How to Optimize Your Google My Business Listing

Do you own a local business? Are you looking for a way to generate more interest online? If so, an important first step in any local SEO strategy is to claim and verify your local business’ Google My Business (GMB) listing.

Now’s the time to learn more about Google My Business, including how to optimize this page to increase your chances of showing up in Google’s Local Pack, Local Finder, Google Maps.

While this tool has a lot to offer, its primary goal is to provide the online world with basic details related to your business. This includes but is not limited to:

• Business hours
• Phone number
• Directions on Google Search and Maps

What is Google My Business?

Isn’t Google My Business the same as other Google services? To sum it up, qualifying local businesses can claim this free listing on Google and include information about their company, like their address, phone number, business hours, and types of payments accepted.

Google has continued to make changes to the way it supports local businesses, including a shift to this new name and platform. Here’s what the search engine giant has to say about this:

“If you previously used If you previously used Google Places for Business or Google+ Pages Dashboard to manage your business information, your account has been automatically upgraded to Google My Business.”

Complete all the information Google asks for

When it comes to optimizing your Google My Business page, there are a few things you can do to improve your position. Get started with the following:

1. Provide Accurate Business Information

When was the last time you reviewed your information? When people search for your business on Google, it’s imperative that Google is provided with accurate information, such as your phone number, address, and website.

2. Be Unique

One of the best ways to optimize your Google My Business page and stand out from the crowd is to be unique. There are many ways of doing so, such as:

• Sharing information on what makes your business the best in your area.
• Responding to reviews, both positive and negative (hopefully these are few and far between).
• Adding images of your storefront, interior, staff, and products/services (when applicable).

It’s one thing to create a Google My Business page. It’s another thing entirely to take the steps necessary to make it unique.

3. Create a 360-degree Virtual Tour

This isn’t something you have to do, but once again, it will allow your business to stand out. Through this feature, you can provide online searchers with a 360-degree virtual tour of your business, ensuring that they get an up close view before visiting in person.

Other GMB Optimization Tips

While the above tips will put you on the right path to creating and optimizing your Google My Business page, you don’t want to stop there. By taking a few additional steps, it won’t be long before you find your page outdoing your competition.

1. Double Check Your Category

This may not sound like a big deal, but listing the wrong category for your business could work against you.

While most businesses find this simple, others need to take a step back and think about the category that best describes their company. The best thing you can do is be as accurate as possible.

2. Create a Killer Introduction

Details, details, and more details. The introduction section is your chance to provided detailed information regarding your business. While you don’t want to overdo it, this is a great place to sneak in a few keywords that best describe your company.

Here are some tips for creating an introduction:

• Use headings
• Short paragraphs are best
• Use bullet points to break up the text

3. Respond to Reviews

This is mentioned above, but it’s well worth touching on again. The more people you serve the greater chance you have of receiving reviews.

While you hope that every review is positive, this won’t always be the case. Even the best companies receive negative feedback form time to time.

Make it a habit to read and respond to every review.

Conclusion

Did you know there are approximately 28 million small businesses in the United States? This is a large number no matter how you look at it.

With so much competition, regardless of location or industry, it’s important to do whatever it takes to position yourself for success. In today’s day and age, this means focusing a lot of time, money, and resources on your online presence.

Your Google My Business page has a lot to do with this. With the right optimization strategy in place, you may soon find that this is one of the best ways to reach your audience, grow your business, and prove your reputation within your industry.