A major marketing strategy a lot of business owners have is trying to get their company name in Google search results, preferably with a good rank that can bring an influx of quality traffic.
One way to do it is through a search engine optimisation strategy that can improve the quality of a site to meet the strict requirements of search engines. However, to get at the top of the Google results, working on your website is just part of the process. To really drive it home, you should also set up a Google My Business listing.
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What Is Google My Business?
Google My Business is a free tool set up for businesses and organisations to easily boost or manage their online presence on Google. With a listing, you can get your business on Google Maps, or even featured in the Search Network with all its info. A listing can help your customers find your business, as well as additional information about where you’re located, reviews, what product or service you offer, etc.
A Google My Business listing helps you:
- Manage your information – these listings can offer everything a user needs in order to get in touch with you;
- Interact with customers – users can post reviews or add photos. Business owners can add posts or photos themselves. According to Google, businesses that add photos receive 42% more requests for direction on Google Maps, and 35% more clicks to their site;
- Improve your SEO results – a verified business listing can increase your company’s chances of showing up in Google results, as Google already knows your business, and has all the information it needs.
Who Needs It?
Local businesses have the most to gain from such a listing, but it’s far from the only type of company that should set up a profile.
Claiming your business on Google with this profile is a powerhouse SEO move that can benefit anyone from big real estate agencies, to small local restaurants.
How to optimise your listing
1. Create a Complete Profile
Your business profile shouldn’t be rushed and incomplete, as this can put off some of your potential customers and might even work against your SEO strategy.
Make sure to add:
- Business location
- Contact info like a phone number, email address
- Other links the user may want to check out, such as your company website, social media sites like Facebook or Twitter, etc.
- Other information exclusive to your company. For instance, a coffee shop or a restaurant will want to add its hours, and maybe a reservation link.
- A short description to let people know something about your business.
Note that Google also has a “Suggest an edit” feature, where any user can submit a change to a business listing information. Google has it to ensure all information stays current, but it can lead to some inaccuracies, as at the end of the day Google has no way of knowing if an edit is accurate or not.
This is why you should routinely check that your info is accurately representing your business activity.
2. Add Posts to Your Listing
Just like on other social media sites, you can add posts on your Google business listing page, and gain another way to get your content in front of your audience.
You can use this feature for a lot of different purposes:
- Sharing links to your site
- Posting updates regarding your business activity
- Tease the launch of a new product
- Promote special offers, etc.
People may not scroll through a Google listing page as they would on social media, but your two latest posts will be featured as a preview. So it’s worth updating this section routinely to ensure more people have access to this information.
3. Pay Attention to the Question and Answers Section
The Q&A section is designed to help those looking for additional details of a business. They can post their question, and receive an answer.
The caveat is, just like with the “Suggest an edit” feature, anyone can answer these questions. In some cases, this is not necessarily bad, as you may have some people who follow and know your company well enough to answer simple questions.
But, for the more nuanced inquiries, a company’s official response is needed. So be sure to check the Q&A section and answer consumer questions from your official business profile.
4. Monitor Consumer Reviews
One of the best things about Google My Business pages is the reviews feature. These days, users turn to customer reviews to essentially check the credentials of a business:
- Are their products or services high-quality?
- Are they trustworthy?
- How are they valued?
- How do they interact with customers?
- Is the business even legit?
But while some customers may sing your praises, others will use the reviews section to complain about a bad experience. This is really inevitable, and the goal isn’t to only show how happy people are with your products, but also how you address bad experiences and how on point your customer service is.
Unaddressed negative reviews can speak loudly for a company. Either it doesn’t care enough to respond, or it really doesn’t value the opinions or voices of the customers. And these are not good looks for businesses, at all.
Get Started with Your SEO Strategy Now
As marketing strategies go, focusing on SEO is one of the best things you can do for your Sydney business to help it reach its goals. And we at Australian Internet Advertising are ready to help you on your SEO journey with a personalised strategy, just for you.
Get in touch with us now here or call us at 1300 304 640 and let’s see what needs to be done to improve your Google ranking and boost your ROI!
