Ranking highly in Google Maps is particularly important because most people tend to use Google Map results when they want to make a local purchasing decision, or find “near me” service providers, or businesses. This is especially true for those using mobile devices for search.
What is Google My Business?
Does your competitor’s business show up in search results with 5-star reviews and hours of operation and a link to their website, but yours does not? Well, that is why an optimized Google My Business Profile is critical.
Apart from making your business visible on Google Searches, GMB helps you collect reviews and respond to them, showing customer engagement. Additionally, a GMB listing helps you know how online searchers find your business. That way, you are able to develop better marketing strategies and make better decisions.
How to Optimize the Google My Business Profile
You can optimize Google My Business Listing in various ways including:
1. Ensure that information is accurate and comprehensible
Google will use the Information you put on your business listing to ascertain the relevance and credibility of your organization. With that in mind, it is important that you ensure all information is accurate and up-to-date such as the name, address and phone number, which are also known as NAP.
Additionally, Google normally crawls a website in order to ascertain the relevance of a Google Maps listing. Therefore, your website’s address on the Contact page (and other pages) needs to be accurate and up-to-date.
2. Verify your business’s location
Verifying your business’s location helps to ensure that it appears on Google Maps, Google Search and Google products.
3. Add Business Hours
It is important that you include the opening and closing hours in your business listing. Additionally, including hours of operation during special events and holidays, lets your customers know when you are working or available.
Also, adding business hours on your GMB listing saves your customers the trouble of having to go to your website to find out your hours of operation.
4. Write a Concise Business description
Your business description enables you to tell your potential customers why they should purchase a product or service from you. It lets your customers know what you do and perhaps even how you do it. Therefore, it should be clear and engaging. You can improve your listing’s ranking by including focus keywords.
5. Be sure to include photos and videos
Do you want potential customers to click on your GMB listing? If yes, then ensure that you upload high quality images and videos to your GMB page. Adding photos and videos can increase the number of requests you get in as far as driving directions on Google Maps is concerned.
Additionally, with good images and videos, you are likely to get more clicks to your website. With that in mind, you can add photos such as your store front, the inside of your store, products you sell and happy customers.
Avoid adding stock photos because they do not represent your actual business. Videos should be short, and they should not include promotional ads.
6. Select the right category for your company
In essence, you are supposed to choose a category that specifies what your business does. Therefore, ensure that you choose the most accurate category or categories based on the top services you provide. Categories enable you to take advantage of all possible markets.
7. Monitor and manage reviews
Potential customers tend to make purchasing decisions based on online reviews. Consequently, your potential customers will peruse your online reviews to determine if your business is trustworthy.
Therefore, it is important that you have as many good reviews as possible. If they do (or even if they don’t), be sure to respond to their reviews as this shows customer engagement.
8. Use Google Posts to Engage Customers
The post feature enables you to inform your potential customers about new products or services. Additionally, you can use posts to invite customers to upcoming webinars, events, or to give useful tips on topics that will capture your customer’s interest.
In essence, posts should be about what your customers want and need. Additionally, you can capture your customer’s attention through interesting photos or GIFs. Adding Call to Action (CTA) buttons such as Sign Up, Buy, or Learn More will be an added advantage for your business.
In Closing
It is important to note that most of your competitors have a Google My Business Listing already. With that in mind, it is critical that you claim a Google My Business Listing and optimize it using the above information as a guide.
And if you need help or would like to join out Google Accelerator Program to really rock out your GMB listing, give us a call!
Our company was established in 2004. 
