Here are 11 steps on how to optimize your GMB listing to drive customers to your business.
If there’s anything on your listing that says “Suggest an edit,” make sure to edit that with the appropriate information.
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A full GMB listing can help improve your local ranking on Google.
When a potential customer sees your listing, they should know who you are, where you are, what you do, and when they can visit your business.
Without properly verifying your listing through Google, your listing won’t show when customers are searching for you. Make sure you add your business through GMB and Google Maps. Once you verify your business listing, your business will be eligible to be shown through Maps, Search, and other Google listings.
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Along the lines of updating and inputting correct information, it is important to make sure your hours of operation are correct. Not only can you update your normal business hours, but you can also update your special hours for holidays. If anything changes for your business hours, your Google My Business should be the first source of information that reflects that.
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Responding to reviews can show customers that you are active and take the time to engage with them and respond to feedback. Everyone hates bad reviews, but they’re almost inevitable. While we all hate bad reviews, it’s still important to respond to every review, no matter negative or positive.
The next way to optimize your listing is to add photos or videos. Adding photos to your Google My Business listing can help you customer visualize your business, products, or services. Such photos could be logos, cover photos, team photos, photos of rooms or physical business, or even a 360 degree photo to give customers a feeling of what the entire space would look like.
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Adding posts is another effective way to optimize your GMB listing. Posts in Google My Business serves as a great tool to connect with your customers through your listing. Whether your post is about a new sale, event, or news regarding your business, posts allow you to communicate timely information to your customers.
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If your business utilizes a booking feature, it may make sense to add a booking feature to your Google My Business.
First, you’ll want to ensure that your bookings are managed through a Google supported scheduling provider. If so, then within your Google My Business page click “Bookings” and sign up with your provider. After about a week, your scheduler will sync with your Google My Business listing. Then, you can start receiving bookings from Google.
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To further optimize your listing, make sure to add a messaging feature. The Google My Business app allows your customers to message you directly, which is just one more way your customers can get in touch with you. When you receive a message through GMB, you should respond within 24 hours. If you don’t respond in a timely manner, Google may revoke your messaging option.
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Customers may ask questions related to your business on your Google My Business page. If you don’t answer them, someone else may do it for you! The information someone else answers may or may not be accurate, but you want to be the one to answer all questions on Google My Business so that you’re relaying the most accurate information to your customers.
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You can feature certain attributes about your business on your Google My Business listing. These attributes can be factual or subjective. Factual attributes can range from “WiFi” to “Black-owned.” Subjective attributes depend on Google customers who have visited your business.
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If you offer services, you can add those services to your Google My Business listing. You may group your services into sections, add a description, and add prices. On your listing, you’ll see your services listed under the “service” tab.
Now that you’ve taken the steps to optimize your Google My Business listing, it will take less time to upkeep it. But consistently updating your listing is key. Google My Business often serves as a resource for your customers, and the more information on there, the better. Take the time to keep up with your Google My Business listing and your customers will thank you.