuss five options you can use so you start showing in prospective customers’ Google searches.
Posting
Yes! This is another platform you can post on. Much like Facebook, Linkedin or Instagram, you can post graphics or images and add some text for context.
“At a minimum, you should be posting on Google My Business once every seven days,” according to OneUpApp.
“Many businesses post once per day, and have seen good results and improved rankings. Google tends to look favorably on businesses that use Google products frequently.”
This is something you can add to your online strategy. Posting once or twice a week will let you show up with searches. Add Google My Business to your posting schedule.
Complete your listing
You will see where you can add hours of operation, which is really important. Most people using search are often looking for quick information.
This is where you complete all of that quick information that gets people to click onto your website and learn more about your business.
Think of this as a timeline:
- Google “café in Inglewood.”
- Find “Gravity Espresso & Wine Bar” in the Google My Business profile card.
- Now you can see the hours of operation, phone number, Google reviews, menu, etc. This is such a great way to let people learn more and have engage with you.
If that Google My Business listing didn’t exist … well, I don’t need to state the obvious do I? #thisstuffworks
And if your Google My Business page isn’t complete, you won’t show up in searches. Google has the searchers, and you have the product or service.
Give everyone the opportunity to connect.
Utilize your Google review link
Once you’re verified, you can start building your profile to get Google reviews. And reviews are very important to build a trust factor for anyone buying your product or service.
Studies have shown that the business listings that include customer reviews have greater credibility and, naturally, receive more clicks.
When your Google My Business page shows up on the right-hand side, it gives the number of reviews and the average star ratings so people can get information quickly.
Reviews don’t always come from your customers unless you ask. So send a link to the review page in an email or with an invoice asking for a Google review. Here’s a resource to help set this up in case you’re just starting out.
Products and services
Another great way to showcase your business is to add your products or services. Go into the platform and add descriptions that are searchable and help with findability, pricing of some sort and images. And include lots of images.
The product store is an amazing way to showcase your featured products, and you’ll be able to easily add more or edit what you have.
Insights
Insights will increase your customer base by providing you with data. You’ll be able to see reports comparing you with your competitors and from there you can decide what changes you need to make.
Google My Business is a great resource for anyone who wants to improve the findability of their product or service.
Donita Fowler is an online marketer who supports entrepreneurs in their quest to be the boss of their online platforms.
Donita is a Troy Media Thought Leader. Why aren’t you?
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