The Benefits of Google My Business

When searching for a local business online, 50% of users visited a business’s location within one day.
This statistic alone highlights the importance of online visibility for your business’s success. Of course, SEO isn’t as easy as snapping your fingers or saying please. To gain rank and collect online traffic, you’ll need to ace your small business marketing strategy and leverage SEO techniques.

So what’s the secret to getting started with SEO? Before you jump in, there’s one vital step you cannot forget. That’s right, you need a Google My Business listing.
But how could a Google My Business listing impact your website’s rank, you ask? Follow along to discover the benefits of this listing for your small business SEO success and how to get started today.

It’s Free

The first and most obvious benefit of claiming your Google My Business listing is the free advertising this platform offers.

Without spending a penny, you’ll be able to verify your business, include important information, and appeal on Google’s local search results pages. On top of this, the results you’ll see from optimizing your listing are faster than any other SEO technique.

Of course, paid advertising and SEO for your website are still highly effective digital marketing measures that your business can and should be utilizing. Simply put, skipping over this listing is like tripping over a dime to save a nickel. Consider your Google My Business listing as one of the vital SEO first steps and take advantage of all it has to offer.

Google Maps

To appear on Google Maps, you’ll need a location-verified Google My Business listing. With this simple step, your customers will now be able to find you on not only their web browser but also their mobile apps.

This boosts your visibility for local searches and makes your location more accessible to consumers.

On top of this, Google uses your location as a ranking tool to help searchers find businesses that are close to them. By simply ensuring your location is included and verified, you’ll be featured for the users who are nearby and ready to spend.

The Google 3-Pack

If you’ve ever searched for a local business on Google, you’ll have witnessed the map and 3-listing spotlight that appears at the top of the page. This is Google’s 3-pack and is an incredibly valuable position to find yourself in.

Fortunately, creating a Google My Business listing is one of the best ways to earn a spot on this feature.

Cracking this 3-pack can even result in your business making a double appearance in the organic search results. Because of the built-in map, your location will be advertised loud and clear. On top of this, these listings appear above any organic results, taking up prime real estate and collecting a significant amount of clicks.

Improve Ranking

Google’s purpose is to deliver the best possible result to a user. To do this, the engine uses algorithms and artificial intelligence to determine which URLs are most relevant and therefore, the most helpful. The criteria in these formulas help the engine decide which results to display first.

To gain preference by the engine, you’ll need to appeal to the guidelines in that algorithm, and what better way to do this than to use the platform they’ve constructed?

By providing more information and linking your website to your listing, your small business SEO will reach a whole new level. As you’ve already put together, a higher rank leads to more traffic, and the more relevant traffic you gain, the more sales you’ll make.

Review Appeal

We already know that consumers value customer reviews as much as a personal recommendation but did you know that your Google reviews can also help boost your visibility?

By using Google My Business for your customer reviews, your leads will have a clear and easy way to see what others are saying about your business. On top of this, the star rating makes it simple to gain an overall perspective with just a glance. This encourages consumers to act on impulse rather than spend time searching for reviews on your business.

When it comes to digital marketing tips, building your reviews on this platform is one of the most beneficial moves you can make for your small business’s growth.

Customer Trust

Earning trust online can be a tricky task. With so much digital noise and advertisements, consumers have become suspicious of businesses. Lucky for you, viewing a business’s location is one of the best ways to ensure consumers that you are a real business and can be trusted.

Featuring your amazing reviews and contact information then contributes to your reputability. This encourages your audience to pay you a visit, pick up the phone, or even order from your website.

Engagement Engine

Over 70% of consumers say that seeing a call button and directions in an advertisement is important to them. Google My Business allows you to utilize both! Not only will you have these features on your free listing, but any ads you build with the platform will have simple options to include these buttons as well.

With one click, your customers can get in touch, book an appointment, or visit your website. This simplicity encourages engagement and increases the impact your business makes on leads.

Valuable Insights

With Google My Business, you’ll have access to valuable analytics that help you understand your audience better. These insights include factors such as who your listing is reaching and how your audience is interacting with your business. This allows you to make informed adjustments to your small business digital marketing strategy for success.

You’ll be able to see what’s working, what needs more attention, and how you can reach more relevant audiences by analyzing this information and applying data-driven strategies.

Optimize Your Google My Business Listing

Now that you know the benefits of claiming your Google My Business listing, you can get started on your SEO first steps with confidence. Whether you are just getting started with SEO or looking to improve your small business marketing, this listing is a sure-fire way to boost your visibility and skyrocket sales.

Ready to optimize your listing but not sure where to start? Get in touch with us today to discover how we can create and fine-tune your listing to help you see the growth your brand deserves.