Google My Business is a business listing tool. It allows you to provide information about your business, including company name, address, phone number, website URL, and many more. Having a listing on the platform gives you an opportunity for Google search users to find your business, especially local audiences within a radius of your physical store.
But how can you use Google My Business to get more customers and increase your sales and website traffic? This article will exactly provide you with that information.
Here are seven tips on how to get more customers with your Google My Business profile, as summarized by us at Cybertegic, the trusted digital marketing company in Pasadena:
1. Fill in every vital information in your GMB account.
2. Keep your contact information accurate.
3. Add photos and videos.
4. Post updates and special offers.
5. Add attributes and unique features to your Google My Business profile.
6. Respond to reviews to build trust.
7. Update your Questions and Answers section.
1 – Fill in every vital information in your GMB account.
Fill in all the important details of your Google My Business profile. Your profile’s completeness will help your brand rank higher on the local search results and help customers take action when they find your GMB profile.
Here are the details you need to fill in on your profile:
- Business Name
- Address
- Phone
- Website URL
- Operating Hours
- Category
- Attributes
- Products
- Services
There are ongoing sections in the Google My Business profile that need to be updated every now and then. These include (1) Posts, (2) Reviews, and (3) Questions and Answers. For Posts, make sure to publish updates about your brand and products as well as events. And for Reviews, make it a habit to answer customer feedback, whether they are positive or not. Lastly, update your Questions and Answers section to provide customers with the correct information.
2 – Keep your contact information accurate.
Google My Business requires you to input all the necessary contact information. For your Google My Business profile to work with your local SEO, you need to use the same contact information found on your other online listings. Everything needs to be identical. This means that if you used “St.” in your website business address, make sure to use the same thing in your Google My Business profile, not “Street.” Google is not a fan of inconsistencies.
3 – Add photos and videos.
Photos and videos in your Google My Business listing can help its performance. According to Google.com, business listings with images get 42% more requests for directions on Google Maps. These listings also get 35% more click-throughs to their websites than listings without media.
A great tip when posting media and videos is to make sure that it gets search users’ attention. Aside from sharing videos of your products and services, make it a habit to share photos of your team, office place, and many more. This shows authenticity and spontaneity that users prefer to see than any other form of visual content.
4 – Post updates and special offers.
Google loves to know if your business listing remains up-to-date. You can do this by posting updates, special offers, and other forms of content in your Google My Business listing. Inform your customers and search users of upcoming business events and special discounts they can use. You can even add “Call to Action” buttons on these posts, which can help you drive sales and traffic to your physical store and online storefront.
To publish a post on Google My Business, follow these steps:
- Sign in to Google My Business.
- Click Post from the left-hand menu.
- Choose which type of post you would like to create from the options.
- Enter your post and the relevant information on their respective field. Avoid any commercial slang.
- Click the preview to check your post before actually posting it. Once everything is checked, click Publish.
5 – Add attributes and unique features to your Google My Business profile.
Google My Business provides special features for businesses, depending on the category they have chosen. For example, a restaurant business or bar listing will have special features such as Upload Menu, Popular Dishes, Online Orders, and Online Reservations. SMBs can also add Product Catalogs and Services.
Suppose that your business is eligible for one of these unique features, but they do not appear in your profile. You probably selected the wrong category. Google My Business allows you to choose up to 10 categories.
You can also add attributes to your GMB profile so customers and search users can know more about your business. These attributes include “free Wi-Fi,” “outdoor seating,” “veteran-led,” “wheelchair accessible entrance,” and many more.
To add attributes in your Google My Business profile:
- Go to the Account dashboard, and then click Info in the left-hand menu.
- Choose Add Attributes and select Edit.
- Search for the attributes you want to add and choose which apply to your business.
- Once you’re done, click Apply.
6 – Respond to reviews to build trust.
Show your customers and prospective clients that you value their thoughts by responding to their reviews. According to a report by Google.com, customers find businesses that respond to reviews as 1.7x more trustworthy than businesses that don’t. Businesses that show positive interactions in their Review section build loyalty. Not only that, even interactions on negative reviews can show your prospects how you respond to criticisms. It is an excellent opportunity to show possible customers how you address issues.
Be honest and use your brand voice when responding to reviews. Also, apologize to unsatisfied customers when needed and provide solutions to their problems or issues.
7 – Update your Questions and Answers section.
Google My Business has a section for Questions and Answers. It is a section where customers can post questions and also answer questions from other users. Fully optimize this section and make sure that you provide the answers. You don’t want other people to give inaccurate answers. So make sure to take time to answer customer questions and provide important Q&As that aren’t posted.
