- eugeneleow1997
How to Optimize Your Google My Business Listing in 2022
With Covid-19 staying rampant and showing no signs of slowing down, many businesses have taken the route to digitalization to continue staying relevant in the industry. If you’re a small business starting off, how do you then compete against the vast amount of competition in your industry? How do you stand out among your competitors, especially when you have little to no marketing budget?
Fret not; this article is all you need, showcasing the steps on how to Optimize Your Google My Business Listing (GMB Listing).
Table of Contents:
What is Google My Business Listing
Google My Business Listing or GMB is a platform that allows you to manage your online presence and connect with your customers across Google Search and Maps. A GMB listing allows your business to present a virtual storefront to any users doing a Google search for products or services in your industry.
Ever recalled the last time you had a craving and were indecisive about what to eat for lunch?
Did you do a google search to seek out nearby restaurants or food outlets to satisfy that craving?
All of the restaurants shown in the image above have a Google My Business Listing.
Perhaps the above situation doesn’t apply to you. In that case, how about the time you were in an icky situation and looking for a plumber nearby? Or perhaps you’re simply looking to sign up for a local gym membership and hit the gym instead?
In both scenarios, you’d realize that all of the services listed above have their own GMB listings too. No matter if you’re a small business, medium enterprise, or large conglomerate, a GMB listing is necessary and of paramount importance.
Benefits and Importance of Google My Business Listing/Google Business Profile
Having a Google My Business Listing is important as it allows you to showcase your storefront to any user who does a simple Google Search. With this online storefront, you can:
Appear on Google Maps Listing for business location and address
Let your customers know on the store’s opening and closing hours
Enhance your website and brand by giving it an identity and search presence for relevant products and services
Highlight latest promotions and packages
Include images on your products and services
Update customers on the latest news and regulations
Showcase your beaming 5-star reviews of past customers or clients who left with an everlasting impression
Increase visibility on search results and map listings
Receive and interact with customers who leave messages through the GMB app.
How Much is GMB Listing
The best thing about having a Google My Business is that it’s entirely FREE to set up! All you need is a Gmail account, which is free to create too. With a GMB listing, you can start reaching out to your customers across Google Search and Google Maps!
Now that we’ve covered the benefits and importance of Google My Business Listing, let’s move on to the highlights of the article on how to optimize your Google My Business Listing, and stand out among your competition. First and foremost, you will need to have a Google Business Profile in order to create your GMB listing. Since late last year, Google my Business has rebranded itself as Google Business Profile, or GBP for short.
How to create a GBP/GMB listing
Do a quick google search for your brand name (storefront) to check if your business address has an existing GMB listing. If it already exists, click on ‘Own this business’ and log in to your Google Business Profile. Otherwise, you can create a free Google Business Profile here: https://www.google.com/business/
Navigate into Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps and key in your business address.
Add your business location and follow the on-screen instructions accordingly.
Verify your information accordingly. Most local businesses opt to verify via mail, in which case, Google will send a postcard to the business address listed in step 2. It usually takes about 2-3 weeks for the postcard to arrive. It may take longer in view of the global pandemic happening.
Upon receiving the postcard, sign in to your GBP/GMB, click on the business you wish to verify, and enter the code (in the postcard) accordingly.
How to Optimize Your Google My Business listing in 2022
After you have completed the verification process, start by updating the important and relevant information for your business. These include but are not limited to:
Business Address
Your customers and potential customers would want to know where you’re located, as well as the surroundings (street view) so that they can find their way to your store without much hassle.
Opening Hours
Potential customers would want to know your opening and closing hours before making a trip down to your store. Nobody likes making a wasted trip.
Contact Information
Provide your business contact number and point of contact so that customers can reach out for inquiries and reservations.
Products and Services
Remember to include in the range of products and services that you provide at your physical storefront.
Website
If you have a website, do link it to the GMB listing as it portrays a more professional outlook, and customers can find out more about the services that you provide beforehand.
Photos
As the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Having images (especially Instagram-worthy ones) that portrays your products and services in a positive light can influence consideration and increase visits to your storefront by up to 40%!
Business Description
Include keywords and categories that best represent your business! For example, if you’re a barbershop, you can use keywords like haircut services, haircut for men, haircut for women, hairstyling services, hair dyeing services, hair salon, etc.
After you’ve updated the basic information, proceed with creating your first GMB Post!
In your GMB Post, you can choose between the option of:
Offers
Events
Products
Services
Similar to your website’s SEO practices, GMB listings have their own set of rules to follow.
Regardless of whichever choice of GMB post, do take note to include in an image and keywords relating to the nature of service that your business provides, alongside a powerful and convincing call-to-action (CTA) that entices potential customers and convert them into walk-ins.
How Merchynt helps optimize your Google My Business listing
Merchynt helps small businesses get more customers without spending money on ads. With our revolutionary online presence optimization tools, we're able to help local businesses compete online, get found by potential customers in their area, and convert them to buyers.
Our Listings product enables a business operator to manage their online information, such as business hours, booking links, and more in one place. We syndicate business listings information to over 50 popular websites and apps, such as Google, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Apple Maps, so your customers can get found by more people in their area and grow.
Our Reviews product enables a business operator to request reviews from their customers and respond to online reviews from over 20 platforms in one place, all from within our management dashboard.
With an "Excellent" rating on Trustpilot, we've reliably helped businesses of all types, including service professionals, restaurants, retailers, medical practices, notaries, landscapers, law firms, gyms, rental businesses, cleaning businesses, and many others. If you need to get found by people in your area, then Merchynt can help you grow. We not only provide an extremely easy-to-use marketing platform for small businesses but also give amazing customer support.
Need a demo on how to optimize your Google My Business listing? Get in touch with us about how we can help improve and optimize your Google My Business listing!