Learning how to optimize GMB accurately can add instant value to your company. Google My Business (GMB) is a free service created by Google which lets businesses to appear entirely when people search for your business on Google Search and Google Maps.
Creating a Google My Business Profile is totally free, and easy to do. After you have created your Google My Business Profile, you can already proceed in optimizing GMB and work on boosting your local search appearance. The most relevant results for each search are being favored by local results and businesses that have accurate and complete information are effortless to match with correct searches according to Google.
Optimizing your GMB Profile is about using it to tell Google everything it needs to know to precisely listing your business in the right place at the right time (think local pack and Google Maps) and updating it habitually. By implementing this, your GMB profile will appear frequently in local search results that can be seen by potential customers. Here are some of the easy steps on how you can optimize your GMB profile.
10 Simple Steps on How to Enhance your GMB
1. Ensure your Business’ Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP)
First and foremost, when optimizing your Google My Business profile, you have to make sure that your information is accurate, up-to-date, and consistent with your other local business citations online. Citations immensely help your business that can help consumers find your business and get discovered. Numerous online citations help Google to acquire the information they need to rank your business online especially on Google search results. If your NAP (name, address, and phone number) are incorrect on your Google Business Profile, it could stand in the way of your entire local search accuracy, making it difficult for customers to find your business.
2. Choose the Category that best fits your Business
Categories determine what your business is, instead of what it does or sells. You will have to ensure that your primary category (first category selection) is the one that best defines your business.
Selecting the most relevant category to your business is the common rule of thumb when there are multiple options that may be related to your business. There are a lot of variations to choose from but there should be at least one that sums up your business perfectly.
Once a category has been chosen, Google makes category-specific features available to you that make your profile more engaging and effective.
3. Add service areas of your business
Providing a reliable service area of your business that is based on the cities, postal codes, or other areas will obtain a place in the search engine rankings.
You can actually have up to 20 service areas on your GMB listing. When you provided your service area, it lets your potential customers know where to visit or from where you deliver to them.
4. Upload high-resolution images
Uploading photos to your GMB Profile through your account dashboard is necessary which means you’ll get a collection of quality. By adding your own business photos, you can ensure your profile shows its best.
Uploading high-quality photos help the performance of the business listings more than most business owners and what marketers likely expect. Meaning, you are giving people an idea of what your business literally looks like and what services and products they can expect from it.
The more consumers visualize your online business, the more interesting it will be for them.
5. Write a Description and include your Business operating hours
Writing a brief description of your business in 750 characters or less should tell your customers what your business offers, what makes your business distinctive, and the important things about your business. To make it easier, we recommend adding the description from your website, especially the “about us” description. Just copy and paste your “about us” content in the business description section on your GMB listing.
Coming up with a perfect description may be time-consuming, but rules and regulations must be reminded when creating one. Preferably, choose one or two keyword/s in which you can craft your description while making sure that the search terms appear early in your description.
Adding your operation hours to your GMB profile is really necessary which you have to ensure that the hours of operation are up-to-date, correctly listed, and go with the hours listed on your website for accuracy. Also, input the days or holidays when your business is closed or has an irregular schedule.
6. Collect Reviews For GMB Optimization
Google Maps gives ranking commendations to business listings that have positive reviews. Actually, when you listed your business on Google Maps, Google automatically makes your business available to be reviewed. But it doesn’t mean you’ll get them immediately. You’ll need to monitor your business and ask your customers for reviews, and respond to them as well. Commenting on reviews attracts more customers and minimize negative reviews. Lastly, being responsive indicates how mindful you are to your customers by handling and sorting out their issues.
7. Do not violate Google’s rules and guidelines
For your GMB account to not be permanently suspended, you have to avoid any kinds of penalty-inducing misdeeds. Being suspended is very bad for your business for your reputation management. Therefore, you have to ensure that you have to follow the strict Google guidelines as this is really important in GMB optimization.
8. Add Social Profiles and your website to Your GMB Listing
When it comes to Google My Business optimization, you have to make sure that your GMB profile is up to date, accurate, and complete.
Social media mostly includes local business information in some knowledge instrument search results. For it to happen, Google suggests using structured data and proposes consistent and verified businesses. You have to make sure that your business name on your GMB profile and all of your social media accounts or pages are all the same to ensure accuracy.
If verification is needed in a social media website, do it immediately as it will help Google to understand that your GMB profile is unique and linked to the business. Ensure that your social media accounts or pages are updated regularly by having a highly engaged community, uploading posts, and leaving comments often.
9. Post to your GMB Profile
Such as with social media websites, you can post to your Google Business Profile about announcements, offers, events, and products. Posts uploaded in your GMB dashboard will show up on your “Updates” section at the bottom of your GMB Profile.
One of the Google features known as “Posts” is quite needed for GMB optimization. This can be considered as a mini-blog that can be used in giving updates on your business, and showcasing your products or services.
Besides GMB Optimization, posts also help in increasing your business’ local search visibility.
10. Partner with an SEO agency
Cooperating with an SEO agency might be your best option as this will help your business gain visibility in local search engines for local search results related to your business. Local SEO experts can help by compiling a strategy to optimize your Google My Business profile, reputation management, and weekly GMB updates.
