Google My Business Will Be Beneficial to Your Business
Google My Business or GMB is by far the best tool to help you market and grow your business. It is user-friendly, free, and can be used by any business owner. If you know it’s ins and outs and take advantage of the convenience it brings, you will easily grow your client base and up your sales.
Getting Started with Google My Business
Google My Business is the key to advertising your services or products and reaching more people within your target area. It guarantees online visibility by ensuring your business appears on the front page of the search engine and Google maps. When users look for services related to what you offer, they can easily find you.
Your business, location, service descriptions, working hours, customer reviews, etc. will be easily accessible. This will make it easier for them to familiarize themselves with your business and locate you.
Your GMB profile allows you to quickly address questions and respond to comments. Which communicates professionalism and integrity. Customer reviews reassure potential clients of your legitimacy and exceptional services or products. They are the key to attracting more people, increasing your revenue, and boosting your SEO.
5 Key Features for Comprehensive Marketing…
Your business description.
Add a description of what you do on your profile and help your customers to better understand your business. Write the most important information and be honest about your offers. Your description is limited to 750 characters so make the most of it.
Use the ‘Primary Category’ section when setting up your account and choose one that best describes your business type. Google will display your profile based on your choice.
Posts.
Use posts to tell your clients about a new offer, discounts, product updates, or upcoming competitions. Add the right image and add a call-to-action to encourage them to make a purchase. Posts are a great way of attracting as well as engaging with users. You can add up to 10 images.
You can also share video posts with your audience. Your video should be 30 seconds and no more than 100MB. They are a great way of marketing your business and briefly explaining your new offers.
Direct messaging.
Never miss an inquiry. Use this feature to directly communicate with your clients. Make sure you are available during the listed working hours and always respond to comments, questions, and feedback.
Direct texts make it easy for you to market to your potential customers and introduce new exciting offers while they are interested. Activate it by going to the GMB dashboard and clicking on ‘Message.’
Photos.
As a business owner, you want to uphold your company’s reputation and ensure your profile stands out. So, pick the right photos that represent your brand well. Your choice will determine how many people get drawn to your page, go over your profile, and develop an interest in doing business with you. Hire a professional photographer or do it yourself. Use image editing software for the best results. For instance, Adobe Photoshop.
Customer reviews.
Add customer reviews to your page to show and assure prospective clients of the quality of your services. When they see comments from satisfied customers, they will want to do business with you. This is because people often make buying decisions based on social reviews or someone else’s experience with your product.
Ask satisfied customers to review your business and add it to your page. If you can get 8 or more new people each month you are set to go. To make it easier, ask every willing client to send a direct message detailing their experience with your service or product. Remember to take note of both positive reviews and negative ones. Send a “Thank you” message to every assessment.
You can also collect your reviews via email, social media platforms, or your the convenience it brings, you will easily grow your client base and up your sales.
Avoiding Common Mistakes with Google My Business
Account owners often fall prey to some of the most common GMB mistakes and end up having their accounts suspended. You don’t want to be one of them.
So, know what to avoid and take advantage of the power that the platform brings.
Here are some common mistakes and how to avoid them…
Unverified business listing.
Ensure you verify your listing to have full control over your account. Most business owners neglect this important step and end up having their listing reclaimed or deleted. Verifying allows you to publish posts, keep your information up to date, and make changes whenever you desire to. It is also a great way of ensuring your profile gets displayed at the top right side of search results when someone types in or searches for services or products related to your business.
Use any of the previously mentioned verification methods to claim your listing. For example, phone or email.
Failing to optimize images for SEO.
Adding and uploading images to your posts is a great way of interacting with users. However, if you want to improve your rankings, be sure to optimize them. Use alternative texts on your photos for the best SEO results.
Neglecting to give sufficient information.
Google uses NAP or your company name, address, and phone number to get you on the front page of search results as well as to prove the legitimacy of your business. make sure your NAP information is consistent throughout your online platforms. For instance, your GMB profile and your site. Giving inadequate or incorrect information can ruin your reputation. So, provide accurate and sufficient information to your customers. If there are any recent changes to upcoming events, promotions, or products, make sure you mention that.
If your location, website, or operating hours have changed, update your profile. This will boost SEO, help you to dodge negative reviews, and put your business a step ahead of the competition.
Not adding the Questions & Answers (FAQ) section.
One of the main things that give rise to “Awful experience” or “A total waste of money and time” are unanswered questions. If you promise on-time responses and a user visits your page and asks about your product only to receive an answer 6 or 24 hours later, you will lose credibility as a business owner. Adding or posting a Frequently Asked Questions & Answers section will help you to resolve that.
So, have an exhaustive list of commonly asked questions and provide answers for each. Mention the FAQ section on your posts time and again to help your visitors quickly get answers to their pressing issues.
Not responding to customer reviews.
When you have reached your SEO, marketing, and sales goals, don’t neglect client reviews. Respond to every one of them as they come. If you are too busy to respond, ask a team member to fill in your shoes. This will motivate your satisfied client to advertise your services to friends and family. It is also a great sign to prospective customers who are visiting your page.
I’m bestselling USA Today and Wall Street Journal author, publisher, and entrepreneur Connie Ragen Green and my goal is to connect with you if you have more than just a passing interest in getting started with an online business. I most recently released Really Simple SEO Tips and Keywords for Beginners and this is an excellent place to begin. Please take a look while it’s still at its introductory pricing.
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