OnPassive GoFounders For LIFE

Introduction

How about
finding a local boutique shop that offers clothes resonating perfectly with
your style? Or how about getting a map result for an electronic shop that would
fix your AC? Sounds great, isn’t it? Customers these days prefer online search
results for the products or services they want to purchase. 

You might be
a well-known business owner in your locality and you might not feel the need to
move on to Google. However, this kind of attitude could cost you,
customers. A study done by SEO Tribunal is quite apparent in this regard.
It shows that about 97% of people get introduced to a local company online than
anywhere else. As a business, you should utilize Google My Business/GMB to get
the required visibility online. 

Google My Business
allows companies to get visible in Google search results. And that too, without
paying a penny for it. 

Key
benefits of GMB 

1)
Enhanced visibility on Google search and maps

With Google
My Business, your business has a competitive advantage over others. By setting
up your GMB listing, you ensure enhanced visibility on Google search and
maps. Google keeps making changes to its algorithms. So, if you wish to
get visible in local search then you need to have a Google My Business listing.
Moreover, you need to keep optimizing it regularly. 

2)
Get visible in Google’s local 3-pack

Getting
visible in Google’s local 3-pack has a lot of advantages. It not only boosts
your chances of getting more clicks over other brands, it also makes it easier
for users to locate you on Google maps. Thus, businesses across the globe are
exploring various SEO tricks to get included in Google’s local 3-pack and get
the highest ranking in return. 

3)
Build trust with customers 

Whenever your
business appears in a Google search, it naturally creates an impression in the
user’s mind that your brand has some value that they can trust and make a
purchase decision. 

The brands
that show up in Google search are 2.7 times more likely to be perceived as
reputable by users. However, before your brand appears in local search, your
brand must go through multiple verification processes. This is how Google
ensures that users are relying on a trustworthy source.  

4)
Enrich your online appeal with star ratings

Apart from
online reviews, star ratings can persuade prospective customers to a large
extent. Google My Business provides reviews of your brand. Customers can use
these reviews and ratings to make a purchase decision. They can also leave
feedback for others to follow. These ratings let customers know what the good
things you are offering and what is not so good about your brand. Moreover, you
will also receive Nifty star ratings next to your business on Google. Such
a rating system provides you with more reviews and higher ratings as long as
you are offering quality services. 

5)
Attract traffic and sales 

Local
businesses mostly face the challenge of maintaining a steady supply of website
traffic. But with Google My Business listing, you can attract and maintain
considerable website traffic and increase sales. Not convinced yet? Google has
found that with browsing potential, businesses can attract about 70 per cent of
location visits. Moreover, users who discover a brand/company through Google My
Business listings are 50 per cent more likely to make a purchase. 

Few
guidelines to get started with GMB

• A
  right description goes a long way 

Invest some
time in writing a good description to add to your listing. A description is
more or less like an overview of what your business offers. A good description
has the local touch to make it relevant for customers in your vicinity. Keep
your GMB description of about 750 characters and make sure you are including
2-3 keywords to describe your business in the best way possible. It shouldn’t
be too lengthy and try to give the most important information in the first 2-3
sentences. 

• Add
  regular posts to your GMB page

You can add
regular posts to your GMB page to make your GMB profile active and engaging.
These posts will appear in Google search and on map results. 

So to add a
new post, you have to go to your GMB account and create a new post. A post can
take various forms including an image, 300 words long write-up or information
about an upcoming event. 

Once you
created a post, you can now invite customers to take call-to-action with
various options such as “Learn more”, “Sign up”, “Get offer” etc.

Take a note
that Google posts usually expire within seven days after posting them. Thus,
you need to update them weekly. 

• Enhance
  the look of the page by adding images regularly 

Beyond adding
core business images, you can enhance the look of your GMB page by regularly
adding images that resonate with your business. This way, your activeness will
be reflected in the higher rank you achieve in local search results. 

Concluding
thoughts

Your business
accompanied by GMB can attract significant website traffic and drive more
sales. Small businesses usually have a low budget that they can’t afford every
time to invest separately on advertising and promotion. Google My Business
comes in handy for them. Thus, GMB is an effective way to promote your local
business and gain a competitive edge.

The post How is Google My Business beneficial for Your Business? appeared first on ONPASSIVE.