You have probably searched for something online and noticed this nice listing box appear on the right-hand side of the search results, or maybe you were looking for a business on Google Maps, and you noticed that the business has a profile, in which you can see tons of information, photos and operating hours for the business, well this is all done using a Google My Business Listing.
So why should you care?
Well, the reality is that Google relies on users and users rely on Google. Every day, a few billion searches happen on Google and over one-third of these searches are focused on local content. So, how can a business get more visibility (besides having a responsive website with good SEO)? Google again, has the answer: Google My Business
Google My Business is an online tool that allows managing how a local business appears throughout Google products and it also has an impact on local SEO, as the business information will be accurate and consistent.
Here you have the top five benefits of using this tool:
1. First and foremost, Google doesn’t charge you for opt-in this tool, however, you need to invest time to master this tool and reap the full benefits it has to offer.
2. Insights: Google offers analytical data about how a business was found, where it was shown, and what information the end-user is seeing.
3. Google Post: it has the option to show featured content to users that already found the business. This includes:
- Events: drive in-store visits like live music at a bar or restaurant
- Product Updates: new merchandise
- Offers & Specials: sales and discounts
- Announcements: any updates related to store hours or general business information
4. Reviews: users are going to leave reviews. Some of them will be good, some of them will be bad, and all of them will play a key role in how other customers see a business. Google allows to manage and monitor reviews with a nice dashboard that will make anyone’s day easier.
5) Visibility: having consistent information throughout Google about a business will improve all marketing efforts as many local listings use Google’s data to feed their listings.
So, is it really necessary to have a Google My Business profile? It all depends on the type of business and industry as this has a bigger impact on local SEO, but it helps to reach new customers and drive more traffic to a website or in-store visits.
Comments are closed.