Google My Business, also known as Google Business Profile, is one of the leading platforms for businesses across industries to push their content, services, deals, and offers to customers on a regular basis. In fact, 51% of shoppers surveyed by Google said they researched a purchase they intended to make.

It’s a comprehensive, multi-functional tool that offers a wide range of functions and features, from the ability to integrate social media posts to featuring high-quality images and engaging with customers through its own design. It’s incredibly simple to use and helps businesses increase their visibility, rankings, and engagement on Google itself.

But as simple as it is, it’s not just a one-and-done thing to set up and optimize your profile.

Even the best strategy and plan will eventually stop bringing in results, and like most good things in life, you will hit a plateau that leaves you feeling dissatisfied, frustrated, and almost ready to quit.

However, the trick with Google small business advertising is to stay consistent and face all GMB challenges head-on.

The Google Business Profile optimization experts on our team reached out to other businesses and individuals to see what challenges they faced when it came to their GBP, and how they overcame them, and suffice to say, we heard a lot of interesting issues.

Let’s talk about some of the issues and challenges they faced and how they overcame them using their quick-thinking and expansive approach:

Recommended Read: Google My Business: The Ultimate Guide to Google Business Profile for Business Growth

Having Multiple Locations for Your Business

There are several industries where businesses are fortunate enough to branch out and expand their reach to different locations. From restaurants to retail stores to chains and franchises or even service providers based across multiple states and countries, there’s no limit to how your business expands.

And while that’s excellent for the business itself, in the digital marketing world, this can prove challenging because you’ll be required to adapt your strategy continually.

One of the biggest GMB challenges that businesses with multiple locations face is having to create, update, and manage multiple GMB pages and profiles for the same enterprise. Why is that the case? Let’s take a look:

• Content Chaos: Creating and maintaining unique, location-specific content for each listing requires significant effort. Generic content across all pages fails to resonate with local audiences, hindering local SEO and customer engagement, which means you will need to create location-specific material regularly. From seasonal factors to local holidays and occasions and even pain points, you need to make sure everything is contextualized and appeals to the local audience.
• Verification & Management Challenges: Verifying each location can be a time-consuming process. Additionally, manually updating information, responding to reviews, and scheduling posts for every listing quickly becomes a management nightmare—so what do you do then?

Bellhop’s Multi-Market Mastery

Bellhop, a moving and logistics company, offers a glimpse into how to navigate this GMB challenge. They treat each market as its own entity, building SEO and marketing efforts around local preferences. This translates to individual GMB-optimized pages for each market, allowing for targeted content and local reach.

According to the Bellhop team, they begin by launching a landing page for new markets, then set up their GMB page with everything from operating hours to photos. This ensures a strong local presence from the get-go. Their approach highlights the importance of localized content and establishing a robust GBP presence for each market.

This can be challenging if you’re a small or mid-sized business with limited resources and personnel, which is why it helps to work with professional Google Maps optimization services and experts who can create multiple pages and manage them for you. Our team specializes in this task, offering extensive expertise and know-how in this industry.

We’ll be able to generate localized content to make sure each GMB post aligns with local events, concerns, celebrations, and even local discounts. If you’re based in Milwaukee but have a store in Portland, we can help you create content that is so localized that nobody will be able to tell where you’re based!

Recommended Read: How to Optimize and Promote Your Google Business Profile for More Leads

Inconsistency Across Various Markets

On the flip side of that same coin, however, is another GMB challenge that many businesses face, which is being inconsistent across different markets.

While having an expansive, multi-faceted presence online is definitely rewarding, it’s also crucial to keep in mind that every single page—yes, even if there are dozens—needs to have the same information at its core.

Not sure what that means? Let’s break it down using TP-Link’s strategy.

TP-Link is one of the leading tech companies in the world, offering the top Wi-Fi solutions for commercial and residential clients across the globe, and with such an expansive reach, they’ve had to work on strategizing for their company in several ways.

For businesses like TP-Link, operating in a multitude of markets presents a unique set of challenges for Google Business Profile management. Here’s a closer look at the main GMB challenges they faced:

• Maintaining Accuracy Across Borders: Ensuring consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) data for each location is crucial. Inconsistencies across markets can confuse search engines and hinder local search ranking.
• Language Barrier Blues: Catering to diverse audiences necessitates content in their local language, including product descriptions and business hours on each GBP listing.
• Content Conundrum: Developing localized content that resonates with local preferences requires significant effort. Generic, one-size-fits-all content fails to capture the interest of local customers, which is why cookie-cutter approaches don’t work.
• Internal Coordination: Ensuring seamless communication and collaboration between regional marketing teams is vital for consistent updates and information accuracy, which is exceptionally challenging for global operations such as theirs.

TP-Link’s Bridge to Consistency

Despite these challenges, TP-Link has navigated the global GBP landscape with remarkable success. Their secret weapon? Strong communication and streamlined processes. Here’s how they achieved consistency across their listings and how you can achieve that with the help of our Google My Business SEO Services:

• Centralized Hub: TP-Link, despite multiple local pages and outreach in several countries, does have a dedicated department or team responsible for managing GBP listings globally. This team likely oversees content creation and translation and ensures information accuracy across all markets, streamlining all messaging and promotions to align with company values, goals, and missions.
• Communication Channels: Clear and efficient communication between the central team and regional marketing teams is critical. Regular updates, standardized templates, and communication tools likely play a vital role in this process.
• Data Management Tools: Utilizing data management platforms or spreadsheets can streamline the process of maintaining accurate and consistent NAP data across all locations. If you’re unable to implement that strategy or invest in additional resources, you can work with our Google Business management experts.
• Content Localization Strategy: Developing a content calendar and templates with clear guidelines for localizing product descriptions, business hours, and marketing messages allows for efficient and impactful content creation. It also helps maintain guidelines and instructions on ensuring that all messaging aligns with the company’s overall approach and values.

TP-Link’s commitment to consistent GBP listings has yielded impressive results. They’ve witnessed a “massive increase in local search visibility,” allowing them to reach a wider audience in each market. This translates to a direct impact on sales, proving the effectiveness of their digital marketing efforts and affirming the fact that they’re killing it in the game.

TP-Link’s journey offers valuable lessons for businesses with a global presence. By prioritizing communication, establishing efficient processes, and maintaining consistency across their GBP listings, TP-Link has achieved remarkable growth and local online dominance.

Flexibility and a commitment to consistency are key to conquering the challenges of global Google Business Profile management—and we can help you achieve that.

Ready to take your business to global heights? We’re ready when you are.

Recommended Read: How to Set Up and Verify My Business on Google

Ranking Low Among Local Businesses

What is the goal of SEO but to help businesses rank higher and gain more visibility? Unfortunately, it’s no longer a niche approach but a requirement for any business or individual who wants recognition in their field.

However, despite the wealth of knowledge and actionable strategies available, businesses need to recognize that even the most consistent Google My Business advertising strategy might not be enough to help them stand out.

There are several reasons why you might find yourself drowning in the busy world of SERPs, from poorly done profiles to inconsistent information. And sometimes, it’s just a matter of sheer bad luck.

Is a low GMB ranking really such a challenge, however? A low GMB ranking relegates your business to the depths of search results, effectively hiding you from potential customers. Here’s how this affects you in the long run:

• Missed Opportunities: Customers searching for local solutions won’t find your business, leading to lost sales and leads. They won’t be able to discover you as they Google your product, service, or solutions, which is a major issue.
• Reduced Visibility: You become invisible in the online marketplace, hindering your ability to compete with local competitors and businesses that are in the same industry as you.
• Decrease in Trust: A low ranking can raise doubts about your legitimacy and trustworthiness in the eyes of potential customers, even if you’re truly excellent at what you do. Since the algorithm ranks you below others, it indicates to customers that they should be wary.

Reputation Rhino’s Rise to Local Prominence

Reputation Rhino is a dedicated PR firm based in the US, which had, ironically, struggled with its own PR and rankings. Despite extensive experience, an impressive clientele, and immense outreach, they struggled to stand out from the competition.

But they tackled this challenge head-on, adopting the following strategies:

• Leveraging The Power of Reviews: They recognized the importance of online reviews – a crucial factor in GMB ranking. They monitored reviews and complaint sites dedicatedly, ensuring timely responses and addressing any customer concerns. This helped them engage with both happy and upset customers and demonstrate their dedication to customer care.
• Proactive Review Generation: Understanding the impact of positive reviews, they reached out to satisfied clients, encouraging them to share their experiences on prominent review platforms. This targeted approach amplified their positive online reputation and helped establish them as an authority in their industry. Ultimately, lead and review generation is one of the best ways to overcome the GMB challenge of reduced visibility.

Reputation Rhino’s dedication paid off, as they witnessed a surge in local visibility, placing them at the forefront of local search results and Google Maps. This, in turn, had more improved outcomes for their business, including:

• Increased Website Traffic: Their website saw a significant uptick in organic traffic, attracting potential customers browsing for local services.
• Increase in Lead Generation: With increased website traffic came a wave of inquiries and quote requests from local customers, ready to do business.
• Wider Customer Base: Their newfound online presence drew in new customers from diverse neighborhoods, broadening their reach.
• Positive Impact on Sales: The culmination of these factors resulted in a significant boost in sales and revenue, solidifying their position as a market leader.

Reputation Rhino’s success story is a testament to the fact that positive reviews are a game-changer and can truly help businesses build a stellar reputation in the market.

You don’t have to wait around to hit a low before you work your way up—our GMB optimization agency is a quick call away.

Using Poor Quality Photos and Media

Your Google Business Profile allows you to leverage and advertise with images and different types of media, which is why it’s an absolute waste of a privilege if you’re not doing it right.

We don’t mean to sound judgmental—or do we? —but if you’re not leveraging this criminally excellent opportunity to highlight your best product and services, show your facility, or even engage people with tempting visuals and media, what are you even doing!?

Jokes and judgment aside, this is definitely one of the more serious GMB challenges that businesses fall prey to. Many businesses simply don’t invest in high-quality photos to post online or resort to using stock photos that are generic and not really representative of their brands.

While this can work for some, it’s a major missed opportunity for others. Our GMB SEO practices always emphasize the use of custom photos and images that directly showcase your work and products as a way to drive engagement organically.

Here’s how one of our client’s GMB profiles looks after we created custom posts and used their photos to market their services:

This is also precisely the strategy that propelled ApplebaumMD, founded by Dr. Robert Applebaum, a Beverly Hills-based plastic surgeon, to the epitome of digital marketing success.

ApplebaumMD’s Recipe for Success

Just like ApplebaumMD, you can leverage the power of visuals to grab attention, boost engagement, and ultimately drive more business through Google Maps optimization services. Here’s how:

• First Impressions Matter: GMB photos are the first thing potential customers see. Crisp, professional photos showcasing your facilities, staff, and services create a positive first impression, fostering trust and interest. Stock photos or blurry images send the opposite message, potentially pushing customers away. If you don’t have professional photos, invest in paid stock photos or customized images to drive the point home.
• Engagement Booster: High-quality photos act as silent storytellers, providing a glimpse into your business’s atmosphere and offerings. Eye-catching visuals capture attention and keep potential customers engaged, encouraging them to learn more about your services and pique their interest. Generic, low-quality photos can even make your business look less legitimate than it is!
• SEO Advantage: Google rewards GMB profiles with fresh, relevant content. Regularly updating your photos with new, high-quality images demonstrates your business’s activity and can improve your local SEO ranking. Optimize your photos further by using relevant keywords in the descriptions, increasing your visibility in local searches. If you’re not sure where to begin with that, let our GMB SEO services handle that.
• Building Trust: Authentic photos showcasing your team, equipment, and happy customers build trust and legitimacy. For something as serious as surgery, stock photos just don’t cut it. People want to see what providers such as ApplebaumMD offer, helping them feel more confident when choosing a business they can see and connect with visually.

By investing in high-quality photos for your GMB profile, you’re making a powerful investment in your business’s online presence. Take the lead, reach out to us, and let your photos do the talking!

Struggles with Establishing Community Trust

It’s all fun and games when things are online, and you’re able to build an incredible presence in the digital sphere—but it gets pretty real pretty fast when you’re dealing with the real-world implications of this.

Many businesses struggle to stay engaged with their community and surrounding stakeholders when it comes to their role as an authority in their field. Take as such the example of Martin Gasparian, an attorney at Maison Law, who collaborated with local law enforcement to overcome this GMB challenge that emerged in the face of a lack of trust.

It’s difficult to build genuine customer relations if your audience believes you’re only trying to sell them services or entrap them with your work, which is why you need an alternative approach.

Learning from Leading Lawyers at Maison Law

A positive online reputation and connections with local authorities and community members can enhance a firm’s credibility in the community’s eyes. Generic GMB listings with no local connection struggle to build trust, which is why businesses should invest in collaborating with other local businesses or members.

From sponsoring teams to hosting events, there’s a lot you can do that our Google My Business optimization service providers have discussed in this blog, too. But here’s a closer look at how Maison Law achieved its goals:

• Partnerships for Trust: They prioritized fostering relationships with local police, sheriff’s offices, and legal authorities. This connection adds credibility to their GMB profile and builds community trust, letting people in their locality know that they are reliable service providers.
• Content for Value-Addition: They leveraged targeted GMB content like blog posts and client testimonials, as well as informative posts to share insights and legal guidelines and promote safety practices rather than just pushing their services. This strategy showcases expertise and informs the community about legal matters, fostering trust and engagement and giving clients the sense that they’re gaining something.

Their commitment to community trust yielded impressive results. They witnessed increased client interaction, improved online visibility through GMB optimization, and numerous client inquiries—which goes to show that you can overcome this GMB challenge with the right approach and professional services.

Overcome the Challenges of Using Our Google Business Profile Services

We know the challenges that GMB offers when you’re working with this platform. It’s a continually evolving tool that requires extensive planning and decision-making, regular monitoring, and updates to keep the algorithm active and noticing your business.

Work with us for our Google Business Profile optimization services and let our seasoned experts design the most killer strategy for your business.

We’re committed to bringing your business to new heights of success and generating immense digital and real-world traction that drives sales and brings home the numbers you want.

Let’s work together to supercharge your Google Business Profile for the ultimate boost.

Get in touch with us to learn more.

The post Solving Common Google My Business Challenges for Small Businesses appeared first on Global-marketing Inc..

Having a strong online presence is no longer a luxury for small businesses – it’s a necessity. With stiff competition and businesses fighting to gain customers’ attention, achieving local visibility can feel like a lost battle.

However, it’s not a lost cause, thanks to Google My Business. We’ve talked extensively about GMB, which is a free tool offered by Google that specifically caters to small businesses, offering them an excellent platform to connect with local customers and establish themselves as a trusted presence within their community.

GMB isn’t simply a business listing or directory resource; it’s an incredibly dynamic tool that allows you to create a comprehensive profile that showcases your brand, services, and offerings.

Think of your Google Business Profile as a digital storefront that appears prominently on Google Search and Maps whenever a potential customer searches for products or services related to yours. This helps build brand awareness, driving more traffic to your website and playing a major role in small businesses’ success stories.

There are several advantages of using GMB, ranging from building a steady online reputation to managing customer reviews, which is a crucial factor influencing purchasing decisions. Responding to positive reviews shows appreciation, while addressing negative ones demonstrates a commitment to customer satisfaction and may be the difference between a one-time customer and a long-term partnership.

GMB also offers extensive insights into customer behavior. It continues logging and sharing data on how customers discover your business profile, the actions they take, and how they interact with your profile, allowing you to tailor your online strategy for maximum impact. This enables businesses to adopt different strategies, including optimizing their profile with relevant keywords, choosing more specific content approaches, and diversifying their reach in multiple ways.

We took to reaching out to various small businesses asking about their GMB success story, and what worked for them. Many of them had varied approaches and saw a significant jump in their reach, which is why we’re sharing what worked for them and how they benefited.

Strategies That Have Worked Well for Small Businesses Across Industries

In liaising with multiple businesses, the Google business profile optimization experts at SearchBerg noticed a pattern. Certain strategies worked well across the board, while other businesses did take a leap of faith and experimented with the methods they used.

Let’s break them down methodically and see what worked for each endeavor and small business to fuel their success story:

Keeping Your Business Information Fresh and Up-to-Date

When 49% of customers use Google and online searches to find local businesses, having a strong Google My Business (GMB) profile is essential. However, contrary to popular misconception, GMB isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it solution. You need to consistently update your information and make sure it’s all current and accurate across all platforms.

You must ensure that your NAP (Name, Address, and Phone number) trio does impact both, how the algorithm and potential customers interact with your profile. Google prioritizes listings with accurate and consistent NAP information, ensuring these businesses appear first in search results. Missing, inaccurate, inconsistent, and outdated information impacts your rankings and visibility and confuses customers, too.

Additionally, you need to actively optimize your profile to ensure that you’re leveraging trending keywords, local keywords, and user search intent within your content. This combination of consistency and keyword optimization may seem like the bare minimum anyone needs, but it’s the first step to any small business success story.

How Optimizing and Updating Your GBP Helps Businesses

Maintaining up-to-date information on your GMB profile offers a multitude of benefits that directly translate to increased customer engagement and business success:

• Improved Search Ranking: Accurate NAP information ensures Google will accurately categorize your business and show it in relevant search results, thus increasing your visibility, ranking, and customer engagement. This can be seen through some of the responses we received, wherein a business we spoke to saw a 35% increase in website traffic, a small restaurant experienced a 40% increase in online reservations, and a bakery40% increase in their GMB listing’s visibility, a 25% uptick in foot traffic, and a 30% increase in online orders after ensuring that their profile was updated accurately, alongside other measures.
• Enhanced User Experience: Imagine the frustration a customer feels upon finding an outdated phone number or incorrect address on the GMB profile of a highly-rated local business and how that leaves a foul taste in their mouth. You need accurate information and clear details to help build trust and create a seamless user experience, encouraging customers to contact you for inquiries or reservations. Two great examples we’ve seen for this were 1) a business called London Gardeners, which optimized their listing and eventually saw a 40% increase in website traffic, and 2) Miss Tourist, a travel resource site that saw a 30% increase in organic traffic after ensuring that their location (home base in Lisbon), timings, and other information were up to date.

These are only some of the many advantages that our GMB optimization agency has previously addressed, which you can learn about in more depth here.

We also recommend working with a reliable service provider who can help you with your GMB SEO, and schedule frequent checks to verify all information on social media pages, business directories, and review websites.

Additionally, you should also be maintaining consistency in the real world whether it’s via receipts, business cards, or even verbal communication.

Regular Content and GMB Posts: The Secret Weapon for Small Business Success

Small businesses need to constantly find engaging and interesting ways to connect with potential customers, and fortunately, Google My Business (GMB) advertising is made easier with its content platform. It’s the perfect way for businesses to connect with their target audience, sharing regular content.

Many businesses, such as the dermatology clinic we spoke to, choose to share weekly GMB posts featuring their products, services, promotions, and highlights.

Boost Visibility and Engagement with Regular GMB Content

Think of Google Business Profile as a digital marketplace where you’re able to display your wares weekly. You can use GMB posts to build your small business’s success story in the following ways:

• Increased Visibility in Local Searches: The more you share relevant content, the more the algorithm recognizes that your GMB profile is active, which can improve your visibility and ranking in local search results. This helps boost customer outreach when they search for related terms and questions.
• User Engagement: These posts also keep your profile fresh and interesting, encouraging users to interact. Alongside visual media, you can also share descriptions of your work that spark curiosity, leading to more profile views, clicks, and, ultimately, website visits or calls.
• Demonstrate Expertise and Authority: This is an excellent way to highlight more information about your products or services and stay relevant in conversations related to your industry. Ultimately, this positions you as an expert in your field as you continue sharing unique features, addressing customer pain points, or offering valuable tips that turn your profile into a value-adding resource.
• Humanize Your Business: Weekly posts personalize your brand. Let people get to know the brains behind the business, including team members; share behind-the-scenes glimpses; celebrate milestones and post insights that wouldn’t otherwise go up on websites, etc.

Driving Sales and Conversions:

Weekly GMB posts can be a powerful tool to directly influence purchasing decisions and drive sales:

• Promote New Products and Services: Weekly posts are the perfect way to announce new offerings special features, share discounts, sales, and seasonal events that have a sense of urgency. Use Google Business management to generate a buzz and encourage customers to take action.
• Drive Traffic and Conversions: Speaking of action, this is the perfect way to leverage a call to action. Promote exclusive online deals, offer in-store discounts for GMB followers, or host contests with GMB entry requirements. Use exclusive CTAs (call to action) to drive conversions. An E-commerce platform we spoke to, named Or & Zon, saw a 40% increase in website traffic with the right GMB posting strategy, while To the Cloud Vapor Store saw a 30% increase in web referrals.

Bonus Tips to Improve Weekly GMB Post Reach

To maximize the benefits of weekly GMB posts, follow these simple strategies straight from our Google My Business experts:

• Content Variety is Key: Experiment with a variety of content formats like photos, videos, and text posts that appeal to a wider audience base.
• Post Consistently: Develop a regular posting schedule and stick to it. Consistency is key if you want to keep your audience engaged. A dermatology clinic we got in touch with saw a whopping  60% increase in calls from their GMB listing and a 40% growth in appointment bookings, and if that’s not enough to push you, then we’re not sure what is!
• Optimize for Mobile: Remember, many people use GMB on their phones, so you need to ensure that your visuals are mobile-friendly and your text is easy to read on a smaller screen.
• Track and Analyze: GMB post performance data and analytics are valuable in allowing you to see what appeals to your audience, which posts they interact with, and what formula worked.

There’s a lot that posts can offer—you just need to use them intelligently and consistently. Take a look at a client that we’ve worked with:

Make Your GMB Profile Pop with High-Quality Media

We live in a time when attention spans are shorter than ever, and information overload exhausts us. But captivating visuals are what truly grab attention and act as a medium of storytelling. Using high-quality photos and videos can dramatically turn your small business into a success story.

Showcase Your Business in Action

• Ditch the Stock Photos: Quit using generic images and switch to professional photos that offer flattering views of your products, spaces, and services. After all, Or & Zon, a luxury handcrafted goods business, saw a 40% increase in website traffic and a 25% increase in sales after ensuring their GMB strategy included high-quality visuals—and your business could see similar results!
• Consider Short Videos: Quick, informative videos can be incredibly powerful. These can range from case studies and testimonials to BTS processes or product demonstrations and tutorials that offer value and insights to customers.
• Follow the Rules: This is a bit technical, but your photos should be compatible with GMB’s size and format requirements. High resolution is key, but massive file sizes slow downloading.
• Descriptive Captions Matter: Optimize captions with relevant local keywords to help users discover your business, services, and products more effectively. Using captions and images while also promoting their discounts helped DealA They saw a 45% year-over-year increase in online revenue and a jaw-dropping 75% increase in new user addition with this simple strategy.
• Keep it Fresh: Continue adding new media to your GMB profile as a way to remain active and appealing.

The Benefits of Visual Appeal

There’s no denying that Google Business Profiles with photos garner more attention and traction and offer more benefits to businesses who focus on them:

• Increase Appeal and Engagement: Eye-catching visuals grab attention and keep users interested, leading to more clicks and interactions with your profile.
• Build Trust: Professional photos and videos project a sense of legitimacy and professionalism, showing your experience and authority in the industry.
• Drive Conversions: Engaging visuals can emotionally connect with viewers, influencing purchasing decisions and driving more sales, a strategy that worked exceptionally well for a bakery that saw a 30% rise in online orders by using high-quality images.

Investing in high-quality media isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s a strategic investment that can significantly impact your GMB success. Here’s an example of the famous Magnolia Bakery, a business that owes part of its success to Sex And The City, and how they’ve shared various images of their bakery and their offerings in a visually appealing way:

The Power of Responding to GMB Queries and Reviews

95% of customers rely on online reviews to make a purchase, and if you’re not paying attention to the ones you get on your Google Business Profile, you’re missing out.

For small businesses, Google My Business (GMB) offers a valuable platform to connect with customers and hear from them, too. You’re not just displaying information but also responding to queries and reviews, both positive and negative, which helps your small business become a success story.

Let’s get into this in detail:

Fostering a Sense of Trust and Transparency

Your customer should be able to reach out to you knowing that they’ll get a prompt, helpful response that addresses their concerns or queries. Why? Because responsiveness does the following:

• Demonstrates Attentiveness: Prompt replies to GMB queries show you care about customer needs. This helps build a connection with your customers, who feel seen and heard and are likelier to choose you over competitors who might seem unresponsive.This also encourages further interaction, potentially leading to additional inquiries or website visits, ultimately driving sales.
• Increases Transparency: Addressing customer questions openly and honestly builds trust. From small things like reiterating business hours to sharing product and service-related information or simply acknowledging a compliment, you’ll create a line of open communication and transparency through public interactions. It also inspires trust and encourages potential customers to choose you over competitors who offer little to no added value.

Turning Feedback into Growth:

Customer reviews, both positive and negative, offer invaluable insights into your business. By engaging with them, you show a commitment to continuous improvement and strengthen your brand reputation. They’re an opportunity for sustained growth and improving your digital presence.

• Turning Negatives into Positives: Negative reviews are a gateway to exceptional customer service. Respond promptly, acknowledge the concern, accept your mistakes or shortcomings, and offer a resolution. Even the most terrible experience can turn into a positive one while showcasing your commitment to customer satisfaction and even converting an unhappy customer into a faithful one.
• Emphasize Appreciation for Positives: Positive reviews are a chance to express gratitude and build stronger relationships. You’ll build long-term, repeat customer relationships with something as simple as a heartfelt thank you or acknowledgment. We’ve heard

Leveraging Responses to GMB Reviews:

To maximize the benefits of GMB responses, implement these Google My Business SEO strategies,

• Develop Response Templates: Craft templates for common queries to save time while ensuring consistent and professional responses. Personalize each response with the specific details of the query.
• Respond Promptly: Aim to respond to all queries and reviews within 24 hours, especially negative feedback. The quicker you address concerns, the less likely they are to get out of control and garner added traction.
• Maintain a Professional Tone: Even when responding to negative reviews, maintain a professional and courteous tone. Be solution-oriented and avoid being defensive.
• Track and Analyze: Monitor your response performance and customer sentiment over time. This can help you refine your approach and tailor your communication style for even greater impact—this is something that showed immense promise for London Gardeners, who saw a 25% increase in sales inquiries, and other businesses such as Miss Tourist, To The Cloud Vapor Store, and DealA.

Responding religiously to GMB queries and reviews is a small investment that can yield significant returns. It’s the quickest way to foster a sense of customer loyalty and engagement and ensure that your clients feel seen, heard, understood, and valued, playing a major role in your small business success story.

The Consistent Customer Engagement and Review Reminders

Unfortunately, a one-time transaction with a customer isn’t enough. For small businesses, their success story hinges on fostering long-term relationships and building a loyal customer base. The key lies in consistent customer engagement and post-service reminders for reviews, interactions, and follow-ups. Here’s how some of the businesses we spoke to (including a restaurant chain, an E-commerce platform, a digital marketer, a dermatology clinic, and others) went about this:

Staying Top of Mind with Reminders:

Let’s say a customer has a fantastic experience with your business, but because they’re not sharing their review online, their positive experience will go unnoticed. This is where you can leverage post-service reminders to act as a friendly prompt, encouraging them to engage with your GMB profile and share their feedback.

You can also encourage customers to interact with your GMB profile in other ways, such as following your page, checking out your latest posts, or browsing your service offerings, pushing them to come back to your page off and

The Art of the Gentle Nudge:

The key to effective reminders lies in being firm without being pushy. Keep these tips from our Google Business management service in mind:

• Timing is Everything: You want to space out reminders and avoid overloading customers with immediate requests. Wait for a while before you reach out, allowing them to fully experience the value of your service and ruminate on the positives.
• Multi-Channel Approach: Choose a combination of email and text messages for reminders so you can meet varied customer preferences and increase the chance of your message being seen.
• Keep it Simple and Clear: Your reminders should be brief, informative, and easy to understand. Clearly state the purpose (requesting a review, encouraging interaction), and offer a step-by-step guide (if prompting for a review), which is something one of the businesses we interacted with did. This led to a 40% increase in their review volume within 6 months!

Consistent customer engagement and well-crafted reminders are investments, not a burden. It’s all about going a step above and beyond the initial sale and building a long-term connection. When you prioritize consistent engagement, you’ll notice your customer base growing in the best way.

Set Up Your Digital Storefront Through Our Google Business Profile Services

We’re here to make your small business a success story through our Google Business Profile optimization services.

We have an arsenal of tools and a wealth of knowledge that enable us to design customized strategies comprising multiple elements, including Google profile and business postings, social media, and more, using the latest tools and solutions.

We’re committed to bringing your business to the point of success in both the digital and physical world and helping you connect with your customers more effectively.

Get in touch with us to learn more.

The post Success Stories: How Small Businesses Thrive with Google My Business appeared first on Global-marketing Inc..

While you may have developed an excellent marketing strategy with a strong focus on social media optimization and diverse marketing, overlooking the importance of optimizing your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) listing is a big faux pas that could cause your metrics to plummet.

So, what exactly is Google My Business?

It’s a free online tool for organizations and businesses to help them manage their online presence through Google, among Google properties such as Google Maps and Google Search.

Basically, it helps customers find your business and helps you tell them your business’s story. To make your listing more legitimate, you can even verify your Google My Business listing.

With over 90% of Americans owning a cell phone, tapping into the depths of online directories has become one of the easiest ways to boost audience reach, engagement, and retention.

Let’s look at it this way:

Are you constantly on the lookout for new restaurants to try with your beau or family?

Do you jump at the thought of stumbling upon unique tech-savvy products that make your life easier?

Does the thought of coming across an affordable and trendy local online clothing store make you grin from ear to ear?

If you answered at least one of these questions in the affirmative, Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) has already impacted your life for the better.

If you’ve ever sought out a business that can help you meet your needs on Google, Google My Business has helped you find that business.

Like you, the majority of American consumers are actively seeking modern solutions to their needs—both consciously and subconsciously.

And let’s face it—nobody wants to crank open a phone directory to find businesses that offer their desired products or services.

This is where Google My Business steps in.

While we have The Ultimate Guide to Google Business Profile waiting for you to dive into, this blog will also provide a variety of insights and best practices that are worth implementing.

Recommended Read:

By creating a profile laden with operating information and engaging text, photo, and video posts, businesses can give customers exactly what they’re looking for—and more.

With over 80% of the entire U.S. population using online platforms to shop locally, Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business)  is the most popular and effective online tool for businesses to leverage in 2024.

But how do you kick things off?

Step 1: Create your Google Business Profile

It’s pretty easy, and you can set up a brand new account in the following ways:

1. Register a Dedicated Google Account:

The first step in creating your GBP listing is ensuring you have a Google account. If you already have one for personal use, you can seamlessly use it for your business profile. Another option is to create a new account to set up a Google Business Profile online, which makes it easier to share account details with other employees and managers.

2. Head to the Google Business Profile Platform:

Navigate to https://www.google.com/business/ and click on “Start now” to begin the setup process. It’s also possible to do so through Google Maps by searching for your business name and clicking on “Manage profile” if your business already has an existing listing, allowing you to reclaim it.

We also recommend linking your profile to your Google Ads account to increase engagement on your ads. Once you’re done, your profile will show up whenever users run local search queries.

3. Enter Your Business Information Accurately:

You need to share accurate and complete information about your business since these details affect online visibility and customer experience. Some areas you need to fill out are:

Include the following information:

• Name
• Address
• Phone Number
• Website
• Business Hours
• Category
• Types of Payment Accepted
• Description
• Photos
• Reviews
• Frequently Asked Questions

Not only will an updated and relevant online listing help your business attract new customers, but it’ll also enhance credibility, reputation, and authenticity.

This will allow you to retain old customers and solidify your customer base, thereby boosting business metrics.

We also recommend applying for verification to utilize all the tools available on the GMB dashboard and enhance visibility across Google Search and Maps.

You can choose verification through email, video, phone call, or postcard.

In case of a lost GBP account, here’s a detailed guide on how to reclaim or recover an existing account.

Step 2: Optimize your Google Business Profile

Each month, Google receives over 1 billion searches for restaurants and around 142 million searches for hotels, among other popular hits ranging from salons to cafes.

As the most popular, efficient, and easy-to-use search platform across the globe, Google offers businesses a plethora of opportunities to make their presence felt among consumers.

So, give your brand visibility by getting on the map!

A study conducted by Google revealed that 50% of users who searched for a local business on their smartphone visited the store within a day. As you optimize your Google Business Profile, your business will begin to climb SERPs, thereby helping you reach a wider audience.

Despite this incredible advantage, over 56% of local retailers haven’t claimed their free Google My Business listing. If your business is part of this percentage, it may be time to give your brand the boost it deserves by creating an engaging, informative, and creative listing.

Increase local traffic by ensuring NAP (Name, Address, and Phone Number) consistency across your Google My Business profile, website, and social media platforms.

The consistency will add an air of professionalism to your business while helping users find accurate information across all digital platforms.

For instance, if your number is listed without area codes or prefixes (e.g., 1-800) on your website, it’s essential that your Google My Business page follows the same format.

Listing accuracy also establishes trust, making customers feel more inclined toward completing a transaction with certain businesses. Imagine opening a brand’s Google My Business page only to be confronted with inconsistent information, informal writing, and slipshod uppercase and lowercase usage.

The informality is very likely to put you off and compel you to browse further until you find a competitor that may not have an equally impressive range of products but offers a seamless and professional Google My Business profile.

While these details may seem negligible, they have a transformative—albeit subconscious—effect on the consumer buying process.

Don’t Leave Any Section Unfilled

Once you’ve taken care of the basics, take a quick look at your profile. Are there any unfilled sections? In many cases, businesses fill out the basics and leave the details for later. If you’ve resorted to the same approach, undo the damage, stat.

Ensure that you have the correct description of a Google My Business page. Highlight your USPs and experience. You’ll work within certain constraints. Make sure you don’t exceed 750 characters.

Some details are consumer-generated, including questions and answers and reviews. But don’t wait for your audience to take care of them. Instead, adopt a proactive approach and prompt customers to leave reviews (more on this later).

Here’s a glimpse of a meticulously completed Google My Business listing:

As can be seen in the screenshot above, SearchBerg’s GMB profile is detailed and complete and offers detailed information, including reviews that offer insights into services, customer experiences, and more. All of this proves valuable when local clients want to know more about your business.

Step 3: Conduct Keyword Research for Your GBP

Using keywords is part and parcel of targeting a local audience. If your keyword research strategy is subpar, take active measures to turn things around.

Start by identifying industry-specific keywords like “legal support,” “plumbing services,” “interior design,” etc. Based on your industry, shortlist 5–10 relevant keywords with high search volume. In addition, research location-specific keywords based on where you offer your products/services and incorporate those into your content.

Once you’ve covered these two key bases, compile a list of relevant trending keywords. Are there certain holidays, events, or pop culture references that are trending in your area? Think “Christmas,” “Valentine’s Day,” “Super Bowl,” and the like.

Anything and everything that’s a hot trend goes! And if it’s relevant to your industry, you’ve struck gold. For instance, sharing a Succession-themed keyword to promote “minimalist fashion” and “quiet luxury” clothing lines would have immense potential.

Once you have a set of winning keywords, use them on your profile and in your posts. But don’t go overboard. Keyword stuffing can put you at risk of getting penalized by Google. The right balance will help you target a wide local audience and boost your listing.

It’s also important to note that Google highlights relevant keywords in reviews. Here’s an example:

Sounds like something that cannot be leveraged, right? Well, not quite. Requesting specific reviews is a great way to give Google exactly what it needs to rank your listing in the Google 3-Pack.

For instance, if you run a restaurant, ask customers for feedback regarding your customer service, specific menu items, ambiance, etc. This will help you generate reviews that are right up Google’s alley. It helps customers organically use high-performing keywords that blend seamlessly into the content and show up on SERPs.

The outcome? A listing that ranks higher and generates more local traffic in the long run. This is inarguably one of the best practices for your Google Business Profile!

Step 4: Post Helpful Content Regularly

Google My Business posts are easily one of the best ways to connect with your audience and increase sales. Post engaging, creative, compelling, and original content to captivate your audience. Not only will this help regular customers continue to return to your business, but it’ll also engage new customers.

In addition, satisfied customers are very likely to indirectly promote your business to their friends and family through word of mouth. Whether you highlight a new clothing line with rich, high-quality images or showcase a recent launch or event with an engaging video, your page will garner more traction, thereby increasing local traffic and helping your business climb the SERP.

A great way is to share 1-2 posts a week on GBP, using 100-150 words of keyword-optimized content, images, and relevant CTAs that lead to conversions. Focus on helpful content, insights, new deals and offers, time-sensitive content, and anything else you want customers to know in the present moment.

Google has shared that businesses with images receive more requests for directions to the outlet and more clicks than brands with low-quality or no images.

We recommend uploading a captivating profile photo and cover photo. In addition, share powerful text, image, and video posts on a regular or semi-regular basis—including content that captures the storefront, interior aesthetic ambiance, products/services, and customers having a great time.

Visuals are a game-changer when it comes to engagement, and any well-preforming Google Business Profile (formerly GMB) will have high-quality images depicting products, services, locations, and unique features to appeal to their clients across demographics.

An example of engaging visuals is as follows:

Step 5: Encourage Reviews and Answer Questions

Research indicates that over 95% of potential consumers read online reviews. Out of this, approximately 88% trust this information.

It goes without saying that customer reviews are a great way to increase brand reputability while doubling or tripling sales!

Reviews carry massive conversion potential. They add an air of legitimacy to your business, resulting in better engagement and sales. You can leverage Google My Business by requesting reviews from your customers.

You can start by requesting more reviews through your website, social media pages, and online listings or send out emails and text messages for feedback. You can also create a specific page for reviews on your website. Hyperlink said page in the CTAs for your blogs, articles, and online posts. You can also send a link to your audience for better reach.

It also helps to offer incentives for reviews, such as a discount code for leaving a positive public review that reflects their experience.

While this may sound a little over-the-top, it’s essential. Ensuring a steady stream of flattering reviews will help you snag a spot on the Google 3-Pack and skyrocket conversions.

Apart from going the extra mile to request reviews, we also recommend engaging with each review for better reach. Thank your audience for leaving positive reviews and promise to make amends with regard to negative reviews (make sure you follow through).

Over time, you can also begin to request specific reviews to highlight different aspects of your business. Keep industry-specific keywords in mind (read above). Based on the search preferences of your target audience, request relevant reviews to help Google showcase your business.

Another great way to engage with people on GBP is through the QnA section that allows you to address FAQs in real time.

Here’s a glimpse at how this can look for some businesses:

While this is a simple Q&A, it offers a glimpse into another important facet of A Thru Z Pediatrics’ business model and enables other patients to see that they accept Medicaid. This information might be available on their website or via phone, but patients don’t need to take extra steps to acquire it.

Step 6: Track Progress, Learn from Analytics

Information is invaluable for determining your GMB strategy, and Google My Business Insights gives you a direct overview of your digital profile’s performance. Businesses must understand the types of metrics and data points to focus on and what they need in order to thrive using this data.

Google Business Profile’s own metrics offer a glimpse into how users interact with your business profile, including the number of views and clicks and types of customer actions like clickthroughs and phone calls to understand their conversion path as well. Other factors that analytics help with include demographics and audience reach, engagement, and retention reports.

Our local SEO service experts examine, analyze, and strategize using a variety of data points and KPIs to come up with engaging content and approaches to GBP.

Step 7: Tie GBP Marketing with Other Efforts

While GBP is one of the most powerful weapons in your arsenal, it’s not sufficient on its own, unfortunately. You will still need to engage with a variety of methods in your strategy to push engagement such as reviews and customer photos, but fortunately, there are several ways to do so.

In tandem with your local SEO strategy, use social media to promote GBP and build a strong connection between these platforms. Additionally, you can also use GBP as part of your general SEO strategy, imbedding similar keywords, hyperlinking and backlinking web content with GBP features, and so on.

This is one cog in the large wheel of SEO.

Invest in the Ultimate Google Business Profile Promotion Strategy

Work with Global-marketing Inc. to get started on optimizing and promoting your GBP (formerly Google My Business) strategy.

As one of the leading local SEO service providers across America, we also help businesses increase local traffic through Google my Business Optimization Services, social media management, reputation management, content marketing, PPC marketing, and web design and development services.

Browse through our SEO packages to find the ideal fit for your business, or get in touch with us to learn more.

The post How to Optimize and Promote Your Google Business Profile for More Leads appeared first on Global-marketing Inc..

Local searches online remain incredibly vital for brick-and-mortar businesses to get recognized and draw in clients, which means that having a strong online presence is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity.

Fortunately, we have access to Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business or GMB), a free and powerful tool specifically designed to help businesses connect with local customers and engage their prospective clients in interesting ways.

For instance, if you’re a food delivery service based in a particular city, and customers were to search for “restaurants near me” on Google, the goal would be for your business to show up among top recommendations. This only happens when your Google Business Profile is well-optimized, allowing your restaurant to appear prominently in the search results, complete with all important details and information such as your address, contact information, photos, positive reviews, and even a link to your website.

This instant accessibility can significantly impact your business visibility, attracting new customers and driving local foot traffic.

But Google Business Profile doesn’t just share basic information. It’s a valuable tool for managing your online business presence. Here are some insights highlighting the importance of GMB optimization:

• Boost your local SEO: Your Google Business Profile plays a crucial role in local search rankings. A well-optimized profile, with accurate and complete information, increases your chances of appearing in the coveted Local 3-Pack, the top three local business listings displayed on Google Search and Maps for relevant searches.
• Showcase your business: Upload high-quality photos and videos that showcase your offerings and appeal to customers’ senses. Additionally, you should have a compelling business description highlighting your unique selling points and what sets you apart from the competition.
• Build trust and credibility: Encourage customer reviews and respond to them promptly and professionally. Positive reviews build trust and credibility, making your business more appealing to potential customers.
• Engage with your audience: Utilize the Google Posts feature to share updates, announcements, and promotions directly with your local audience, fostering engagement and driving foot traffic.

Essentially, Google Business Profile empowers you to take control of your online presence, attract new customers, and, ultimately, grow your local business. By actively managing and optimizing your profile, you can unlock its full potential and experience the tangible benefits of a robust local SEO strategy, and our GMB optimization services are here to provide you with all the support and expertise you need.

Brief Overview of Setting Up and Verifying Your Google Business Profile

In order to stay on par with the competition, you need to establish a strong online presence and draw in local customers. Google Business Profile (GBP), formerly known as Google My Business (GMB), acts as your digital storefront, connecting you with local searchers and directing traffic to your business.

But how do you claim your digital territory and reap the benefits of GMB optimization? Let’s talk about an overview of the process for setting up and verifying your Google Business Profile below, which is highlighted in more detail in this blog:

1. Register a Dedicated Google Account:

The first step in creating your GBP listing is ensuring you have a Google account. If you already have one for personal use, you can seamlessly use it for your business profile. Alternatively, you can create a new account specifically for managing your business online, which is a great idea if you have multiple employees and managers handling it with you.

2. Head to the Google Business Profile Platform:

Navigate to https://www.google.com/business/ and click on “Start now” to initiate the setup process. You can also access it through Google Maps by searching for your business name and clicking on “Manage profile” if your business already has an unclaimed listing, allowing you to reclaim it.

3. Enter Your Business Information Accurately:

Here comes the crucial part: providing accurate and complete information about your business. Be mindful of the details you enter, seeing as they have a major impact on online visibility and customer experience. Some areas you need to fill out are:

• Business Name: This should align with your official business name exactly, including any abbreviations or variations, stylistic choices, and other unique features that are used in marketing materials and legal documents.
• Address: Enter your complete physical address, including any suite or unit number. Double-check for accuracy to avoid confusion, missing details, or discrepancies. Make sure your address is up-to-date and current.
• Phone Number: Include your primary business phone number for efficient communication. If you don’t have a landline, use a cell phone number.
• Website: If you have a website, provide the accurate URL so customers can easily access your website from your listing.
• Category: Selecting the most relevant category that accurately reflects your business type through the search feature. This helps Google place your business in relevant fields.

4. Choose Your Verification Method:

Once you’ve entered your information, Google will prompt you to verify your business ownership. This crucial step ensures the legitimacy of your listing and prevents unauthorized individuals from claiming your profile. There are multiple verification options, each with its own time frame:

• Postcard: Google will mail a postcard with a verification code to your business address. This is the most common method, but it can take up to 14 days for delivery.
• Phone Call: If your business has a listed phone number, Google might attempt to call you and provide a verification code over the phone.
• Email: If you’ve verified your website ownership with Google Search Console, you may receive a verification email with a code.
• Video Call (limited availability): In some cases, Google may offer the option to verify your business through a video call, allowing them to confirm your location and business identity visually.

Google Business Profile Optimization Strategies for Success

Claiming your Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) is just the first step. To unlock its full potential and attract local customers, you need to optimize your listing. Here are key strategies to enhance your GMB presence and boost local SEO:

1. Become an Information Powerhouse:

Be sure to fill out all sections of your profile with accurate and up-to-date information, including your business name, address, phone number, website URL, and operating hours. Google considers complete profiles more relevant and trustworthy, increasing your chances of ranking higher in local searches but also investing in engaging content and insights.

2. Show, Don’t Just Tell:

Visuals are powerful storytelling tools. Upload or enable customers to share high-quality photos and videos that represent your business, products, and services. This can include photos of your storefront, team, and offerings to attract potential customers, give them a virtual glimpse of what you have to offer, and entice them with what awaits them.

3. Leverage the Power of Reviews:

Positive reviews are a goldmine for building trust and credibility with potential customers. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on your Google Business Profile. Respond to all reviews promptly and professionally, thanking positive reviews and addressing any concerns raised in negative ones. If you’re struggling with this, our GMB services can help you manage reviews.

4. Stay Fresh and Engaging:

Regularly post updates and engage with your audience through Google Posts, making announcements, promotions, events, and interesting content to keep your followers informed and engaged. This not only fosters loyalty but also increases the visibility of your profile in local search results.

5. Categorize and Keyword Your Content:

Accurately categorizing your products or services helps Google understand what you offer and match your business with relevant search queries. Additionally, including relevant local keywords in your profile description and categories can improve your search ranking for local searches.

Remember, GMB optimization is an ongoing process. By implementing a mix of these strategies and consistently maintaining your profile, you can elevate your Google Business Profile, attract new customers, and experience the positive impact of a strong local online presence. If you need assistance navigating the complexities of GMB optimization, consider seeking help from a professional GMB optimization service.

Leveraging Google Business Profile to Drive Sales

A well-optimized Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) is not only about local search visibility. It’s also a valuable channel for connecting with potential customers and boosting sales. Here’s how businesses can leverage key GBP features to achieve tangible results:

1. Use Google Posts:

Think of Google Posts as your mini-content marketing platform. It helps to share various announcements, promotions, and updates using this feature, including new products, upcoming events, special offers, and other information that would be valuable to your audience. Keeping your audience informed and engaged not only builds brand awareness but can also drive traffic to your website or physical store.

2. Open Channels for Communication:

Enable the messaging feature to enable direct communication with potential customers. This helps clients address queries and questions, and also take actions, such as booking appointments directly through your profile. Prompt and professional interaction through messaging builds trust, improves customer experience, and can lead to conversions.

3. Address Concerns and Foster Trust:

The Q&A section provides a platform for potential customers to post questions about your business, products, or services, hoping for responses from both you or other customers who’ve used your services and products. You should respond promptly and professionally to all questions, addressing any concerns and demonstrating your commitment to customer service. This also demonstrates transparency and openness, a trait many customers value.

4. Showcase What You Offer:

This is a unique feature that allows you to highlight special offers, promotions, or unique selling points. This prominent section can be used to display limited-time discounts, new product launches, or ongoing loyalty programs. Grabbing attention with captivating visuals and clear descriptions through “Showcase” can entice potential customers and encourage them to choose your business.

When it comes to Google Business Profile, consistency is key. By actively utilizing these features and engaging with your audience on your Google Business Profile, you can foster meaningful connections, enhance customer experience, and ultimately drive sales. If maximizing the potential of your Google My Business profile seems overwhelming, consider seeking assistance from a reputable Google My Business SEO services provider. They can offer valuable expertise and strategies to help you leverage the power of GBP and achieve your business goals.

Reclaiming Your Google Business Profile Listing

While managing your Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) is generally effortless and easy, there can be issues like lost access, accidental deletion, or incorrect information that can throw a wrench in the plan. While we have a detailed blog on the recovery and reclamation process, here’s a quick guide to address these common concerns and recover your valuable Google Business listing:

1. Lost Access:

Forgot your login credentials? Don’t panic. Google offers an account recovery process to regain access to your Google Business listing. Choose the option that asks whether you forgot your email address or password, and be prepared to provide information like your business name, address, and any backup email addresses to verify ownership. Your screen will look a little like this:

2. Accidental Deletion:

While rare, some people could mistakenly delete their Google Business Profile listing—which is pretty bad. But fear not since you might still be able to request reinstatement. Google allows you to submit a reinstatement request within a specific timeframe. Remember, the sooner you act, the better your chances of successfully recovering your listing. You need to take specific steps on submitting a reinstatement request or to counter a suspension from their end, including details about your business and explaining the accidental deletion. This is something that their support services need to address directly.

3. Incorrect Information:

Noticing inaccuracies in your Google Business listing information? It’s pretty straightforward to update and correct the details directly through your profile. You need to log in, access your profile information, and make the necessary changes. Remember to save the updates to ensure they are reflected on your listing, whether it’s a changed address, number, or other specific.

Maintaining accurate and up-to-date information on your Google Business listing is crucial. Regularly peruse your details and address any inconsistencies to avoid potential issues, or contact our Google Business Profile management services. We can help you navigate troubleshooting procedures and ensure your listing remains accurate and accessible.

Mastering Local SEO and Ranking High in the Local Pack

As mentioned at the very start, local searches are non-negotiable for brick-and-mortar businesses in today’s digital world. And when it comes to local SEO, Google My Business (GMB) plays a significant role in enhancing visibility in search results. But how does GMB impact local rankings, and what strategies can you leverage to climb the ladder? Let’s take a look:

The Power of a Complete and Optimized GMB Listing:

Think of your Google Business Profile as your digital storefront. Having a comprehensive, well-rounded, complete, accurate, and optimized listing significantly impacts your ranking in the Local 3-Pack, which is the highly sought-after position with the top three local business listings displayed on Google Maps and Search for relevant searches. Google’s algorithm considers various factors when determining local search relevance, and unsurprisingly, your GMB listing is one of the biggest contributors to that.

NAP Consistency: The Importance for Local SEO:

It may sound like a simple thing, but Google considers NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) consistency. This means you need to ensure that your business name, address, and phone number appear exactly the same across all online platforms, including your website, social media profiles, online directories, and citations. Any inconsistency can reflect poorly on your rankings and visibility.

Key Ranking Factors for the Local 3-Pack:

Beyond NAP and its consistency, there are several key factors that influence ranking in the Local 3-Pack that we need to address, including:

• Relevance: Google works by matching user search intent with the most relevant businesses. This means you need GMB optimization services for your listing and embed relevant keywords that accurately reflect and describe your offerings.
• Distance: Proximity to the user’s location plays a role. This is not particularly a factor you have a lot of control over, but having all location and delivery areas listed on your profile may still attract nearby customers searching for similar offerings, even if it doesn’t land you in the 3-pack.
• Prominence: This is more of an umbrella term that reflects the overall authority and trustworthiness of your business. A combination of positive customer reviews, high engagement on your GMB profile, and strong website authority all contribute to your prominence score and may boost your ranking.

Optimizing Your GMB for Local SEO Success:

By implementing specific GMB optimization strategies, you can directly improve these ranking factors and leverage the potential for better rankings:

• Complete all profile sections thoroughly and accurately—it’s time-consuming initially, but so worth it in the long run.
• Incorporate relevant local keywords such as “bakeries in Newark, NJ” or “bakery in NJ” into your profile description and categories.
• Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews and respond to them promptly and professionally.
• Regularly post updates and engage with your audience through Google Posts.
• Maintain a consistent NAP across all online platforms.
• Build backlinks from relevant local websites and directories, and create a comprehensive network.

Remember, local SEO is an ongoing process. By consistently implementing these strategies and monitoring your GMB performance, you’ll be able to rank higher, gain more visibility on maps, attract more local customers, and gain a competitive edge in your area. Through advanced GMB local SEO techniques like Google Maps marketing, you’ll be able to further boost your online presence and visibility. If you’re interested in learning about the Local 3-Pack in-depth, explore our blog: What is Google’s Local 3-Pack and How Can You Use It to Rank? for comprehensive insights.

Staying Ahead of the Curve: Future Additions and Updates

This comprehensive guide serves as both an overview and a foundation for understanding and optimizing your Google Business Profile. As policies, trends, algorithms, and user behaviors evolve, we plan to continuously update this guide with new content and advanced strategies. We’ll delve deeper into specific topics like managing negative reviews, utilizing GMB insights for informed decision-making, and leveraging advanced features for long-term goals and sustainable success strategies.

Leverage the Power of Google Business Profile with Global-marketing Inc.

At a time when digital media and platforms dominate how customers perceive businesses and how rankings propel them into the future, Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) is an invaluable tool for local businesses looking to establish themselves.

By fully leveraging the features and functionalities of this platform and implementing effective optimization strategies, you can significantly enhance your local search visibility, attract new customers, and ultimately drive business growth and long-term success.

This series of blogs aims to equip you with the knowledge and resources that you will need to improve your Google Business Profile. This guide serves as a starting point and overview of the subject at large, and you can find more information in the individual cluster topics that we’ve linked for detailed guidance, practical tips, and insightful strategies. We’ll be updating links and content routinely, creating a comprehensive resource for you to refer to.

Now that you understand how impactful it is leverage the power of Google Business Profile with our help. Subscribe or follow us to stay updated on new content and future additions to this comprehensive guide, and get in touch with our GMB optimization service to learn more about how we can help you.

The post Google My Business: The Ultimate Guide to Google Business Profile for Business Growth appeared first on Global-marketing Inc..

When it comes to generating consistent, stable, engaging, and profitable online visibility, a Google My Business (GMB) listing serves as a digital gateway for businesses, especially for local clients.

While setting up a GMB listing is straightforward and something our Google Maps optimization service excels at, many businesses often find themselves grappling with the challenge of losing ownership or, in more unfortunate instances, witnessing the accidental deletion of their GMB listing. Sometimes you’re late to your own party, and there’s seemingly a listing that already exists, and you’re not the one who made it—but that’s nothing to worry about.

Seeing as how 98% of consumers use Google Business and local search to get information about a business, you need to know how to recover Google My Business listings.

From reclaiming or transferring ownership, disputes with former associates, or accidental GMB deletion, let’s explore various strategies to prevent further problems and safely recover your listing and account.

Recommended Read: How to Set Up and Verify My Business on Google

Google My Business Ownership Recovery Made Simple

Losing ownership of your Google My Business (GMB) listing can be a challenging ordeal. There could be various serious and not-so-serious reasons, such as disputes with former employees or agencies or pre-existing listings that someone else created on your behalf, which can lead to the inadvertent transfer of control. Let’s talk about them in more depth:

Reasons for Losing Ownership: Unraveling Common Challenges

Let’s be real: owning and running a business, either alone or in a partnership, is incredibly difficult. The tricky, prickly, and delicate dynamics of business relationships can lead to disputes, and the ugly aftermath might involve the loss of ownership over a GMB listing. Former employees or external GMB optimization agencies that were responsible for managing the GMB profile may pose challenges when transitioning ownership back to the business.

In other situations, inaction or lack of cohesive digital marketing efforts on your end can lead to someone else creating a listing for you. It may sound strange, but it’s a lot more common than you realize, and gaining access to an account run by a stranger is also quite challenging.

Step-by-Step Guide to Regaining Ownership

Reclaiming ownership requires a systematic approach.

The step-by-step process involves logging into the Google account associated with the GMB listing and initiating the ownership recovery process. Business owners need to be vigilant at every step of the process, ensuring that the rightful owners regain control without unnecessary complications.

Initiating the Ownership Recovery Process with Proactive Steps

Prompt initiation of the ownership recovery process is crucial. Businesses need to access the GMB platform, navigate to the “Manage Location” tab or the “Own this business?” question on the main SERP page, and click on “Request Access.” This is the first domino in the recovery process, setting in motion the steps needed to optimize and recover their GMB listing.

Once you request access, you will be provided with a few scenarios for why you need access, including being asked to switch to the registered account and what to do in case you no longer have access to the registered email.

You will then be asked to choose the level of access, whether it’s “Management” or “Ownership” (each of which determines certain controls, functions, features, and permissions granted). Additionally, it will also ask you to choose your relationship with the profile, including Owner, Employee, or Agency, and your name. Before submitting your request, it will ask you to confirm whether you’re comfortable in having your public information and email address visible to the current owner and ask you to agree to their terms.

Again, this is to determine your relationship to the business and allows you to select the option that most accurately represents it. This could be applicable whether you have a partnership, work for a business, or represent an agency.

The initial stage is fairly simplistic and requires little to no additional fuss. However, you need to be vigilant when you move through the verification stages and approvals.

Providing Necessary Documentation and Verifying Ownership

Google requires businesses to provide specific documentation to verify their identity and rightful ownership. This documentation may include legal business papers, ensuring a secure and verified transition of control. You might also need to demonstrate access to your account, show physical photos, and offer other forms of evidence that you are the rightful owner for them to make any sort of transfer on your behalf.

Some forms of evidence may also include photographs of the front and back of your store, legal titles, licensure, and phone or video calls with representatives. Proving rightful ownership requires due diligence from Google’s platform and may take a few days or weeks.

Communication with Google Support and Ensuring a Smooth Transfer

Effective communication with Google support is crucial throughout the ownership recovery process. Timely and clear communication increased the chances of a successful GMB listing recovery. By leveraging Google Maps optimization and recovery services such as ours, you can rest assured that our experts will take on any and all major communications with the platform, represent your case, and provide all evidence on your behalf.

We know all too well how frustrating it can be to lose access to something that impacts your bread and butter and not know the right way to recover it. We’re here to help you overcome common challenges, initiate the recovery process, maintain and share meticulous documentation, and communicate effectively with Google support.

Recommended Read: Understanding Google Business Profile Insights and Advanced Features

Strategies for Accidentally Deleted Google My Business Listings

The accidental deletion of a Google My Business (GMB) listing is a distressing scenario for businesses, potentially erasing a crucial element of their digital presence and brand. Let’s go through Google’s policies for recovery and find ways to protect and optimize visibility through Google My Business SEO services here:

Common Mistakes and Issues Leading to Deletion

You might be surprised to learn that there are multiple scenarios and situations that can lead to the deletion of your GMB listings. User actions, whether intentional or accidental, can result in the removal of essential business information from the platform. Your account may also get deleted due to the algorithm and penalization for violating Google policies.

In some cases, your account may get deleted accidentally while updating information, switching over ownership, or editing details on your profile.

There are also situations where business owners ignore suspensions, penalties, and policy violations and delete their previous accounts, thinking they can create a new one from scratch—but that scarcely scratches the surface. Till you resolve the root cause and issue behind your account’s suspension and deletion, you will not progress forward or see much development.

You need to work on reinstating your account through the proper channel and rectifying any and all issues that have been highlighted to prevent more serious bans.

Think of the accidental deletion of a Google My Business (GMB) like a phoenix rising from the ashes. You have a chance to improve your presence, focus on optimization, build a stronger presence, and take a multifaceted approach to GMB listing recovery.

The Importance of Regular Backups and Data Preservation

Proactive measures, such as regular backups and data preservation, will go a long way in ensuring that you have all the necessary data and information required to minimize the hit from a GMB listing deletion. You should be routinely backing up crucial GMB data, including all business-related information, ownership details, alerts, reviews, images, and, of course, policy violations. In case your GMB listing recovery falls through, and you need to set up from scratch, you have access to all previous information.

Google’s Policy on Recovering Deleted Listings

Google has policies in place for businesses seeking to recover deleted GMB listings. While the platform retains data for a limited time after deletion, the success of recovery efforts depends on how closely you abide by Google’s guidelines.

They offer comprehensive advice on reinstating an account, including appealing your denied request, addressing the cause for suspension, and rectifying flagged or abusive behavior. For this, you will need to get in touch with their Business Profile Support services or go through our GMB profile recovery and support services so we can communicate on your behalf, audit your profile, and address all related issues.

Take advantage of our Google My Business SEO services in optimizing the visibility of a recovered GMB listing.We’ll design and implement customized SEO strategies tailored to the GMB platform and improve your chances of not only recovering a deleted listing but also ensuring its prominence in local search results. We don’t just want your profile reinstated; we want it to be visible, engaging, active, and appealing.

Our team closely works to understand deletion or suspension scenarios, implement regular backups and data safety measures, and ensure that you comply with Google’s policies for recovery.

Recommended Read: How to Master Technical SEO in New York: An Insider’s Guide

Prevention Strategies for Safeguarding Your Google My Business Listing

They say prevention is better than cure, and when it comes to your GMB listing recovery, we couldn’t agree more. Taking a proactive approach to managing your Google My Business (GMB) listing is essential to prevent potential issues and maintain a resilient, visible, and engaging online presence. Here are key prevention strategies to safeguard your GMB listing against being stolen, suspended, or locked:

1. Regularly Updating and Verifying Business Information

Consistency and accuracy in your business information are non-negotiable. Regularly update details such as business hours, address, and contact information to ensure they align with your current policies and practices. Any changes in your practice should be reflected online, whether it’s special hours, weekend timings, phone numbers, changes in email addresses, or even new website domains. Periodic verification helps to confirm the accuracy of your listing, reducing the risk of misinformation and enhancing your visibility in local searches. The algorithm loves when you’re active and engaged and reflects that consistently.

2. Implementing Access Control and User Management

Control over who can access and manage your GMB listing is imperative. Don’t just hand over controls and access to anyone and everyone who works for you, but rather limit that to the owner, perhaps a manager, and the agency you work with. Implement strict access control measures, granting permissions only to trusted individuals within your organization and partnered agencies only. This minimizes the risk of unauthorized changes or disputes over ownership, providing a secure environment for your listing and also allowing for more transparency to see who is using your profile and how.

3. Best Practices for Maintaining GMB Listing Performance and Consistency

Optimizing the digital footing and strength of your GMB listing involves adhering to best practices for ongoing management. You must monitor and respond to customer reviews to build trust and engagement, and this includes both positive and negative reviews. Keep your business description and categories up-to-date and have CTAs that reflect your preferred mode of communication (don’t ask people to call you if you don’t want phone calls or share booking links if you don’t want to promote that service). Leverage Google Posts to share timely updates and promotions, keeping your customers updated on what’s happening.

Time-sensitive posts and promotions can create a sense of engagement and urgency and attract potential clients who want your services.

Regular updates and verifications, coupled with careful access control and adherence to best practices, contribute to the overall performance of your GMB presence and also enhance the visibility and credibility of your business in local searches. It’s quintessential for long-term growth.

Recommended Read: Mastering Google Ads Campaign Settings: An Ultimate Guide

Tips for Efficient Communication with Google Support

Efficient communication with Google support is crucial when you’re in the process of recovering a Google My Business (GMB) listing. While we’re always here to help you, here are some valuable tips for businesses contacting them:

• Be Concise and Clear: Clearly articulate the issue, providing a concise summary of the problem, steps taken, and desired outcomes. This ensures that Google support can quickly understand the situation and provide targeted assistance. If your account has been suspended for a specific reason, provide evidence that you’ve taken measures to rectify the problem at the root.
• Provide All Necessary Information Upfront: You should be prepared to provide the information Google support might need and provide it proactively. This may include details about the GMB listing, any recent changes, and the steps taken to address the issue. Complete and accurate information streamlines the support process. You’ll also need proof of ownership, ID, verification, and other such information.

• Maintain Professional Language: Maintain professional and courteous language and candor in all communications. We know you sometimes want to tell the other person off (don’t we all?), but maintaining a positive relationship with Google support could help expedite the resolution process. If you’re worried about maintaining composure, get our Google My Business experts to help.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Communication

• Insufficient Information: Failing to provide comprehensive information can slow down and impede the support team’s ability to understand and address the issue. Businesses should ensure they mention all relevant details to facilitate a more efficient resolution, including a detailed case history, overview, and identification of all relevant parties.
• Unclear Problem Description: Clearly define the problem to avoid misunderstandings. Vague or unclear problem descriptions cause delays and require extensive back and forth, which is highly unnecessary and easily avoidable. Being direct, specific, and upfront about the issue and resolution saves you a lot of time and makes the GMB listing recovery process faster.
• Not Following Up Promptly: Timely responses are essential. Businesses should actively look out for any queries or requests for additional information from Google support, whether it’s via email, phone, or through your profile, and respond promptly to keep the communication going steady. Without that, it’s easy to miss out on time-sensitive requests or fall off the wagon.

Focus on efficacy, communication, and performance to ensure that you reach a successful resolution.

Fool-Proofing Your Google My Business Listing for Long-Term Success

Ensuring the longevity and relevance of your Google My Business (GMB) listing requires long-term strategies and measures. By staying ahead of the curve, you can align yourself with Google’s policies, use advanced features, and make maintenance easier. Some of the following measures go a long way in improving long-term success:

Staying Informed about Google’s Policies and Updates

Google frequently updates its policies and algorithms, impacting the visibility and ranking of GMB listings. Staying up to date about these changes is critical for making your listing safe and high performing in the long run. Regularly check for updates from Google and adjust your GMB strategy accordingly. This not only protects your listing against policy violations but also positions your business for greater visibility.

Utilizing Google My Business Features to Enhance Listing Visibility:

Google My Business continually launches new features designed to enrich user experience and improve listing visibility. These features include Google Posts, Q&A, and product listings, allowing you to stay ahead of the curve. These features not only provide valuable information to potential customers but also let the algorithm know that your account isn’t inactive or automated and that you’re invested in growth.

Regular Maintenance and Monitoring Strategies

Proactive maintenance is key to future-proofing your GMB listing, and that’s where our local listing optimization service comes in. We’ll regularly update business information, respond promptly to customer reviews, and ensure that all features are optimized. Our team will also put in a monitoring strategy to track performance metrics, detect any unusual activity, and address issues promptly in a way that positions your business as a reliable and authoritative figure online.

Recommended Read: 2023 Google Ads Guide: 5 Essential Best Practices

Make Your Google My Business Profile Bulletproof with Our Help

Whether you want to recover and future-proof your Google My Business (GMB) listing, hiring seasoned Google My Business experts is a strategic investment. Leveraging the expertise of local listing optimization services and adhering to best practices will give you a sturdy, updated presence and make your listing active and engaging.

Businesses must continuously monitor Google’s policies, use advanced features, and maintain their listings, and our experts in local listing optimization services are happy to go above and beyond to make your profile bulletproof. They will take care of everything from securing the recovery of your GMB listing to positioning your business for long-term visibility in local searches through customized strategies and optimization and using the most advanced tools and solutions.

Get in touch with us to learn more, or fill out this form for a free proposal from our in-house experts!

The post How to Recover Your Google My Business Listing appeared first on Global-marketing Inc..

Having a savvy, up-to-date, and engaging online presence is crucial for success in today’s fast-paced, tech-centered world, where customers will base their first impressions on your profiles, information, and content within minutes.

Your Google Business Profile acts as a primary interface between businesses and local customers, making for a valuable intersection between the physical and digital realms. But beyond the advice and Google My Business insights we’ve shared earlier, there are several incredibly powerful advanced features that can elevate your business visibility and get you the exposure you need.

Managing a Google Business Profile must go a step beyond basic information input, comprising running an online storefront that engages potential customers and existing customers simultaneously.

This blog serves as a comprehensive guide on using these advanced features, providing recommendations from Google My Business Experts and offering actionable insights, analytics know-how, and tips to put you a cut above the rest of the digital landscape. Let’s jump into these recommendations and insights:

Recommended Read: How to Set Up and Verify My Business on Google

How to Edit and Update Your Google Business Profile: A Step-by-Step Guide

Let’s begin with learning how to edit and update your Google Business Profile, which is essentially your digital storefront. You can edit and update it to make it more impactful in the online marketplace and optimize it for greater reach, engagement, and visibility.

Accessing Your Google Business Profile

When updating and optimizing your digital presence, the first step is accessing your Google Business Profile. You need to use your existing login information in your Google account and go onto the Google My Business dashboard, where you’ll find a wide range of settings and options.

Editing Basic Information

The basics are crucial—your business name, address, phone number, and hours of operation may seem inane details, but they’re crucial bits of information. You need to ensure all information is accurate and updated when editing these details and must maintain consistency across various platforms. This goes a long way in boosting customer trust and goes alongside requirements from search engine algorithms.

Uploading Photos and Visual Content

Don’t neglect visual elements and components such as photographs and graphics. Focus on uploading high-quality images that truly reflect your business’s personality, products, and services, including storefront photos for easier recognizability to enticing shots of your offerings, in hopes of attracting and engaging potential customers.

Managing Reviews and Responding to Customers

Customer reviews are the lifeblood of online reputation, and you must focus on managing reviews, whether it’s appreciating positive feedback or addressing negative comments with professionalism. The way you interact and react to feedback will impact how customers and search engines perceive your business and show how engaged your business is.

Utilizing Additional Features for Enhanced Visibility

Going past these basics, however, your Google Business Profile offers additional features that go a long way in boosting your visibility. Highlight unique aspects of your business, such as outdoor seating or free Wi-Fi, and other unique features and offerings that double as USPs.

Being efficient with updating and editing your Google Business Profile is a game-changer for the way your business is perceived. It’s crucial for you to stay proactive, and if you struggle with this, let our Google My Business SEO experts help you. We have dedicated GMB specialists and services that will make maintenance, management, and upgrades much easier and more simplified.

As can be seen in the screenshot of TOPS Surgical Specialty Hospital’s GMB Profile above, key elements that businesses must include are all present. You can find everything from the business’s correct name, address, number, email address, website, operating hours, and other details mentioned. It also provides advanced features such as being able to speak to a live agent, a detailed Q&A section, and reviews from existing clients. The more detailed and advanced a profile is, the more engaging and attractive it is.

Recommended Read: 2023 Google Ads Guide: 5 Essential Best Practices

Insights and Analytics to Leverage Everything That Data Can Offer You

Information is power, and Google My Business Insights gives you a direct overview of your digital profile’s performance. It’s vital for businesses to understand what types of metrics and data points to look at and what they need to do in order to achieve strategic optimization.

Google My Business Insights is a direct peak into how users interact with your business profile, showing everything from the number of views and clicks to customer actions such as website visits and phone calls. This will help you gauge exactly what works and drives engagement and interactions and what doesn’t serve you.

Key Metrics and Data Points

Businesses need to familiarize themselves with key metrics and data points offered by Google My Business Insights. Impressions and clicks inform you of the frequency with which your business appears in search results and the number of actions users take. Customer actions provide insights into the specific steps users take after coming across your profile, whether it’s clicking through to visit your website or using the address and Google Maps optimization feature to find your location.

Understanding Customer Behavior

Don’t look at these figures as just numbers but rather as a direct insight into customer behavior and preferences. Insights share the geographic locations of users, allowing you to tailor your strategies to specific audiences and localities, incentivizing more local customers to choose your services, and more. They also show you peak activity times which works well for timely engagement and helps your customer service team or management to remain available when customers are most active.

Leveraging Data to Optimize Your Listing

The data provided by Google My Business Insights isn’t just additional information that you can store and hold on to. It’s actionable, which means it can be converted into strategies and decisions that drive impact and results. Businesses can identify strengths and weaknesses and find gaps within their optimizations. If a particular post garners significant engagement, businesses can replicate that success by following the template and details with precision. Conversely, if a specific post, service area, or product sees limited interaction, you can find ways to work around that and make specific adjustments that fuel engagement and generate traction for it.

Tips for Maximizing Insights for Business Growth

To get the complete benefits of Insights, businesses need to adopt a more proactive approach. Our Google My Business experts closely monitor key metrics and make timely adjustments, aligning strategies with evolving user behavior. We also conduct A/B testing based on insights and provide customized, high-performing content and engagement strategies that lead to continuous improvement.

The impact of Google My Business Insights isn’t just a sneak peek into your performance but a comprehensive tool centered on data. You need to use them strategically and ensure that your business is applying the various tools and insights to improve your strategy on all fronts.

Recommended Read: How to Completely Optimize and Promote Your Google My Business Page

Tracking Customer Interactions and Engagement to Build a Virtual Community

Customer interactions and engagement are essential for success on Google My Business. If you want to know how to improve your presence, our Google My Business SEO services extend toward the following areas of focus:

Monitoring Customer Reviews

Customer reviews act as testimonials and enhance your online reputation. You should be keeping a close eye on your reviews as a best practice and use them to build more authority, credibility, and transparency alongside a longstanding commitment to customer satisfaction.

Analyzing Review Trends and Sentiment

You know how they say quality over quantity? The same principle applies to reviews, too, even if that may come as a surprise. Instead of fixating on the number of hits and interactions you get, you should be focused on the quality and sentiment. Examine trends within your reviews, including themes, customer preferences, and sentiments, to see what your audience responds to and enjoys the most. This could be something as simple, such as the type of visuals you’ve used and the customer service you offer, to more extensive insights, such as which products and services garner the most positive reviews. This will help you make strategic business decisions, such as boosting sales or offering killer discounts.

Encouraging and Responding to Customer Feedback

Actively encouraging customers to leave reviews is a proactive strategy. Never underestimate the value of word-of-mouth, given that happy, existing customers go on to become brand ambassadors and also encourage other clients to choose your business.

That’s why you need to stay engaged with customers and respond to reviews promptly and professionally. You should be encouraging them to leave reviews on your GMB profile and acknowledge their responses while also acknowledging criticism and showing a commitment to improving.

Utilizing Q&A for Customer Interaction

Google Business Profile also features an excellent Q&A section where users can ask questions about your business, express concerns, and post interesting, insightful queries that increase the amount of knowledge you share. Actively participating in this section not only provides helpful information to potential customers but also informs Google that your business is engaged and offers value and knowledge. You’ll be able to showcase expertise, address queries, and create an engaging space where customers know to find FAQs addressed.

Strategies for Improving Customer Engagement

Engagement is not limited to reviews and Q&A—it also includes various posts and updates. Our Google Maps optimization service helps you create engaging, high-quality content that resonates with your audience. We can use GMB posts and content for showcasing your products, sharing promotions, and providing insights into your processes to generate engaging content.

Customer interactions are a dynamic process that keeps your digital presence engaging and always moving, making your profile more active.

Using Data to Improve Your Listing: A Strategic Approach to Optimization

Data is the cornerstone of all decision-making when it comes to digital marketing, and nobody knows the art of utilizing data to refine and optimize your Google Business Profile listing better than our GMB optimization agency. Our experts enhance the process and use data to identify gaps, enhance strengths, address weaknesses, and continuously build your online presence to further your goals and objectives.

Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses

Data acts as a mirror of your business profile’s performance. Our Google My Business experts are able to use and analyze the metrics provided by Google My Business Insights and efficiently identify areas of strength and weakness.

This includes gauging and examining which posts received the most engagement and performed the best to see what works in terms of content, visuals, and details. It also indicates which posts performed the worst and helps us strategize methods for improvement.

Implementing Changes Based on Insights

However, it’s crucial to remember that these insights are not static—they are a dynamic resource for GMB optimization and local SEO. You can use these insights and metrics to implement changes that will improve and increase customer interactions, website visits and hits, and other metrics and conversions. We’ll help you improve your content strategy, visual elements, and data-driven decisions that aid your digital presence while also making physical and real-life changes, such as adjusting business hours to attract a wider clientele.

A/B Testing for Listing Optimization

A/B testing is a clever method of testing two versions of a variable, such as a post or image, to specific segments of your audience and seeing which one performs better. Through A/B testing on various elements of your Google Business Profile and trying different factors such as post timing, content types, or calls-to-action, you’ll be able to see which factor gives you the most reach and impact. While time-consuming, it’s an important factor when looking at how you can adjust and adapt your strategy.

Case Studies on Successful Listing Improvements

Real-world examples are one of the best ways to increase value for your business. By focusing on detailed case studies conducted on businesses that have successfully improved their Google Business Profile listings through data-driven strategies, you can draw out examples of what works and what doesn’t. However, this is to be broached with caution because you need to look at businesses in similar positions and goals as yours.

Continuous Improvement Strategies

GMB listing optimization is not a one-time task; it’s an ongoing and continually evolving process. You need to adopt continuous improvement strategies based on changing customer behavior and market trends, revisiting and analyzing insights to make sure that your listing remains relevant and effective in appealing to your target audience. Without doing this, it’s difficult to improve your performance or know with certainty that your business is garnering attention.

Using a data-driven approach to optimization is not just about numbers; it’s about adapting and evolving for continuous improvement and growth, helping you create a dynamic and resilient online presence.

Recommended Read: Mastering Google Ads Campaign Settings: An Ultimate Guide

Advanced Features for Elevating Your Google Business Profile

If you’re looking to maximize your impact on the digital arena, you need to work on harnessing the advanced features of Google Business Profile so that you can stand out in the ever-growing number of competitors. You need to invest in the right tools and identify which features work for you based on your industry, business scale and size, target audience, and nature of products and services.

Beyond the fundamental elements of a Google Business Profile, advanced features offer businesses additional tools to enhance engagement and functionality. From booking services to integration with other Google services, these features contribute to a more comprehensive and interactive customer experience and help you progress.

Utilizing Booking and Reservation Features

Do you find it challenging to manage bookings and reservations for customers? Service-oriented businesses can streamline the booking and reservation process with the latest features that enable them to organize and accept bookings quickly and efficiently.

These features make it a lot simpler to make appointment bookings and manage reservations through your Google Business Profile, giving your customers some much-needed convenience and eradicating the need for human interaction—and error. It’s important that your Google My Business Profile indicates how committed you are to customer care while also signaling to SERPs that you’re focused on improving their experience.

Integrating with Other Google Services

The integration of your Google Business Profile with other Google services helps you build a sturdier online presence. You can leverage excellent quality features and tools, such as Google Maps, Google Reviews, and other services that allow you to enhance your presence in the long run.

Keeping Up with New Features and Updates

As new features continue to roll out and evolve year after year, you need to stay informed and update your profile and Google Maps marketing approach easily. The sooner you adopt these strategies, the easier it is to ensure that your business remains at the forefront of technological advancements and creates an innovative experience for your clients and audiences.

Recommended Read: How Local SEO Works and Why It Matters

Google My Business and Google Ads Integration

Google Ads are an excellent tool for businesses, and using them alongside Google My Business creates a wonderfully symbiotic relationship. This powerful integration increases the visibility of your business across search results, helps you gain greater recognition online, and gives your audience the best opportunity to engage with your platform.

Leverage the Power of SearchBerg’s Google My Business Services

As you begin optimizing and updating your Google Business Profile, remember to use it effectively as a dynamic tool to boost your online presence. Focusing on various strategies and data-driven insights while using advanced features will help you carve out a successful path for your business and give you everything you need in order to thrive long-term.

With our team, you can learn how to manage Google Business Profiles, allowing your business to display your USPs, engage with customers, and make strategic decisions that reflect your goals and outcomes.

You can do a lot using these tools for seamless booking integrations and engage with members of your audience for the easiest management and access. These insights, strategies, and advanced features offer you a competitive edge.

Get in touch with us to learn more about our services—we’re here to propel your business into the future with a variety of tools.

The post Understanding Google Business Profile Insights and Advanced Features appeared first on Global-marketing Inc..

When it comes to the complex demands of the digital marketing landscape, local visibility is the lifeblood of businesses aiming to connect with their community and establish a base locally.

It can be incredibly frustrating and disheartening to lose clientele or not have enough local connections to thrive in your environment. That’s where Google My Business (GMB) stands as a potent avenue, offering a platform that seamlessly integrates with Google Search and Maps and giving your business extensive local reach and influence.

If you’re not sure where to begin or know how to add your business to Google, this blog will share a step-by-step guide for the setup and verification of your business on Google. This process is crucial for establishing credibility, increasing visibility, and fostering customer trust.

Understanding the Complex Digital Ecosystem

99.9% of consumers rely on customer reviews, while 49% of them rely on online reviews as much as word-of-mouth and personal recommendations, which means they increasingly turn to online platforms to discover, evaluate, and engage with businesses. This also means that the importance of a comprehensive online presence cannot be exaggerated. If you want to truly thrive in the local marketplace, Google My Business acts as a gateway to increased visibility and engagement. Let’s get into the importance and stages of setting up and verifying your business on Google and mapping out a plan for guaranteed success.

Recommended Read: How to Optimize Google My Business Listing and Leverage It for More Sales

The Significance of Google My Business

Google My Business goes far beyond a digital directory; it’s a great tool works combines Google Search and Maps and acts as a virtual storefront for your business in addition to your existing website and social media presence. From displaying vital but basic information like your business hours and location to offering a platform for customer reviews and engagement, GMB is a great space that shows your business’s performance, significance, and, most importantly, its authority online.

Needless to say, your Google business profile is an invaluable resource for local SEO.

It also allows you to fully customize and personalize your presence, share photos and videos, and even list specific services—all of which gradually lead to higher SERP rankings and visibility and, ultimately, sales.

Why Verification for Your Google Business Profile Matters

The process of verifying your business profile on Google is not just a procedural stage but, rather, a form of legitimization and credibility. A verified GMB listing lets potential customers know that your business is legitimate, transparent, and actively managed and gives existing or repeat customers an avenue that they can use to express their trust. Think of it as a long-term investment into your online presence since it offers you a wide range of advantages, including enhanced visibility, improved local SEO rankings, and increased trustworthiness in the eyes of your audience.

Let’s jump right into the steps in setting up and verifying your account:

Create Your Account

Fortunately for you, creating and registering an account is straightforward, albeit vital.

You will need a dedicated Google account for your business and may need to create one if it doesn’t already exist. Visit accounts.google.com and click on “Create an account” and choose the option stating “For work or my business.” Enter the information it requests at each step. Double-check everything to ensure there are no typos or inaccuracies, and be wary of providing false information of any kind. As stated previously, you can create a brand-new email address or use an existing business email.

Your screen will resemble something like this:

Following that quick process, you will visit https://www.google.com/business/ and choose the option “Manage now.”

This page allows you to share all key business information, such as your business name, address, and category, and strategically add unique, personalized details that make your business stand out and create a compelling picture of your brand.

Add Business Name, Category, and Location

You will then be asked to type your business name and see if there is already an existing company with your name. Typically, if you’re a registered company, you won’t share the exact same name as another business, so you should be in the clear. If you have never previously created a listing for your own, you can “Add your business to Google.”

In case there is an existing GMB Profile already, you can also request access to the other listing—just ensure that it’s not someone else’s account you’re getting into. Wouldn’t want that mishap!

Then, add your business name and category, and add relevant keywords, if needed, to the name. However, you want to be wary of keyword stuffing, which can violate Google’s guidelines. Don’t want to risk penalization? Choose our local listing optimization service to ensure a smooth setup.

Following that, you need to add your exact address and location on the map and specify whether you want customers to be able to visit your facility. Again, you may also review duplicate listings and claim them.

Additionally, you need to identify your service area and location, specifying the vicinity you work in. Lastly, put in your contact information and on into any updates or offerings Google My Business provides.

Next Comes the Verification Process

After you add these details and confirm your service area and more, you will begin the verification process.

There are several different methods of verification, ranging from snail mail to more instant methods. You should aim for verification as soon as possible to make sure your listing and account are usable.

You can use the following:

Postcard: Here, you will receive a postcard at your business address within 5 working days. You must enter the code enclosed within, alongside the preparations required, troubleshooting strategies if the verification code encounters delays, and the crucial post-verification steps to finalize your GMB profile setup.

Phone verification: You will be contacted via an automated phone call or text. It’s pretty convenient, easy, and quick, allowing you to get instant results.

Email verification: You will receive a confidential, protected email with a verification code that you need to enter for verification.

Video recording or live video call: You will need to record a video that offers evidence of location, business equipment, and proof of your ownership or managerial authority. If you opt for video calls, you will provide the same proof to a support representative on a live call.

Depending on the method you choose, verification may take anywhere from a few minutes to a few days, but once you’re done, there are a few more steps for Google Maps optimization you need to do before you go live.

Fine-Tuning Details for Your GMB Listing

You’ll need to specify your business hours and activate the messaging feature so clients can easily contact you and request more details and information. Again, the more active and available your Google My Business account is, the more authority and reach you will have in the local landscape.

There is a catch, though—if you don’t really plan to respond to people on your GMB profile, it’s best to leave the messaging feature off. Otherwise, you risk coming off as unapproachable, inactive, or lazy, which will hurt you more than help you.

You should also craft a creative, insightful, and accurate GMB description—which we can do for you. It should be 750 characters at most, coupled with relevant links to your website, photos for more visual clarity and appeal, and any other relevant details.

Ensuring Accurate and Consistent Information for Seamless Verification

It’s critical to ensure the accuracy and consistency of information across platforms (no, that’s not an exaggeration). You need to make sure that your business details match the information available online so the verification process goes seamlessly. If there’s any inconsistency or inaccuracy, you may get flagged, or the verification may come to a halt.

Optimizing Google My Business Information for Local Search

You need to optimize your business information with local search in mind. Incorporate relevant keywords and details that align with local customer search behavior, enhancing your visibility in local searches. Not sure what local keywords work for your brand? Let our Google My Business experts handle it.

Completing the Verification Process for Long-Term Security

As mentioned above, completing the verification process is the key to unlocking access to the full suite of Google My Business features. You can’t fully utilize all the free tools and features that it offers without being verified, so the sooner you get on it, the better.

Securely Entering the Verification Code for Complete Access

However, to get to those features, you need to enter the code into your GMB dashboard. This step confirms your business’s authenticity and initiates the transition from a listed to a verified Google Business Profile, allowing you to show up in search results and platforms.

Recommended Read: How to Optimize Google My Business Listing and Leverage It for More Sales

What to Do If the Verification Code Doesn’t Arrive or Work

There may be certain cases where the verification code faces delays, in which case Google provides troubleshooting strategies. You can switch your method, put in the request for another postcard, or contact their helpline for guidance. Often there will be in-built solutions to ensure a successful verification.

Some added measures to make this easier include:

Post-Verification Steps: Fine-Tuning for Optimal Performance

Contrary to popular belief, verification is not the last step in the process. There are actually multiple post-verification steps necessary in your GMB profile setup, including double-checking information for accuracy and conducting an initial review for any necessary edits. This fine-tuning ensures optimal performance and maximizes the impact of your Google Business Profile.

This positions your business for success in local search and Google Maps marketing, giving you a more solid digital presence on this platform.

Adding Additional Business Details to Make Your Google My Business Profile Stronger

Enhancing your Google Business Profile beyond the basics goes a long way in improving your digital presence, and adding additional details is the simplest way to do that. Some of the ways you can leverage our GMB listing optimization services include:

Adding Attributes, Amenities, & Unique Features

You should highlight all attributes and amenities that set your business apart. It could be something as small as free Wi-Fi or outdoor seating or major features like at-home services. Any and all unique selling propositions and features act as valuable information to potential customers, influencing their decision-making process.

Creating a Compelling Description and Tagline

Your business description and tagline offer a hook. Tell your story, share your values, and provide insights into what makes your business special. Having a clever, communicative, well-crafted description and tagline will pack a punch and help you connect with your target audience more closely.

Each detail and personalized detail lends more authenticity and appeal to your Google My Business profile. Crafting a profile that is accurate, engaging, and reflective of your brand ensures that you stand out in a sea of competitors and make you a more viable choice.

Guaranteeing Verification for Your Google Business Profile

We keep circling back to this, but verification is a game-changer in separating a mere listing from a verified, credible presence on Google Search and Maps. Having that indicator that your business is legitimate and preferable is what will take things up a notch.

Benefits of a Verified GMB Listing for Your Business

The benefits of a verified Google My listing are more than meets the eye. It elevates your business’s visibility on Google Search and Maps and creates a sense of trust among users. Verified businesses are also more likely to appear in the coveted local pack, which is the crème. de la crème for businesses targeting local audiences.

The trust and visibility that verification offers to your overall Google Maps marketing optimization strategy is unparalleled, giving you enhanced credibility and engagement.

Enhanced Visibility on Google Search and Maps

A verified GMB profile propels your business into greater visibility on both Google Search and Maps. Potential customers in your locality and service areas will search for products or services and see your verified profile pop up. This will make them trust you more and likelier to choose you.

Improved Local SEO Rankings

Local SEO is significantly impacted by having a verified GMB profile, given that Google considers verified businesses more credible and relevant. When you have a verified status, it means your profile is vetted, your services are legitimate, and your account is active, resulting in it ranking higher.

Increased Credibility and Trustworthiness

Trust is the backbone of success, and a verified GMB profile allows potential customers to engage with businesses. Since it lets them know your information is accurate and the account is actively managed, they can reach out to you for any potential issues or queries.

Better Engagement with Potential Customers

Verified businesses enjoy better engagement as users can access accurate information, including business hours to prompt responses and the ability to post reviews, share images, and offer other types of interactions. This goes a long way in boosting your presence and legitimizing your business.

Tips for Maintaining an Optimal GMB Presence: Nurturing Your Digital Identity

As we said, having a verified GMB profile is only the first step because maintaining a steadily visible presence requires consistent effort and investment. Here are some great tips that our Google My Business SEO services cover:

Regularly Update Business Information

A static digital presence is easy to dismiss and ignore. Regularly updating your business information to reflect any changes, updates to policy, new product and service launches, and other details goes a long way in improving your reach. You can also update operating hours, contact details, images or renovations, events, and more, ensuring that your GMB profile is current and offers relevant information to users.

Respond Promptly to Customer Reviews

Google My Business customer reviews are a testament to your business’s reputation. Not only should you respond to messages and both positive and negative reviews, but you should also take their feedback in stride and show steps you’re taking to change. This showcases your commitment to customer satisfaction, builds rapport with existing customers, and influences the perceptions of potential customers browsing through your profile.

Use GMB Insights for Performance Analysis

GMB Insights is an incredible resource that provides a wealth of data about how users interact with your profile. Leveraging the information gained from this for performance analysis helps you make strategic, data-driven decisions. It allows you to see how users find your business, what actions they take, and what they’re interacting with, so you can use these insights to refine your digital strategy. Data-driven decision-making is the key to optimizing your GMB profile.

Leverage GMB Posts for Engaging, High-Quality Content

GMB Posts offer a dynamic way to share content directly on your profile. Whether it’s updates, promotions, or events, GMB Posts keep your audience informed and engaged. Regularly posting fresh and relevant content demonstrates an active and vibrant business, contributing to a positive user experience.

Think of your Google My Business profile as a dynamic asset that elevates your business’s online presence. From increased visibility and improved local SEO rankings to enhanced credibility and data-driven engagement, it gives you an incredible range of benefits.

You need to invest in an extensive Google My Business profile and set up your account for more efficiency, reach, and connection to existing and potential customers. It goes a long way in boosting your reach and bringing local clientele—and the best part? It’s not a huge financial commitment!

Recommended Read: What is Google’s Local 3-Pack and How Can You Use It to Rank?

Intelligently Using Google My Business to Boost Your Local SEO Presence

While a simple process, it can be time-consuming to establish and verify your Google Business Profile. However, with our Google My Business experts to help you, it gets a lot easier to do. While this blog outlines the extensive setup and verification process and shares recommendations for maintaining that gusto and streak, we know how overwhelming it can be to handle all this alongside your website and the business itself.

We’ll take care of your Google My Business needs, propelling your company into the spotlight and connecting you with local customers actively seeking your offerings.

From regularly updating information, engaging with customer reviews, leveraging insights, and sharing dynamic content through GMB Posts, we’ll customize your Google My Business SEO services to the fullest. Get in touch with us to learn more about how we can serve you.

The post How to Set Up and Verify My Business on Google appeared first on Global-marketing Inc..

The biggest challenge for dentists in the digital age is building brand awareness in their local community. When operating in a highly saturated market, losing the patient base to competitors is inevitable—unless you leverage SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

The first step in appearing in Google search results is an optimized web presence AKA a well optimized website/profile that checks all the SEO boxes. If you’re looking for an all-encompassing SEO service tailored for dentists, check out these affordable SEO packages.

The second step is optimizing your site/profile for local search. This includes GMB optimization, leveraging local SEO, and getting positive customer reviews.

GMB stands for Google My Business, more commonly referred to as Google Business Profile or Google Business Listing.

GMB is an important factor in local SEO. It helps your business appear in local search results. This means that when people in your locality search for phrases like “denstist near me” or “dentists in New York [your area], your web page/social media profile/GMB profile pops up in the top results.

So, how do you drive traffic to your dental practice with a well-maintained and optimized GMB listing? Let’s dive into it! Start by watching this video for a simplified introduction to Google business listings.

Marketing Challenges for Dentists

Dentistry is an ever-evolving field comprising a steadily growing number of practitioners every year.

Here are some of the common challenges dentists face when it comes to building brand awareness in the digital space:

1. Stiff Competition: Regardless of your location, competition in the dental care industry continues to increase worldwide. There are over 18,000 dentists in California alone, many of whom have their own individual practices. Operating in a highly competitive industry can impede your ability to stand out, making dental marketing a challenge.
2. Online Reputation Management: Many dentists create social media pages for their practice. Unfortunately, unverified reviews can ruin your online reputation and harm the legitimacy of your services.
3. Lack of SEO Knowledge and Time Constraints: Many seasoned dentists aren’t tech-savvy or digitally proficient. As such, keeping up with evolving Google My Business SEO strategies can be challenging, especially with a dentist’s busy schedule.

You’re in luck, though. With help from our dental SEO experts, you can set up your Google My Business Listing and establish your brand identity online.

Understanding Google My Business (GMB)

Here’s how you can get started. Google a popular dental practice in your locality and see what comes up.

Did you come across something like this?

That’s what a Google business profile looks like. Google listings appear in search results based on your locality. Potential patients in your locality will be able to view it on Google Maps if they search for a similar query in Google (more on this later).

Google My Business (GMB) listings and profiles have one goal: establishing a business’s online presence. Google, the world’s largest search engine, has millions of active users every second. If you want to increase the brand visibility for your dental practice, you need to be visible where potential patients are most likely to see you—on Google!

How GMB Local Optimization Benefits Dentists

GMB optimization involves carefully curating your professional persona on the search engine. It puts all the important call-to-actions and business details in one easily accessible place. This way, you can reach potential patients more effectively, efficiently, and quickly.

Google My Business profile optimization experts agree that Google profiles help dentists manage updated business information, interact with patients, monitor reviews, respond to queries, and get dental marketing insights.

Claiming and Verifying Your GMB Listing

Anybody can make a social media page for a business and make unfounded claims about its services. Social media business profiles don’t go through a verification process, making them far less reliable than a GMB listing. For you to create a legitimate business profile on Google, you need to claim and verify important business details.

Follow this basic step-by-step guide to creating your GMB profile.

Step 1: Claim Your Business

First things first, you need to let Google know the name of your dental practice. Head to the Google Business Profile page and input your business name.

Then, click “continue” and add your business to Google.

Remember, your business might physically exist on the map, but it won’t show up on Google unless you claim it. Search “my business” on Google, select the right location on Google Maps, and claim your business. If your business isn’t already listed, input the relevant information and confirm your business location.

Step 2: Choose the Right Business Category and Sub-Category

Defining the industry your business operates in is vital to optimizing your GMB profile. You can type in one relevant keyword for your business category to access a drop-down list of related categories.

Choose the business category that encompasses your business type as the primary category. For example, you will opt for “Dentist Clinic.” Then, choose sub-categories based on the services you offer, for example, “Cosmetic Dentist” and “Pediatric Dentist.”

Step 3: Build Your Profile

Once Google confirms that your business name is unique, start building your profile. You’ll need to input the following information:

• Location (you can choose multiple)
• Address
• Contact information
• Hours of operation

Providing updated information about your dental practice that is consistent across your online presences is vital for local SEO.

Step 4: Verify Your Business

Lastly, it’s time to verify your business. This can be done in one of three ways: by email, postcard, or phone. Input your current mailing address and wait to receive a verification code via mail in the following days.

Optimizing Your GMB Profile

Creating your GMB profile is usually not enough to boost brand visibility. You have to optimize your Google listing, too, which is a task that anybody who’s not a dental SEO expert would struggle with. Fret not! You can always reach out to a GMB optimization agency like ours for assistance.

Let’s explore the most important aspects to focus on when optimizing your local business listing on Google.

Craft a Compelling Business Description

When you’re done building your business profile, Google will ask you to add a business description before completing the process. This business description can make or break your GMB listing.

Come up with a description that encapsulates the essence of your dental practice. Explain what your business does, what it aims to do, and how it stands out. Even though Google allows a word limit of 750, avoid using generic adjectives or being too wordy. Concise and informative is the way to go!

For instance, if your dental practice is located in Manhattan, NY, your business description could look like this: “[Business Name] is committed to providing exceptional dental care to children and adults in Manhattan, New York. Our experienced and trained professionals offer veneer treatments, dental crown and bridges, root canals, and more.”

Optimize Relevant Keywords

Picture this: you need to describe your business to somebody in just two lines who’s never heard of it. Which words are the most important to include in those two lines? If you thought of words like “dentist” and “dental care,” those will be your keywords!

In the world of dental marketing and SEO optimization, keywords are king. Using location-specific keywords can help you reach customers in your locality.

Incorporating the right, relevant keywords in your GMB profile, posts, and description is essential for ranking higher on the search engine result pages (SERPs). The first 3-4 results for any search query are sponsored by Google, but the other results rank on the first page solely due to effective keyword optimization. The goal of GMB and keyword optimization is to have your dental business rank among the first-page results.

You can use Google Keyword Planner to identify high-ranking keywords in the dental industry.

For professional assistance and expedited results, consider outsourcing the task to our SEO agency.

Leverage Visual Content

Underestimating the power of visual content is one of the worst mistakes you can make when it comes to GMB optimization for your dental practice. Visual aspects like pictures and videos do an excellent job of attracting a viewer’s attention.

Add high-quality pictures and videos of your dental clinic, office, and the tools you use. This will help you showcase your dental business and give patients an idea of what to expect.

You can also leverage Google Business Profile posts, also known as Google My Business (GMB) posts, to incorporate keyword-optimized content and visual imagery in your listing. These typically appear in the “Updates” section of your business profile.

Manage and Respond to Reviews 

Adding genuine reviews from previous patients to your Google listing is an excellent way to leverage your credibility as a dentist. Google business listings have a separate ‘Reviews’ section highlighting the reviewer’s name, rating (out of five stars), post date, message, and pictures (if attached). As the business owner, you can manage and respond to reviews using your profile.

In case a review violates Google’s policies or is verifiably fake, you can flag and report it by specifying the policy it violates.

Leveraging the Q&A feature is another great way to optimize your GMB listing. Google allows you to answer sample questions when setting up your profile. Patients can also ask questions, which are often answered by other community members.

Regularly checking your profile for new questions can help you respond in a timely manner.

Highlight Your Services

Google listings feature a ‘Products’ section where you can list the services you offer. A list of services helps potential patients better navigate your listing. You can add prices for each service if you offer fixed rates. Make sure to update the prices on your profile as soon as you revise them.

Analyze Key Metrics

Lastly, but most importantly, analyze key metrics to monitor the effectiveness of your GMB listing optimization efforts.

Keep your listing up-to-date. Regularly check your GMB listing to ensure all information is accurate and update it as necessary.

Google provides insights on how customers found your listing, what actions they took, and where they’re coming from. Use this data to improve your listing and overall marketing strategy.

Put Your Business On The Map (Literally) With Google My Business Optimization Service

If all of this is a bit much for you, get in touch with our team of Google My Business experts. In addition to promoting your brand online, we will also maintain your online presence, which includes updating and managing your various profiles, responding to online reviews and creating tailored Google Maps marketing strategies to help you stand out from the crowd.

So, what are you waiting for? Drive more foot traffic to your business with an optimized Google Maps listing today!

The post How Dentists Can Boost Brand Visibility With GMB Optimization appeared first on Global-marketing Inc..

What is Google My Business?

How Do I Create a Google My Business Profile?

Is Google My Business Free?

How Can I Optimize My Google My Business Profile?

This Blog at a Glance

If you run a small business, there’s nothing more frustrating than declining sales.

Your product/service quality is top-notch. Your customer service team is doing a great job. You’re actively posting on social media. Your website has been designed and developed to perfection. So what’s going wrong?

One word: reach.

Think about it. Today, the internet is flooded with millions and millions of online businesses. Web users are spoilt for choice!

Nobody has time to scroll through dozens of web pages. So what do people do instead? They usually click the first few search results on Google.

If your business doesn’t show up on the first SERP (search engine result page), you’re essentially invisible to your target audience.

Bad reach equals bad sales. So how do you undo the damage? By putting yourself on Google Maps and ranking high for local search queries.

Google My Business helps you do just that! In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at this platform. We’ll help you understand what it is, how it can benefit your business, and how you can set up your Google My Business profile.

Keep reading!

What is Google My Business?

Google My Business is a free tool provided by Google. The platform allows you to display your business on Google Maps.

As you enter basic information about your business, share pictures and videos, answer questions, and provide more insight, you’ll lend credibility to your Google My Business profile.

The outcome? Your listing will start ranking higher and showing up among the top Google search results. Using this tool is a great way to give your small business a power-packed shot in visibility!

As you climb the local search ladder, you’ll earn more sales and secure your bottom line.

Regular SEO will only take you so much if you run a local business. Your SEO plan must be highly localized to help you target web users in the specific regions you’re targeting. Google My Business helps you do just that!

How Do I Create a Google My Business Profile?

You’re in luck. Setting up your GMB profile is one of the easiest and quickest things you can do for your business. Before you get started, create your Google account.

You can use an existing Google account (make sure it has been specifically created for your business). If you don’t have one, create it from scratch.

Visit accounts.google.com and click on “Create an account”. Enter your information. Take your time; double-check everything to ensure there are no typos or inaccuracies. Do not provide false information under any circumstances.

All done? Great! Visit www.google.com/business and click on “Manage now”. This is what the page will look like:

You’ll be asked to type your business name. Go ahead and do this to make sure a listing with your name doesn’t already exist. It’ll show up as you type. If it doesn’t, you’re in the clear. Click on “Add your business to Google”.

If a Google My Business profile already exists for your business name, you can request access. Fortunately, Google has made the process fairly straightforward and seamless.

Follow the steps to get your account. Make sure you’re not trying to gain access to a different business that already exists. If this is the case, you’ll have to tweak your business name.

Once you’ve completed this step, it’s time to add your official business name and category. Make sure you’re as accurate as possible.

Avoid adding any unnecessary keywords to the name for optimization purposes. While this may sound like a neat idea, it’ll end up violating Google’s guidelines.

You don’t want to land in trouble before you even get started. Follow the rules through and through. You’ll be requested to enter your business name and category.

Once you’re done, click “Next”. You’ll be asked to enter more information about your business. Carefully and closely follow the prompts, answering the questions as accurately as possible. Take your time! There’s absolutely no rush.

If your business has a physical location that customers can visit for in-person interactions, you’ll be required to share this information. Click “Yes” and “Next”. If you run an online business and don’t have a physical outlet, click “No”.

It’s time for the nitty-gritty of your business. If your business has a physical outlet, provide the address. You will be requested to pin the location on a map for confirmation.

As stated earlier, make sure this bit of information is accurate. You don’t want to enter the wrong address and confuse customers accidentally. This can also affect the verification process.

Follow the address up with the delivery/visit section. Will you provide deliveries to your customers? Select “Yes” if you will. You will be requested to enter the areas you’ll serve. This section is optional.

As your business grows and you create new physical outlets, you can always update this information later. All done? Time for the contact information. You will be requested to enter your phone number and website URL. If you don’t have a domain yet, tick the box below.

You’re almost there. Towards the end, you’ll be asked if you want to receive updates and tips from Google. You’re not obliged to agree, but it’s preferable to do so. Google shares a lot of valuable insights with creators. This knowledge can help you refine your profile and make the most of it in the long run.

It’s time for verification. Select a verification method to prove that your business is actually operating at the address you entered. We recommend selecting the first option. You’ll receive a postcard by mail. However, you can also opt for phone or email verification.

If you select postcard verification, a postcard will be delivered to the business address within five days. It’ll include a code. Make sure you carefully enter it into your account. If the postcard doesn’t arrive within five days, request a replacement. Before doing so, make sure you’ve provided the correct address.

If you opt for phone verification, you will verify your account via phone. Sounds super simple and hassle-free, right? It is! But phone verification isn’t available to everyone. Check to see if you qualify for this feature. If you do, you’ll receive a code on your phone. This is usually done through a call.

Alternatively, you can also choose email verification. Like phone verification, this option isn’t available to all. If you qualify for it, you’ll receive a code in your inbox. You know what to do!

All done? It’s time to enter a few more details. You’ll be required to specify your business hours and activate the messaging feature. Make sure you turn messages on! This is an excellent way to communicate with your target audience, boost sales, and secure your bottom line.

If you plan on being unresponsive, it’s better to switch this feature off. Unresponsiveness is a bad sign. It shows web users that you’re not bothered about their queries. Over time, this will negatively affect user experience and your business reputation.

Almost there. Wrap things up by adding a business description to help web users understand whether your business offers what they’re looking for. You can only write up to 750 characters, so avoid going overboard! This is an excellent way to sell your business in a short and concise manner.

It’s time to add photos to your listing! This is your chance to help web users visualize your business and get a sneak peek of what you have to offer. Take high-quality images of your products, services being provided, physical outlet, and behind-the-scenes action.

The best part? Customers can also add images to your profile when submitting a Google review. You can’t decide which pictures will appear in your Google My Business carousel. Here’s an example:

Upload as many quality pictures as possible, so they show up among the pool of user-submitted photos. Highlight different facets of your business to provide a complete overview of your brand!

Once you’ve covered these basics, it’s all systems go! Start tweaking the information as you go and learn local SEO optimization to ride the Google My Business waves like a pro!

Is Google My Business Free?

Yes! Google My Business is absolutely free; there are no hidden charges.

How Can I Optimize My Google My Business Profile?

Let’s talk about the fun stuff. Sure, you’ve created a Google My Business profile. You’ve checked off all the boxes, and you’re ready to kick things off. Before you get started, make sure you optimize your Google My Business profile.

There are many ways you can do this! Add local keywords to your Google My Business content, add new photos and videos, use the Google My Business Q&A feature to inform your business, and encourage web users to “follow” you on Google Maps or social media.

Google’s new algorithm is incredibly, incredibly smart. Don’t feel tempted to try any loopholes! Take some time to add new elements to your page: primary and secondary categories, weekly content, flattering reviews, press releases, messaging, Q&As, etc.

Recommended Read: How to Optimize and Promote Your Google My Business Page

This Blog at a Glance

In this blog, we highlighted the process of setting up your own Google My Business profile.

We walked you through the popularity and efficacy of Google My Business, highlighted the benefits of setting up a GMB profile, and outlined the process of claiming your business account.

Now it’s time to start walking the walk!

At Global-marketing Inc., we create a Google My Business profile for your business. We also provide GMB optimization services to get you back on track and enjoy immense growth.

If you have any questions, feel free to chat with us or give us a call at +1(833)405-1025. Let’s get you started!

The post How to Set Up Your Google Business Profile appeared first on Global-marketing Inc..

Contents

• How to Completely Optimize Your Google My Business Listing
  1. Don’t Leave Any Section Unfilled
  2. Share Engaging Posts on a Weekly Basis
  3. Use High-Ranking Keywords
  4. Answer Pending Questions
  5. Post High-Quality Audiovisual Content
  6. Engage With Customer Reviews
  7. Set Up Messaging
  8. Leverage Special Attributes
• How to Promote Your Google My Business Page
• Wrapping Up!

2020 has been a tough year for local businesses. If you’ve been struggling to achieve your KPI targets, you’re among the millions of businesses that are in the same boat. As we eagerly look forward to 2021, one thing’s for sure: the digital space will continue to be a big game changer.

Internet use has skyrocketed like never before due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The kicker? Local businesses have been presented with a fresh opportunity to sustain business growth: Google My Business.

Here’s how Global-marketing Inc.’s local SEO and Google Maps optimization services have helped clients:

Let Our Numbers Do All the Talking

Western Mass Auto Insurance

GMB Insights for Springfield (3 Months)

966Calls
 

88requests for
direction

256website visits
 

4396search results
in 1 month

Western Mass Auto Insurance

GMB Insights for Indian Orchard (3 Months)

865Calls
 

86requests for
direction

210website visits
 

32,267search results
in 1 month

Global Heating and Cooling Inc.

GMB Insights for Hermitage in (3 Months)

87Calls
 

139new website visits

4messages
 

15,988search results
 

Global Heating and Cooling Inc.

GMB Insights for Clark in Less Than Three Months

28Calls
 

30new website visits
 

9,941search results
 

Oklahoma Shelters

GMB Insights in One Month

125Calls
 

11requests for
direction

545website visits
 

8,457search results
in 1 month

DeLaughter Bail Bonds

GMB Insights in One Month

129Calls
 

3requests for
direction

12website visits
 

If you’ve claimed your free GMB profile, you’re on the right track. Make sure you follow that up with stellar optimization and promotion. Want to learn how to use Google My Business to optimize for local search? Here’s a guide to help you get started!

How to Completely Optimize Your Google My Business Listing

Don’t Leave Any Section Unfilled

As one of the best practices for Google My Business optimization, detailing works like a charm. Start by ensuring NAP (name, address, and phone number) accuracy and consistency. Your Google My Business profile should feature the same NAP that’s on your website, social media pages, business card, and online listings.

Make sure there’s no inconsistency. Each hyphen, asterisk, and number should be consistent across the board. This is a great way to add a touch of legitimacy to your listing, which will help you make your way to one of the coveted ranks of the Google 3-Pack.

Once you’ve taken care of the basics, take a quick look at your profile. Are there any unfilled sections? In many cases, businesses fill out the basics and leave the details for later. If you’ve resorted to the same approach, undo the damage, stat.

Your Google My Business profile should be accurately filled out. Focus on these details:

• Website
• Business hours
• Category
• Description
• Attributes
• Questions and answers
• Reviews

What is the correct description of a Google My Business page? Highlight your USPs and experience. You’ll work within certain constraints. Make sure you don’t exceed 750 characters.

Some details are consumer-generated, including questions and answers and reviews. But don’t wait for your audience to take care of them. Instead, adopt a proactive approach and prompt customers to leave reviews (more on this later).

Here’s a glimpse of a meticulously completed Google My Business listing:

Google’s algorithm expertly crawls, indexes, and ranks listings based on the accuracy, consistency, quality, and comprehensiveness of the information provided.

If your profile features information that checks off these boxes, you have a better shot at appearing among the top search results for local searches. Over time, this optimization trick will help you engage and convert more local customers, resulting in bigger and better sales. This is how you optimize your Google My Business page!

Share Engaging Posts on a Weekly Basis

Consistency is inarguably one of the best Google My Business tricks you’ll stumble across. While you may have filled out your profile like a seasoned pro, posting every once in a while will take a toll on your rankings. Instead, make sure you share engaging, unique, and value-added posts on a weekly basis.

Include a CTA (call-to-action) toward the end of each post to prompt action. You can also post about special discounts, clearance sales, and ongoing offers to redirect your target audience to your site.

Sharing content more frequently will help you boost your online presence and stand out from the crowd—both literally and figuratively.

Google doesn’t accept posts that are longer than 300 words, so stick to the word limit. Strike the perfect balance between brevity and value to ensure each post packs a powerful punch. Remember, there are no bounds here. You can choose to post about anything: a new product/service launch, a milestone, behind-the-scenes footage, exclusive offers, etc.

Use High-Ranking Keywords

Using keywords is part and parcel of targeting a local audience. If your keyword research strategy is subpar, take active measures to turn things around.

Start by identifying industry-specific keywords like “legal support,” “plumbing services,” “interior design,” etc. Based on your industry, shortlist 5–10 relevant keywords with high search volume. In addition, research location-specific keywords based on where you offer your products/services.

Once you’ve covered these two key bases, compile a list of relevant trending keywords. Are there certain holidays, events, or pop culture references that are trending in your area? Think “Christmas,” “Valentine’s Day,” “Super Bowl,” and the like.

Anything and everything that’s a hot trend goes! And if it’s relevant to your industry, you’ve struck gold. For instance, sharing a Ken Bone-themed post to promote red shirts would’ve been a genius move for apparel stores in 2016.

Once you have a set of winning keywords, use them on your profile and in your posts. But don’t go overboard. Keyword stuffing can put you at risk of getting penalized by Google. The right balance will help you target a wide local audience and boost your listing.

It’s also important to note that Google highlights relevant keywords in reviews. Here’s an example:

Sounds like something that cannot be leveraged, right? Well, not quite. Requesting specific reviews is a great way to give Google exactly what it needs to rank your listing in the Google 3-Pack.

For instance, if you run a restaurant, ask customers for feedback regarding your customer service, specific menu items, ambiance, etc. This will help you generate reviews that are right up Google’s alley.

The outcome? A listing that ranks higher and generates more local traffic in the long run. This is inarguably one of the best practices for Google My Business!

Answer Pending Questions

Questions and answers can make or break a Google My Business listing. Let’s say you’re looking for 24/7 packing and moving services in New York. If a business has specifically answered a question about 24/7 availability, it’ll show up among the top search results. You can easily browse through multiple listings and choose the right option based on the specific Q&As provided.

This neat trick helps customers save time and businesses attract the right audience. Make sure your Google My Business profile is replete with relevant Q&As. We suggest searching for industry-specific FAQs and listing your own Q&As accordingly.

In addition, make sure you answer relevant questions that are posted on your profile. However, avoid responding to each question. This will help you steer clear of repetition. You’ll also manage to weed out irrelevant questions.

Here are some examples to steer you in the right direction:

Post High-Quality Audiovisual Content

If your Google My Business profile doesn’t feature high-quality images and videos, you’ll struggle to make a winning impact on your audience. From the cover photo to the videos, the audiovisual content featured on your page should be a treat for your audience! You can also provide a 360-degree street view for a better look at your outlet.

Showcase your products/services, share company culture videos, and capture some behind-the-scenes footage to give your audience the ultimate experience before they get a chance to transact with you. The better the content, the better your chances of making great sales!

Sharing high-quality content will also help you improve brand identity and recall, resulting in enhanced audience retention in the long run. As always, update photos and videos on a bi-yearly basis. If certain images don’t reflect your business anymore, make sure you post a fresh batch of content and indicate the changes (renovations, etc.). This is a great way to popularize and promote your business on Google for free!

Engage With Customer Reviews

When it comes to optimizing your Google My Business page, leveraging reviews is your best bet. Reviews carry massive conversion potential. They add an air of legitimacy to your business, resulting in better engagement and sales.

Here’s how you can make the most of them. Start by requesting more reviews through your website, social media pages, and online listings. You can also create a specific page for reviews on your website. Hyperlink said page in the CTAs for your blogs, articles, and online posts. You can also send a link to your audience via email for better reach!

If you’re still struggling to generate plentiful positive reviews, incentivize customers by offering discounts. While this may sound a little over-the-top, it’s essential. Ensuring a steady stream of flattering reviews will help you snag a spot on the Google 3-Pack and skyrocket conversions.

Apart from going the extra mile to request reviews, we also recommend engaging with each review for better reach. Thank your audience for leaving positive reviews and promise to make amends with regard to negative reviews (make sure you follow through).

Over time, you can also begin to request specific reviews to highlight different aspects of your business. Keep industry-specific keywords in mind! Based on the search preferences of your target audience, request relevant reviews to help Google showcase your business.

Once you get the hang of this powerful strategy, it’ll become second nature to you. Not only will you marvel at the results, but you’ll also wonder why it took you so long to kick-start a strategy that’s so simple. This is how you use Google My Business to optimize for local search!

Set Up Messaging

Enabling messaging is a great way to make it easier for your audience to reach you. Customers can directly send you text messages and receive prompt replies to their queries. As you break down the barriers in business–customer communication, you’ll manage to facilitate more transactions.

In many cases, web users end up delaying a potential purchase because they’re in a state of limbo. No matter how specific your Q&As may be, you can’t cover all the bases. It’s very likely that certain web users will still require answers to unique queries. Setting up messaging will help you cover these gaps and make your listing more responsive.

Leverage Special Attributes

Based on your industry and business, you have the option of leveraging special attributes to make your business more discoverable. Here’s an example:

These attributes play a big role in allowing web users to choose the right business among a pool of relevant listings.

As a rule of thumb, make sure you get as specific as possible. If your outlet offers free Wi-Fi, include it as a special attribute on your Google My Business listing!

Featuring a set of highly-specific special attributes will help your listing stand out.

How to Promote Your Google My Business Page

While optimizing Google My Businessis important, it’s not the be-all and end-all of mastering local visibility.

In addition to optimization, make sure you have a razor-sharp focus on promotion.

Here are some of the best Google My Business promotion strategies to help you get off on the right foot:

• Start by creating and sharing a link to your listing (click here). Once you’ve set up a unique URL for your Google My Business listing, you can share it with your customers to request reviews or boost your profile.
• Make sure your website features links to your Google reviews and directions. This is a neat trick to help your listing get more traction!
• While you may feel tempted to experiment with spammy tactics, avoid them at all costs. You’ll risk getting penalized by Google. Instead, focus on organic growth.
• Google My Business frequently releases new tools. Explore the Google Marketing Kit to give your listing an edge.

Wrapping Up!

We’ve walked you through the top strategies to optimize your Google My Business page. We also covered some tips to help you promote your Google My Business page.

If you’re ready to start implementing these Google My Business tricks, we can help you change the game! Have questions about optimizing Google My Business? Call +1(833)405-1025 or fill out the form below and let’s create a customized plan that fits your unique requirements! We’re ready when you are! Let’s start reaping the benefits of the best practices for Google My Business.

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