Google My Business (GMB) is a robust platform that lets you upload and edit your business information and manage your accounts.
In addition to GMB locations and GMB verification, it enables you to upload pictures and videos of your business, which increases followers. And by posting GMB reviews and answering users’ questions, you can get more customers.
The GMB Dashboard is your central location and is a free online GMB Marketing platform.
It is often referred to as Google Maps, as optimizing your account can lead to better GMB rankings in Google’s Map Pack.
The service is especially useful for those searching online for local businesses that can meet their needs.
The GMB dashboard is a handy tool for a quick overview of your business’s GMB listing. GMB dashboard shows you key statistics, such as the number of views, clicks, and interactions.
GMB Management Benefits:
The dashboard offers a clear overview of how well your business is doing on Google.
- It provides a convenient location for all your GMB actions, such as adding a new location or updating your profile picture.
- It’s helpful for managing multiple locations.
- Monitoring your business on the GMB dashboard is easy.
- You can easily share the dashboard results.
It is a simple way to do GMB marketing in your business and can be very useful to ensure that you reach your target audience. As long as you have a Google account, you can set up a business page to promote your business. Social media is a great way to ensure your business thrives and reaches new audiences.
Local business owners can manage their online presence through it. A well-optimized business listing will rank at the top of local search results and link directly to your website. Having a contact center will help ensure that your customers have the best possible experience when interacting with your brand.
This is an excellent opportunity to convert search traffic into customers. GMB Posts will get traffic. Plus, visitors can now connect with you.
How To Optimize Your Google Maps Listing
Optimizing your Google Maps listing is a great way to get found on Google.
Claim your Business Profile, and be sure to complete every section. Be meticulous with contact information and add high-quality photos.
Create new posts to keep Google updated on special events or sales, and upload new photos weekly.
Answer customer questions and collect customer reviews so that potential customers can read some good things about your business.
Add products or services, set up messaging options, and respond to messages quickly by responding within 15 minutes during working hours! Maintain everything you have listed so that Google continues to rank you highly for local searches.
Steps to carry out the best local SEO results start with the following;
- Claim your Business Profile.
- Complete every section of your Google My Business account.
- Be meticulous with contact information.
- Select primary and secondary categories.
- Mark off applicable attributes.
- Write a complete “from the business” description.
- Publish Google posts weekly.
- Upload new photos weekly.
- Answer questions.
- Collect and respond to reviews.
- Add your products and/or services.
- Set up messaging.
- Maintain your Business Profile.
Why NAP & UX Are Crucial To Local Pack Optimization
Consistency is crucial to local SEO. When it comes to acquiring new customers and leads, an accurate and consistent NAP can mean the difference between a satisfied customer and lost business. As mentioned before, directory listings and citations we build aren’t just used by search engines. Potential customers find these details, too. A consistent or accurate NAP can lead to satisfied users and potentially lost leads.
Consistent NAP listings for your business can lead to a higher conversion rate. In addition, the goal of local SEO is to boost revenue and leads through consistent exposure.
Common Reasons For Inconsistent NAP
Citations are the foundation of your reputation and help Google trust and rank your business.
If you have different store addresses in your NAP, for example, a physical address and an online one, or different registered addresses for different companies, it’s hard for us to know the “real” location of your business.
Generating different phone numbers for attribution tracking purposes.
How To Increase Google Reviews
Here’s how:
When customers write reviews on Google, we match the review with your business to show the most relevant information in the Knowledge Panel and link to your site.
A high number of reviews can lead to a better ranking in search results and a higher click-through rate.
- Log into Business Profile Manager on your computer.
- Open the profile you want to manage if you have multiple.
- Click Home in the menu on the left.
- Your short URL can be copied from the “Get more reviews” card and shared with customers.
A Few More Tips For Getting Google Reviews
In your email marketing campaigns, including a link to your Google Business Profile’s review page. Using your email signature, request testimonials from your clients.
Segment your audience, search for connections between quantifiable interactions and customer lifetime value, and solicit feedback from those who are most likely to become ardent customers.
Make asking for customer reviews, particularly in cases where customers appear satisfied, a part of your training for all staff who interact with customers.
If a direct link cannot be provided, have ready-made materials available to show customers how to leave reviews.
Request reviews in personal emails.
The personal email’s context should make it clear that it was not mass-produced.
Start with your long-time, loyal customers to get the momentum going
Make it as easy as possible for customers by creating a review shortcut link or using Whitespark’s shortcut link generator (both are free).
Customers should be reminded that reviews aren’t just for your benefit; they also aid those who share their problems in finding a solution and making wise decisions.
Have a CTA for leaving a review on your website’s “Reviews” page.
React to evaluations. This feedback encourages more customers to leave theirs, tells potential customers a lot about your company, and helps your local SEO.
Industry-Specific Review Sites
While industry-specific review sites don’t directly impact your star ratings in Google Maps and Google’s local search results, they have the potential to impact your reputation in search results.
You can find a list of industry-specific review sites here and here, but you can and should also find industry-specific review sites by performing Google searches for:
[your industry name] reviews/ratings.
[your competitor name] reviews/ratings.
Local SEO & Listing Management Tools
To stay ahead of the competition, use any best tool from competitor analysis tools and plan your strategies according to it.
Local SEO is a complex task, which involves optimizing your listings on Google, Bing, and other search engines. The process also includes adding your business information to directories and other locations online. With Local SEO tools, you’ll be able to automate rank tracking, conduct local keyword research, discover competitor insights, monitor performance charts, and more.
Top 3 Best Local SEO Management Tools
These local SEO tools will help you optimize your local listings and gain more visibility through effective SEO and keyword research.
Whitespark
Whitespark, formerly a web design firm, now provides SEO software tools to assist businesses with local search marketing.
The most used product from Whitespark is the Citation Finder. It aids in the discovery of citation possibilities to raise relevant local search rankings.
The tool is free for three searches per day with a small number of results, making it ideal for those learning about the device.
Paid subscriptions for five campaigns, 20 searches per day, and unlimited search results start at $33 per month on an annual basis.
Other noteworthy local SEO tools from Whitespark include:
- Local Rank Tracker.
- Reputation Builder.
- Review Monitoring.
Yext
Yext offers a range of services to assist businesses in enhancing local SEO.
In order to guarantee that the information and data about your company are always up to date, Yext integrates with hundreds of directories.
Some of Yext’s popular local SEO tools include:
- Knowledge Manager
- Yext Pages
- Yext Listings
ReviewTrackers
ReviewTrackers is a customer review software tool used by well-known companies like Benihana and American Family Insurance. It sends notifications when customers leave reviews on different review websites and gathers the data into a useful dashboard.
Using ReviewTrackers, you can:
- Solicit customer opinions.
- Reviews of monitors from a range of sources (e.g., Google, TripAdvisor, Yelp).
- Monitor the performance of the site.
- On request, prices are provided.
BONUS TIP:
Here are your tips for optimizing your Google Business Profile with posts:
Post regularly. Not just to send signals to Google but also because certain post types expire every seven days.
Use event and offer posts for marketing campaigns that have a timeline. You can choose a date range, and the posts will stay live for the duration of that timeline.
Include links and CTAs in every post.
As of writing this post, there is currently a COVID-19 post type, which we’d encourage you to use to communicate with your audience during the pandemic effectively.
Stand out from your competitors on Google
- Create killer Google Search ads.
- Try Google Display ads.
- Optimize your landing pages.
- Create (and maintain) your Google Business Profile.
- Leverage Google snippets.
- Focus on high-quality link building.
- Create SEO-optimized blog content.
FAQ’s
What does an optimized Google Business Profile look like?
An optimized Google business page includes a unique place page name, accurate address and phone number, clear photos of your business, and up to five products or services. The more complete your profile is, the more likely you’ll rank high in search results.
Does optimizing a Google My Business listing more important than website optimization?
Yes, or NO? Well, it depends because Google prioritizes local business listings above regular website results. If you are a local business, your listing takes precedence over other search results. Paying extra attention to this free business space will allow you to get all the leads before anyone even considers visiting someone’s website, which will put you way ahead of more established companies if you are just getting started. But that works mostly for businesses that are local.
In 2023, it seems that Google Business Profiles will occupy many of the top positions, so you should be there and ready to rank highly. It’s awesome! It works well and is totally free.
Additionally, your website is crucial for businesses that rely on online sales. Whether you sell shoes or clothes or whether you sell anything that applies, going to the website to order will eventually require website optimization, which obviously goes with a lot of businesses today.
