Google My Business (GMB) is complete free tool, the Google offers companies, which allows them to gain more visibility and find new customers. In short, it’s a kind of “vitamin yellow page” where customers can find not only contact information for the company, but also other customers’ opinions, pictures of facilities, products and services, schedules, and even answers to questions.
Enabling Google My Business Direct Messaging can attract a wide variety of new customers.
80% of internet searches around the world are done through Google or similar. 3.5 billion searches are carried out every dayThis means that showing up on the first page of search results (SERP) when a customer is doing a search related to the sector to which they belong is a huge benefit. To do this, the GMB profile must be optimized as much as possible.
How to optimize Google My Business
-Profile information: The first step is to review all of the information in the profile. It must be ensured that it is reliable and up-to-date. Above all, it is important to double-check the schedules, as a mistake at this point can lead to a lot of negative reviews, as it should be noted that the information is displayed in the large fragments of Google, as well as in Google Maps and in the search. With that in mind, it is wise to double-check that the information in the GMB profile matches what is on the website, otherwise customers may be suspicious.
-Category: The category is another important part of the GMB profile as the results in which the profile appears will depend on it. To do this, the category must be correct and contain the most important keywords in the SEO strategy. With that in mind, it is wise to be careful not to use keyword stuffing techniques. The use of these terms must be natural.
GMB has a list of over 2,300 categories, and while checking all of them can be a hassle, it is convenient to do. In addition to the category, which needs to be as specific as possible, it is also necessary to configure the attributes that look like “adjectives” and give the user more information about the company. Attributes can answer customer questions with very specific terms such as “animal-friendly” or “child-friendly”.
-Profile pic: Google My Business profiles with an image tend to get more clicks. With this in mind, it is possible to upload a profile picture, video or cover picture. Ideally, they should all be original, captured by the user, and not use archive images. In addition, GMB offers the ability to search for and use images in which the company has been tagged.
-Reviews: Reviews are GMB’s lifeblood. It is therefore advisable to ask customers to leave a review (if it can be positive). To do this, simply send a link to the profile. In this sense, “invite” does not necessarily mean or buy, as buying from positive and negative reviews is prohibited by Google. On the other hand, every time someone takes the time to give a rating, it has to be answered, regardless of whether it is good or bad. If the comments are negative, the message should be read carefully as much can be learned from it.
-Announcements: Despite the phone number and address given in the profile, many customers hesitate to call. GMB has a tool called “Messages” that, once activated, allows users to send a message directly from their Google My Business profile or request a quote without calling.
