A solid digital marketing strategy is one of the main things that make a business successful. This doesn’t only include the social media we use every day, such as Instagram and TikTok. It also consists of the largest place people use to search for information online: Google.
Google is one of the most-used search engines in the world, and it features something called Google Business Places, which allows people to find reliable businesses in the area. We are GMB Ninja, a digital marketing agency that helps businesses rank higher in these searches. Therefore, we wanted to share the following steps you must follow to do so.
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1- Create a Google Business Places
The first step is to create a Google Business Places account and connect it to your Google Business profile, which you’ll use to optimize your business’ searches. This is pretty easy, as you only need to go to www.google.com/business and log in with your business email.
2- Complete Every Section
Now it is time to fill in your business information. There’s nothing more sketchy than a company without enough data, which is why this step is so important. It will help you rank higher in search engines and ensure your customers get the information they need when they need it.
You can divide the information that needs to be filled into the following three categories:
- Basic information, such as your business name and contact info, should be filled in immediately.
- FAQs, your products and services, and deeper business information should take more time, as these sections need to be correctly written for your users to understand.
- Ongoing sections, such as your posts and reviews, should be constantly updated.
3- Be Meticulous with Contact Information
You must consider three important aspects when filling in your contact information.
- Use the same name your business is legally registered as. Please avoid using keywords and location words, as this could be penalized for spam.
- Don’t change the terminology in your business name or address, as simple changes such as using “st.” instead of “street” can be seen as a red flag by the algorithm.
- Make sure to clarify your regular and holiday hours to prevent your customers from visiting your store out of schedule.
4- Write Your “From the Business” Description
Although Google writes a small description for all businesses to ensure they all meet its standards, you can still write your own description that will show up below the Google-generated one. Some tips to optimize it are the following:
- Use all the available characters, but make sure to put all the relevant information within the first 250.
- Feel free to use some information from your “About Us” page.
- Here you can use all the keywords you wish as long as they’re naturally inserted into the text.
- Avoid repeating information. The best thing to do is highlight your value proposition compared to other companies.
- Please do not include links of any kind.
5- Choose a Category
Choosing a category is one of the most critical steps when optimizing your Google Business Places page, as it will help your clients find your business much faster when they need it. The chances are that your client will search for “Libraries in my area” instead of directly searching for your specific library, so it is best to indicate which type of business you have.
Another great thing to add is niche-specific features, such as star ratings in the case of hotels or a reservation button in the case of restaurants.
6- Select Applicable Attributes
The previous steps will give you access to a list of attributes that may appeal to potential customers and lure them into your business. Some of the most common are things such as “free WiFi” or “take-out service available.” However, you can also find lists like this on other review sites, such as Yelp.
7- Add Photos
Adding photos to your Google Business Places page can give you a plethora of benefits. Some of the most common are the following.
- It ensures your profile is as professional-looking as possible, especially if you use high-quality pictures.
- Active profiles tend to rank higher on SEO searches, so you should upload at least one new picture per week.
- People are more likely to choose a business if they know how it looks, especially in regard to hotels and restaurants.
- Photos are much more likely to get clicked on than simple text, increasing engagement.
Bottom Line
Remember that a Google Business Places optimization strategy is meant to provide your customer with all the information they need to decide whether your business is the right one for them or not. However, sometimes doing all of this can be a bit of a hassle, so don’t hesitate to contact us if you want to get the most professional results possible.