The holiday season has officially started! Marketing experts have forecasted that the e-commerce sales from November 2021 to January 2022 will increase to 15% from last year. This will bring around $210 to $218 billion worth of holiday sales. With that being said, the holiday season is the best time of the year to work on increasing your yearly sales.
One effective way of reaching holiday shoppers is by using Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business). This platform helps your business to appear on Google Search Users with your own business listing. Local customers can easily find your business location and details such as phone address, website URL, and product or services on Google.
Follow these steps on how to properly optimize your Google Business Profile for the holidays. This guide is summarized by the best digital marketing company in Los Angeles, Cybertegic.
Tips to Optimize your Google Business Profile for the Holidays
- Update your special business hours.
- Review your local information.
- Response to Google Q&A and Messages.
- Publish your business holiday FAQ.
- Update the attributes.
- Optimize product descriptions.
- Add new images or visuals.
1 – Update your special business hours.
Some businesses have special hours during the holiday season. So if your business hours differ from regular hours during the holidays, we recommend that you add and set your special hours on Google Business Profile. Setting special hours on your GBP lets shoppers know that they can visit your store even beyond your regular business hours or business days.
To set special hours on your Google Business Profile, follow these steps:
- Sign in to your Google Business Profile.
- Click on Info located on the side menu.
- Click Special Hours, then Confirm hours. Set your holiday working hours for an upcoming holiday. Select the date by clicking: Add new date.
- Type in your business’ opening hours and closing hours for that day.
- Click Apply to save all the changes.
2 – Review your local information.
For local customers to find your store in the area, make sure that you audit all the local information. Users can also suggest editing your business, but you need to ensure that these suggestions are correct. Online users expect accurate information from your Google Business Profile. Inaccurate information may frustrate your potential leads and create the wrong impression about your brand.
According to research, 84% of online search users expect a brand’s listing on Google to have accurate business information. So make sure that all of your listings in business directories have the correct information. This includes the business name, address, phone number, and website link. Plus, having the exact and accurate information in all of your listings will help boost your local SEO.
3 – Response to Google Q&A and Messages.
Holiday sales during November and December led to an influx of customer requests. From asking questions to seeking assistance, you need to be attentive to these requests to deliver good customer service. Make sure to check Google Business Profile’s Q&A section, review, and messages.
Here are a few tips:
- Respond to customer reviews in your listing. According to research, 50% of online search users feel more confident in a business that interacts with their previous customers.
- Actively monitor the Q&A section of your Google My Business. Take time to answer questions from online users. Use this as a chance to build relationships with potential leads.
- Turn on the Google Business Profile Messaging feature. Upon enabling it in your listing, customers will see a “Contact us now” button on your profile. Upon clicking the button, they can message you right away.
4 – Publish your business holiday FAQ.
Use Google Business Profile to communicate important information about your store’s holiday activities. Answer common questions most of your customers ask during shopping for the holidays. These questions include what time your business stays open until Black Friday or on Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
You can use the Q&A section for your Google Business Profile to publish these holiday FAQs:
- Sign in to your Google personal account.
- Find your business profile, and click the “Ask a Question.”
- Enter the question and click “Post.”
- Switch to your Google Business Profile.
- Click “See All Questions.”
- Click “Answer” to questions you would like to respond to, then click “Post.”
5 – Update the attributes.
Google Business Profile lets you allow attributes. This helps customers know specific details about your business.
Attributes include information about your business’ service options, accessibility, amenities, and others. There are also attributes that let customers know information about the brand’s owner. For example, if it is a women-led or veteran-owned.
To add an attribute to your Google Business Profile, follow these steps:
- Sign in to your Google Business Profile.
- Click Info from the side menu.
- Find Attributes and click Edit.
- Choose the right attributes applicable to your business from the options.
- Once you’re done, click Apply.
6 – Optimize product descriptions.
Google Business Profile has a feature where you can upload your brand’s products. This allows you to showcase them to search users who find your business listing on Google search. Search users will see which products are available in your local store and their prices directly from your Google Business Profile. You can upload a product feed on your listing or use an app connected to your website to automatically update the products in your Google Business Profile.
Once your products are all uploaded, make sure that you optimize the descriptions of each product. Add the appropriate keywords in your product descriptions.
7 – Add new images or visuals.
According to BrightLocal.com, Google Business Profiles with photos get more clicks, phone calls, and driving direction requests. In fact, business listings with more than 100 images get 520% more calls than average businesses with only a few photos.
Uploading images on your listing also offers visual stimulations that your customers need to understand your brand. Ensure that the photos you’re using accurately portray the shopping experience your customers can expect from your store.
Source: