Search engine optimisation comes in many forms. Your digital marketing agency might suggest having a blog page on your website, or they might suggest submitting articles to blogs and websites in the same industry as your business. These inbound marketing strategies do work and can increase your organic traffic, but you should also be including Google Business in the mix of your SEO strategy.Â
A vital step in any local SEO strategy is to claim and verify your business’s Google My Business or Google Business listing. This will increase your chances of appearing in Google Maps, Local Finder, and will also improve your organic search rankings. And because Google is constantly evolving, there are some unique features to help increase your SEO strategy.Â
Keep reading below for some of our top tips to boost your Google Business listing.Â
Complete All Pertinent Information
When it comes to listing your business on Google Business, you will find that there are a number of questions you need to complete and information you need to provide. This information will include the basics, such as your contact information and physical address, as well as what your business does and what category it falls under in Google.Â
It is important that you fill out this information yourself, because anyone can suggest an editor change to your business, and this might lead to competitors changing your hours, address, or even listing your business as permanently closed. You will need to log into your account regularly to ensure that nobody has changed your listing to reflect incorrect information. Adding photographs is also important as consumers are becoming more visual.Â
Encourage Consumer Reviews
Reviews from customers are one of the best ways to grow your Google Business listing. They usually cost nothing but can certainly go a long way in improving your SEO strategy. It is also a commonly-known fact that many consumers trust online reviews from other consumers and will ultimately make a decision on a purchase based off of these reviews.Â
When your business appears as a Google Business listing in a search for your keywords, and your profile has several positive reviews on it, people will be more likely to choose your business over your competitors. Reviews do not appear overnight, and you may need to perform some outreach to happy customers to encourage them to leave a review. You could leave review requests on thank you pages too, making the process easier and more efficient.Â
Use Google Business Posts
Google Business has many unique features that allow you to optimise your SEO strategy. One of these features is Google Business Posts, which are like miniature ads or social media posts that appear in your profile. These posts can improve your SEO and website ranking significantly as consumers will be encouraged to click on them and ill be encouraged to visit your website to find out more information.Â
Your Posts should have an image and a clear and obvious call-to-action. You can also repurpose your company blog posts here to show that your business is active and has information to share that is relevant and valuable. These posts show up in your business’s Knowledge panel and are easily accessible by consumers. Be sure to use the right links in your blogs and use smaller images so the posts are not cut off.Â
Always Respond To Reviews
If consumers decide to leave a Google review of their own volition, it is vital that you respond to it, whether it is good or bad. Responding to reviews is not only an impactful way to increase customer engagement and traffic, but it also shows that you pay attention to how your customers feel and what their needs are.Â
You can also increase your organic traffic by using keywords in your answers, but make sure this is done subtly. Answering negative reviews should always be well-thought-out and constructive, instead of being reactive and emotional. Offer a way to rectify any issues (that you can realistically deliver on) and be sure that you can do the same for each review and reviewer. Consumers value interaction from brands, and responding to reviews will provide them with this.Â
Final Thoughts
Google is encouraging businesses to build up their Google Business profile, and has rolled out ways that make this quick and easy. Completing all of the right information and adding photographs will ensure that consumers find your business easily. Adding and responding to reviews is a sure-fire way to encourage user engagement, as is adding posts and events to your profile.Â
Google Business is one of the best free tools for improving your SEO strategy and boosting your search engine results. It allows even smaller businesses to rank in the same league as larger competitors. If you would like to improve your SEO strategy and boost your Google Business listing, speak to NetMechanic today to find out how we can help you.
