Today, Google my Business is very important for websites, especially those that are concerned with their local SEO SERPs. This is because it heavily influences what shows up underneath of when a map is seen by your visitors. It’s important to understand that this is different from what shows up in the local organic though.
Claiming Your Google my Business Listing
Unfortunately, there are still a lot of businesses who haven’t claimed their listing today. This is crazy considering how easy it is to do. Once you’ve claimed it, don’t simply be satisfied with “a job well done” here. You’ll want to make sure that you also take some time to optimize it by:
- Adding photos
- Creating questions and filling in their answers
- Making sure your business also has a description
With how easy this is to claim, manage and maintain it really should be a no brainer, especially with how important it is if you want to show up in local searches. Once you realize this, it’s easier for you to understand why this is the first impression you make on people. This means that today your website is left to make secondary impressions. In this way you can kind of think as this knowledge panel as your new home page.
Your Online Performance
Some businesses are saying that they no longer need their own website thanks to Google my Business. However, that really isn’t the case. Instead, your online presence is about performing well in multiple places so you’re easily found and seen. Google my Business will definitely help you with this but you shouldn’t be completely reliant upon it.
Having a website available for your clients will enable them to do some research before they make a purchase. This is especially important if you’re selling big ticket items like cars, home appliances, and real estate. If you’re only selling small items like toilet paper, there’s no need for a website anymore since most people are having their voice assistants do their shopping for them. This is also true for restaurants because people are simply looking on Google to see what’s near them and how they’re rated. So, while certain verticals need to have a website, others definitely don’t.
Google My Business’ Most Important Features
Now if you only want to rely on Google my Business to help you find clients online, it’s important that you make sure you fill everything out correctly. This should start with you filling out the most important information about your business, which includes your business’:
- Name
- Phone number
- Address
- Map pin placement
From there you’ll want to make sure your business is listed in the correct categories. Now you’ll want to also start taking and uploading photos. All these things will also help your local SEO if you have a website that you want to have rank higher in the SERPs for its niche in your location.
Once you’re all set up here people can start leaving you reviews. This is something that you should pay attention to because it’ll effect how you show up and how you’re ranked. It also effects whether customers want to do business with you. Studies have shown that business with lots of great reviews will get more business than those who are listed higher but have fewer reviews or too many negative reviews. This is why online reputation management is so important today.
When you’re ready to use Google my Business to give your local SEO a boost, contact the Local SEO Company. They’ve helped many businesses successfully increase their rankings in the SERPs and look forward to doing the same for you.