Are you aware that over 96 percent of searchers avail of detail pertaining to the local company online? As a local business owner, you want your business profile to outperform the rest of the competitors on local search. This is not possible without the apt optimization of the Google My Business (GMB) listing
Google My Business makes local businesses rule the local searches by reflecting all necessary information, including geographical location, email id, and closing and opening hours. This write-up aims to provide you with a comprehensive outlook on GMB SEO and its best optimization to lead local searches. Let’s dive straight in
What purpose does GMB serve?
- Google My Business refers to an open-source business listing platform where users can list their business to appear in the local search.
- Through GMB, businesses can share relevant business information including contact detail, location, and photos with local searchers.
- GMB provides better business visibility on a search engine, Google maps, and other Google services.
- When used right, GMB can generate massive traffic on a consistent basis.
Why is GMB vitally imperative from a Local SEO standpoint?
Below are some key reasons that endorse the idea of using the GMB more aggressively than ever:
Ensure improved SERP presence
- By employing the right SEO strategy, you can significantly improve the SERP ranking for your business and thereby invite potential leads.
- In the status quo, Google prioritizes paid ads and local listing when it comes to showcasing results for a given product or service. These are the results that we often witness at the top portion of the SERP.
- That means you should start taking GMB seriously before it’s too late. Through GMB, you may enjoy the topmost SERP position, which further can translate to better brand exposure.
Amplified Customer Engagement
Most customers find GMB remarkably useful because of its ability to showcase complete business information accurately and explicitly. In a nutshell, GMB is a boon for businesses seeking instant customer exposure without spending a fortune.
Improved traffic and Sales
- According to Joel House, local searches have resulted in conversion 28 percent of the time.
- That means if you are online, your cannot afford to overlook the prowess of GMB.
- People tend to shorten their search duration when looking for any product or service with a purchase intention in mind. That is where GMB is so impactful. It actually saves searchers time by providing them with instant results.
- With GMB, it is just a matter of seconds for users to get access to products or services that they are planning to finalize. Businesses can hit this sweet spot by creating buyer-friendly landing pages.
Stats that make GMB an Absolute Necessity for local businesses
The diamond group performed a study on 45000 local business listings and came out with the following findings:
- The average business is found in more than 1000 searches per month. Out of this, almost 84 percent are discovery searches.
- Almost 50 percent of businesses witness 1000+ views on searcher per month
- Car dealerships witnessed the highest number of websites visit and phone calls via GMB, while hotels received the highest views via maps and search.
- 5 percent of GMB listing views trigger website, direction request, or call.
Things that Google considers for determining local ranking
The following are the factors that Google considers more frequently for determining local ranking:
Relevance
In the context of search engines, relevancy refers to the accuracy of the results against the searcher’s query. Google aims to serve the intent behind every search query by rendering relevant results. Thus, businesses are required to align with this important requirement and add as much information as possible to the GMB profile to become rank-worthy.
Distance
Google algorithm leverages historical location data that enables searchers to find nearby businesses or service providers.
Prominence
n regards to the Google search engine, prominence refers to the business’s credibility. Google analyzes this factor by taking link structure and connectivity into account. the same technique is used by Google to measure the website’s authority.
SEO optimization checklist for GMB account holders
You cannot anticipate better SERP visibility by merely creating an account on GMB. The real effort is not lie in account creation, it starts after that. Unless you do not tweak your account with best SEO practices, ranking for prominent and even long-term search terms will become almost impossible. Having said that, here is the SEO checklist you can leverage to rule the local searches.
- Incorporate everything in the profile including your business logo, images, and operating hours
- The profile information should be legitimate. Make sure to review the profile after filling it out to avert any errors or misleading details.
- Distribute your business profile to other leading directories to augment visibility
- Double-check the service category you have chosen. The same goes for the secondary category.
- Add high-quality professional pictures, including the one with your team.
- Engage with customers to receive feedback. Make sure the word count is not less than 80 words.
