Claiming your business on Google is one of the easiest ways to reach new customers, but you need to make sure you follow some best practices to get the most out of your listing.
Ensure Your Information Is Accurate, Comprehensive, and Up-to-Date
Local search results support the most relevant results for searches.
Make sure your listing describes what your business does, where it is, and how they can get the goods and/or services your business offers.
There are many different parts to your Google My Business listing, so let's start with your basic business information:
- Name surname
- Address
- Phone number
- Web site
- Explanation
- Category
- Attributes
Google My Business asks for your name, address, and phone number (known as NAP) to get started.
This information will be indexed by Google Search and Maps and will form the basis for your local SEO. Your information should be consistent with what is currently listed on your website. Inconsistencies in information will negatively affect your search rankings.
When entering your address, make sure it matches the correct coordinates on the map and include the postal code (5 digits – 9 digits with hyphens) provided on your website.
After providing NAP, you can focus on two important parts of your listing: your business category and your company characteristics.
These areas require you to be specific about what type of business you run.
Include Keywords
Just like traditional website SEO, Google uses a variety of signals to deliver search results.
Adding important keywords and search phrases to your business listing will be incredibly helpful, especially since your business website is listed directly on your GMB listing.
Use them in your business description and every time you publish a Local Post to your audience.
You should consider your keyword strategy when adding your business category and attributes. Be careful though. I do not recommend stuffing your listing with keywords. Google My Business prohibits such behavior.
Use Special Attributes
GMB's newer features allow disabled-owned or women-led businesses to be highlighted on their profiles.
Qualifications also allow business owners to expand the capabilities of their businesses in ways that may not be apparent from their chosen business category.
- Does your restaurant have a patio or seating area? Is it suitable for children?
- What are the amenities in your apartment complex? Tennis courts? Indoor pool?
- Does your coffee shop offer free wifi?
These features can be added to answer questions your customers are likely to have and to better describe the business's capabilities and offerings.
You will then be asked if you want to 'add a location where customers can visit, such as a store or office'. This is valuable information because many businesses operate as service area businesses. For these examples, the specific location of the business will not appear on Google Maps.
For businesses that operate in a specific service area and don't want the actual physical location to appear on Maps, select business-related service areas.
You can then add the business' contact information, including the contact phone number and current website URL.
Keep Business Hours Correct
It's important to specify your hours of operation, but it's equally important to update them whenever they change.
Google offers the ability to customize hours for holidays and other special events.
In order for your site to be accurate and keep users happy, it should always be updated.
For businesses with this location operating in a real location where people can go during working hours, you should add the business address next to it.
Once the address is determined, Google My Business will ask 'Do you serve customers outside of this location?' He will ask. If your answer is yes, you will be able to review the same service area business details.
Photos
A picture speaks a thousand words.
Photos of your business and services are at the top of your GMB list, and are even more important if you have a business where appearance matters, such as a restaurant or hotel.
Photos from your GMB listing can be uploaded by the business owner or their customers.
Once your basics are complete, you can move on to the visual aspect of your listing and personalize it.
The first thing your customers will notice when searching for your business? Your profile picture.
No list is complete without a photo.
Bir Synup araştırması , ‘Fotoğraflı girişlerin saygın kabul edilme ve%35 daha fazla tıklama alma olasılığının 2 kat yüksek olduğunu’ buldu.
Google My Business recommends uploading a profile photo, cover photo, and video to showcase your business.
Encouraging your customers to include photos of their interactions with your business can provide an abundance of user-generated galleries of content in your listing.
Using the new 360 degree or virtual tour is another great way to show your customers your business and allows them to experience it before they leave their homes. This works extremely well for businesses like restaurants and hotels, and evaluates the atmosphere before your customer arrives.
Verifying Your Google My Business Listing
If you've entered all the information, you now need to verify your Google My Business login.
This is done by postal card, which takes up to five business days. Google will send you a verification code postcard that you will use to verify your listing and your business will be officially live.
Alternatively, you can verify your account with your email. Once this is verified, Google will recognize the legitimacy of your business listing and will begin to rank your business higher in search results.
