We all know it’s important for our business to be on Google to compete in today’s economy. But many businesses overlook a critical component of search: Google My Business. Your business listing is added automatically to this directory through Google’s platform but many local businesses don’t realise they need to claim their listing! Once claimed, however, what you do with your listing is whole ‘nother issue.
Our team have written eight Google My Business optimisation tips that can help you improve your listing right now.
1. Make Sure the Address and Phone Number Are Correct
It might seem like a no-brainer, but Google My Business is riddled with listings that have incorrect physical addresses or phone numbers. Your address and phone number could be incorrect because they’ve recently changed or just because of a typo. Either way, a mistake in Google My Business could mean you’re missing out on a big chunk of revenue for your business.
2. Add Your Business Hours
After the address and phone number, your business’s hours are the most important information to have in your Google My Business listing. After adding in your regular business hours, ensure that you remember to update it during holiday periods when your trading hours might be different. If your hours do change, be sure to update your listing as soon as possible.
3. Include a Link to Your Website
Some listings include the correct address and phone number, but skip adding their website to their Google My Business listing. Some business owners might think this isn’t necessary because the most important information is already on their listing. However, many users will want to learn more about you and your services, or even share the link with others.
4. Post Photos to Your Listing
Photos are a great way to improve your listing. You can post photos of the exterior, interior, and any popular products. If your business is service-based, then post a photo of one of your employees! Not only is this a great way to promote your business, but it can help humanise your brand or even encourage customers to post their own photos up as well.
5. Respond to Comments and Reviews
Most people will only leave reviews when they are either very happy or very angry! Both should be used as an opportunity to communicate with your customers and demonstrate your professionalism. Responding to positive comments shows that you value your customers while responding to the negative reviews allows you to turn the experience around for them, or at the very least, understand what went wrong and what improvements can be made to address the issue in the future. Plus, responding to comments and reviews shows potential customers that you care about your customers and their experiences with your business.
6. Add Questions and Answers
As a business owner, you probably get asked the same questions a lot. “When did you open?”, “What’s your most popular item?” Or maybe even, “What was your inspiration?” Add these questions to the Questions and Answers section in your Google My Business listing to answer them before a customer ever visits your store.
7. Add a Booking Button
If you own a restaurant or salon, then you know how important it is to book reservations. Google My Business integrates seamlessly with many scheduling partners, allowing users to book with you directly on your listing.
8. Review Insights and Make Adjustments
Last, but certainly not least, learn how people are interacting with your Google My Business listing with Insights. This dashboard shows you customer activities and actions like review clicks, calls, bookings, and more. You can even learn which of your photos is getting the most attention and how you compare to similar businesses.
We understand that improving your Google My Business listing can seem overwhelming – it can feel like another important task on top of a very long to-do list. AdVisible is a digital marketing agency in Sydney that can help you optimise and make the most out of your listing.
If you want to know more about Google My Business, how it works, or how we can optimise your unique business listing, please get in touch with our team today.
