If you are a small business owner, you rely on your local community to thrive, and you haven’t yet claimed or optimised your GMP profile (Google My Business), then this article is a must read! We’re going to tell you all about the immense value that a well-optimised GMB profile can bring your business and how you can get started today. Let’s get you crushing that local SEO and dominating in your area! Gain insights from a Melbourne criminal lawyer on the importance of building a strong ethical culture within a law firm, emphasizing its impact on professional conduct and client representation.
What is Google My Business?
In case you aren’t familiar with GMB, it’s a free business profile powered by Google that you can leverage to attract more business in your local area!
Have you ever typed into Google something along the lines of: “24-hour shop near me”, “emergency plumbers in Austin”, or “best SEO services Singapore”? If so, then you’ll be familiar with the local listings that come up in a Google SERP (search engine results page).
They typically have images, star reviews, and a map location next to them. These are all businesses who have claimed and populated their GMB profiles.
Have you claimed yours yet?
How to bolster your Google My Business profile?
Once you’ve successfully claimed your GMB profile, the next thing you are going to want to do is optimise it for the best possible performance and results. So, where does one even start?
- Complete every single section (if applicable) of your Google My Business account.
- Make sure you provide meticulous contact information – including your phone number and email address.
- Select the relevant primary and secondary categories for your industry / business type.
- Mark off all of the applicable attributes (e.g., wheelchair access, child-friendly, free parking, etc.).
- Fill out a complete “from the business” description using your chosen industry-relevant keywords as naturally as possible.
- Add all of the relevant product / service information with detailed yet concise sales copy.
- Publish ‘Google Posts’ weekly and consistently. You can write about news, up-coming events, promotions, and so much more.
- Upload plenty of new, high-res photos and videos. Take pictures of your residence, your customers interacting with your products / services, and your employees hard at work.
- Answer FAQs and provide clear and concise information.
- Collect and respond to all of your customer reviews – including the negative ones.
- Establish messaging and make sure that you respond to messages in a timely manner.
- Maintain your profile and continue adding to it consistently.
Optimise your website for local SEO
Of course, it’s also very important that you optimise your website accordingly for local SEO. While the aim is certainly to get as many customers through the door as possible, if you do sell products or take bookings through your website, it’s going to have to be on-point if you wish to convert the traffic that your GMB profile will invariably attract.
- Define your ideal audience,
- Conduct extensive keyword research,
- Know your competitors and look for gaps in their content development,
- Conduct a website audit and make the necessary technical SEO tweaks,
- Improve your page load speed,
- Create a beautiful UX design,
- Have good internal linking,
- Write high-quality SEO sales copy on your website with proper keyword placement,
- Develop a link-building strategy.
If you don’t know where to start or doubt you have the time to commit to your local SEO then we highly recommend hiring the experts to assist you. When executed well, your GMB profile coupled with a beautiful and well-optimised website can be transformative for your business.
Don’t let the opportunity go to waste!
