Posted by As a business owner, you know that having a strong online presence is vital to success. If you’re like most company owners, you’ve used Google My Business (GMB) to assist develop your brand.
GMB is a free tool that allows businesses to create and manage their business listing on Google.com and Google Maps.
However, what many business owners are unaware of is that there are several means to improve their GMB ranking and obtain more leads from this valuable tool.
In this blog post, we’ll outline five of the best ways to boost your GMB ranking and how to start with it.
I’ve done the exact same process to achieve #1 Google MyBusiness Listing for my business Wendor.
How to start with Google My Business?
1. Create an account
Creating an account with Google My business is easy. You can either create a new account or use your existing Gmail to sign in.
You should know, a Google Business Profile is separate from an account on My Business.
This means that to make the optimizations laid out here work for your store’s needs and wants it will need both profiles connected properly with one another so they can talk back and forth between each other when needed most!
2. Each section must be completed
When it comes to ranking in local search results, having a Google Business Profile that is complete and accurate is crucial.
The more information you provide for their algorithm purposes means better chances of being found by potential customers who are searching near where they can get what you sell or offer service to!
3. Complete business name
This is your *NAME* of what you are selling or providing service for with this business.
4. Hours of operation
These are the hours you’re open to serve customers so they can plan during these times when they can visit or call if needed!
5. Phone number
This is your main number that will show on map listings for visitors to use as a reference point.
Having more than 1 phone number with different options makes it easier for Google My Business users to find ways to contact you without needing to rely on only one type of contact like email (which some people never check anymore).
6. Address
The mailing address should be 100% accurate and correct; no typos or misspellings.
Google gets really cross when you do these things and will punish you accordingly by not allowing your information to rank as high as it should!
7. Description
This is the place to talk about how your firm differs from others that provide similar goods or services.
Don’t forget to mention any awards, certifications, or press mentions that can help build credibility with your customers!
8. Add photos
Photos are integral to your online business identity. And Google takes note!
They also use the images you upload for reviews, social media profiles, and other areas of your website or blog too!
9. Verify your listings
Verifying listings is important. Verification can happen one of two ways:
a) A user clicks the blue “Verify Now” button
b) A user requests an SMS verification.
When you verify your listings, it tells Google that this business belongs to you and lowers the chance of others using your name online to take business from you without your permission!
10. Map optimization
The final step is optimizing your map location’s specific information within GMB.
5 Ways Boost Your Google MyBusiness Ranking
1. Name your business correctly and add a website link
The first step towards a high GMB ranking is ensuring that you have the right name for your business, products, and services. The simplest way to do this is to use the same company name as it appears on other online directories.
If you have a brick-and-mortar store, provide the physical address. Additionally, note that products and services should also have a corresponding business name.
When people are searching for your business online, they need to be able to quickly identify that the Google listing is official. The quickest way to do this is to include a link back to your website.
Websites offer search engines like Google much more information about who you are and what you do, which usually results in a higher-ranked listing.
2. Get your mobile on and optimise your listing
According to Google, more than half of the searches conducted on their site are now done via mobile devices. With this in mind, it’s important to make sure your listing is mobile-friendly and able to withstand performance.
To do so, ensure that all of your business information — like hours and location — is up-to-date and visible on your page.
Keep in mind that accuracy is a factor in GMB ranking, so it’s important to provide information about all of the services and products you offer at the convenience of your customers.
In addition to this, you should also pay attention to website loading speeds because Google can penalise slow-performing websites from appearing in search results.
You can check your website loading speed from GTmetrix.com
3. Get introduced through reviews and ratings
One of the best ways to get noticed by new customers is through online reviews and ratings.
Google My Business makes this easy by allowing you to submit testimonials from your professional network. This also includes trusted business associates and clients who can share their experiences with your business in an unbiased way.
Importantly, reviews must adhere to Google’s Quality Guidelines, which prohibit reviews from an owner, a competitor, or anyone with a direct financial interest in the business.
If your business gets positive reviews from customers on GMB and other review-based platforms like Facebook, you’ll get more traffic than if you had just relied on one platform alone.
4. Leverage on keywords and location targeting
One of the best ways to develop targeted SEO keywords is by using location targeting for your Google listing.
The more you can optimize your business’s information for local search terms, the better chances are that customers will find you in their search results.
Remember that it’s important to understand that online search is a conversation. This means that you should focus not only on the keywords and phrases your customers are using but also on their overall intent.
For example, if a customer searches for “locksmiths near me,” they’re probably looking to get something repaired immediately.
In these cases, it’s best to include call-to-action phrases like “24-hour locksmith” or “emergency locksmith.”
5. Tell a story and be consistent
One of the best ways to get customers involved in your brand is by telling a story about who you are and what you do. This means that you should update your business information as needed and consistently promote it across all major social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Remember that consistency is important when building a strong online following and reputation.
The idea here is to publish compelling content regularly, which will keep customers interested through consistent posts.
As far as press releases go, they can be very effective if used correctly. Look for newsworthy topics or stories about your company’s milestones as well as other events happening within your industry.
When writing press releases, it’s important to include a headline, body text, and contact information.
Before you submit press releases to online directories, make sure they’re optimized for search engines by using keywords and including links to your website.
You can also share them on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter so that you have a larger reach when it comes to promoting the content.
What Are The Criteria Used To Determine Google Local Ranking?
Google’s algorithm incorporates several ranking factors for search engine results. Whether you’re looking to rank higher by showcasing customer reviews, pop up in relevant searches when prospects are online, or ramp up your digital marketing game — understanding how Google determines local rankings is important!
The three most important elements that Google considers are:
1. Keywords
Google ranks businesses based on their relevance to the keywords entered. How many times your website is linked by other websites (backlinks) — or how authoritative it appears — is an important part of Google’s ranking algorithm.
2. User engagement
The more time customers spend on your website, the better it ranks in search results. While this may seem like a no-brainer, many small business owners don’t have a clear understanding of what type of content resonates with today’s searchers and how best to use that insight in their online marketing campaigns going forward.
This is why it’s critical to develop a digital strategy early in your company’s journey because it will ultimately help you lay the groundwork for long-term success.
3. Authority
By this, Google refers to how well-known your business is amongst its industry peers, or how many endorsements it has received from reliable third-party outlets.
For example, if an online news site writes an article about your restaurant’s upscale cuisine. Now, you have a high number of great reviews coming in across other reputable websites expect to rank higher than the competition.
What Can Local SEO Do for My Business?
This is one question that will vary depending on who you ask because there are so many different ways local search marketing can help grow your small business!
Here are just some of the benefits cited by marketers specializing in small businesses: More web traffic This may seem obvious but it’s not as simple as “more traffic = more business.”
If your website isn’t mobile-friendly or your bounce rate is high, then don’t expect visitors to stick around.
To ensure that the web traffic your site receives converts into paying customers, you need a well-established online presence and a clear understanding of what type of content resonates with your target audience.
How To Optimise Your Google Business profile?
Google My Business is an important part of any local SEO strategy. It’s because it gives you the ability to directly connect with consumers who are already looking for your products and services.
Optimizing your Google MyBusiness profile is a must. It doesn’t matter whether you’re looking to rank higher in Google’s search results, attract more customers, or simply manage your online reputation.
Just like how Google weighs keywords and authority when ranking websites in its search engine results, it does the same for Google MyBusiness.
How to Improve a Local Business Ranking on Google?
If you’re looking to improve your local business’s ranking on Google — there are a variety of strategies you can implement depending on your company’s needs!
1. Video marketing
Small business owners should take advantage of YouTube videos. This is because people are 2x more likely to watch them than reading text.
Video content is also easy to share across social media sites. You could choose a social platform like- Facebook and Twitter, which can further extend your reach!
2. Interact online with customers
Whether it’s writing blog posts that answer frequently asked questions, sharing your opinion on social media, or starting a discussion on forums related to your industry, interacting online with customers is one of the fastest ways to get found by new leads.
3. Focus on long-term promotions
It’s also important to take advantage of long-term promotions because they can positively impact rankings over time.
For example, if you’re a restaurant looking to attract more customers — offer a 20% discount on your signature dishes or free dessert with each dinner entree.
Since these types of deals are typically only valid for one week (or less), it will improve how often your business is recommended across search engines and make you seem like a better deal overall!
Conclusion
Google My Business is the best way to begin your local SEO strategy because it allows you to take advantage of long-term promotions and other tactics that will impact rankings, attract new leads, and provide an even greater return on investment.
When it comes to local SEO, small business owners need to understand how Google ranks businesses in their neighborhood, and how they can improve this ranking.
However, the most effective SEO strategies for small business owners don’t stop with Google; instead, smart marketers optimize for all major search engines (including Yahoo! and Bing).
By taking advantage of long-term promotions, video marketing, and interacting online with customers — small business owners can improve their business rankings across the board!