SEO is one of the most important parts of building your website. However, if you have a physical store location in addition to your website, it is important to make sure you focus on local SEO as well. Google My Business is a great way to get started with building your local SEO. With plenty of Google My Business benefits, you can bring your business to the next level.
This article will discuss what Google My Business is, as well as its different uses and benefits. We will also go through some of the best ways to use GMB in order to push your business to the top of the search engine results. With Google My Business local SEO becomes much easier to manage and can bring great results to both your website and your storefront.
What is Google My Business?
The first step is to answer, “What is Google My Business?”
It may seem self-explanatory, but Google My Business, or GMB, is a business-oriented service offered by Google. It is a way for you to manage your business through Google all in one convenient service hub. You can edit your business, read and respond to reviews, see Google insights for your business, and more. If you have more than one storefront, GMB local services can even help you manage multiple locations at once.
Google My Business is focused on small and local businesses. A company of any size can use these services, but it is built to bring more customers and profits to smaller-scale businesses in local areas. There are a lot of benefits and uses to Google My Business that can help push your website and your storefront to more people in your local area. Getting website traffic from anywhere in the country or even the world is a good thing, but when you can connect with the people closest to you, it can mean great things for your business.
Google My Business vs. Google Business Profile
Another type of Google service that may seem familiar is the Google Business Profile. The two concepts sound very similar, especially at first glance. So, what is the difference?
The simplest answer is that the two services are very similar. There are a couple of notable differences, but they do offer similar functions.
One primary difference between Google My Business and Google Business Profile is that GMB operates through a standalone application, while the Google Business Profile is managed directly through Google Search and Maps. This means that your Business Profile can be managed without a separate application. However, both services can be used on-the-go, from anywhere.
For both Google Business Profile and Google My Business local SEO is still one of the most important focuses. No matter which service you are using, or if you opt for a combination of both, know that your small business is still going to be taken care of.
GMB Uses
Let’s discuss how you can use Google My Business. GMB local business services have a ton of benefits, but before we discuss them, it is important to know how you can operate this system in the first place.
- Create Your Business Account: Head to Google Maps and click on the “Add Your Business” button, towards the bottom of the page. From there, you can create a Google account to manage your business. Fill out your information and then start creating your business profile.
- Your Business Profile: Now it is time to set up your business profile. Choose your business’s category, and see if your website has already been listed on Google. If it has, you can go through the process of claiming it. If not, you can fill everything out and build your profile from start to finish.
- Go the Extra Mile: Make sure you add every piece of information you can. This will be a huge benefit to you in the long run. Including photos, FAQs, descriptions, and more can all help your website and your physical location get more traffic.
Google My Business Benefits
So, what are some of the best benefits of using Google My Business? To begin, remember that Google Business local SEO benefits are some of the greatest. Using this Google feature can bring a lot more traffic not only to your website but also to your storefront location. We will discuss local SEO benefits more in just a moment, but now let’s discuss some additional GMB benefits:
- More Credibility. GMB helps you earn your customers’ trust. Google has high credibility, which reflects well on your business, especially when you have a storefront location. More people will trust you and be interested in stopping by.
- Google Maps. One great perk of Google My Business is that your business location will now show up on Google Maps. A lot of consumers search for businesses of all kinds on Google Maps. Being a part of that system helps bring more customers to you.
- Ratings. GMB has a feature that allows customers to leave a star ranking on your business profile. Feedback is essential for any business, and when you have a lot of good reviews, more people will be encouraged to check out your business.
Benefits of GMB Local SEO
Now, let’s dive further into the benefits of GMB and benefits for local SEO. Local SEO, to start, is the act of pushing your website higher up the search engine results page (SERP), specifically in your storefront’s location. This means that your website will get increased traffic, but so will your physical location.
Here are some local SEO benefits of GMB:
- Improved Local Search Rankings. GMB can help provide your company with analytics and show you the ways that you can improve your profile in order to get higher on the SERPs. You can see your audience, customer views, and more.
- Enhanced Visibility. The Google Local pack takes up a lot of space in the search results. This means that Google is going to push your business towards more people in your area simply because of a shared location. This means more consumers will see you, and are more likely to click on your business.
- Increases Business Sales. Positive reviews and enhanced visibility mean that more people are going to buy from your business, both online and in-person. You can greatly increase your sales and visibility through GMB.
GMB and the Google Maps Pack
Another element of Google My Business local SEO is the incorporation of the Google Maps Pack. This is essentially a way of getting specially featured on Google Maps when people search for businesses like yours. The Google Maps Pack, typically of three or four results, will be the first to pop up, above the organic search results. These businesses in the Maps Pack are more likely to be clicked on because they are at the very top of the page.
There is no guaranteed way to get into the Google Maps Pack, but understanding analytics and utilizing all of the different GMB uses is a great way to start.
GMB Best Practices
In order to reap the many Google My Business benefits, it is important to make sure you are taking the best possible steps to optimize your GMB profile. Putting the best practices into place will help you reach as many people as possible, and keep your current customers coming back.
- Use Keywords. In order to reach a wider audience, try writing with keywords and phrases that people search on Google. These keywords will help boost you higher up the search engine results page and allow more people to see your business.
- Fill Out Additional Features. Don’t stop at basic information! Include elements like business attributes, descriptions, Google Posts, and other media in order to stand out from the competition and give your potential customers as much information as possible.
- Communicate with Customers. GMB has options to send your customers text messages, respond to Google reviews, answer customer questions, and more. Stay engaged with your current and potential consumers in order to create a strong relationship with them.
Support from More than Google
With Google My Business local SEO instantly becomes easier. With easy access to your customers, reviews, and a Google Maps advantage, you can instantly get more eyes on your website, and more feet in your door.
Another element of Google My Business that we’ve briefly mentioned is the access to analytics and data that you receive when you work with GMB. This information can be complex, especially if you do not have familiarity with reading this sort of data. Then, the next step is figuring out how to improve based on those analytics. For those sorts of needs, SEO Design Chicago is here to help. Our team of experts knows how to help you bring your SEO to the next level and get you increased traffic and profits, all through GMB. You don’t need to make anything more complicated. We can help take care of the fine details.
Work with us at SEO Design Chicago today for the best in local SEO.
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