What is Google My Business Listing and why is it important?
You might be wondering how to optimize your Google My Business listing to enable you to rank higher on Local searches. If you have already improved your website content, consider optimizing your Google My Business listing to further improve your rankings. Creating a Google My Business profile is a great start to an effective Local SEO strategy.
Google My Business is a free online tool from Google that allows you to manage your HVAC business and increase visibility on local searches. It is part of a larger SEO services package that includes website development, content creation and optimization, and technical SEO. In a nutshell, it is a core feature of a local SEO package. Reliable HVAC SEO services can ensure that your website gets traction in your locality when combined with effective GMB profiles. This tool is a sustainable business strategy that increases your web traffic and sales. Below is how you can optimize your Google My Business listing for Local SEO.
Create a Google My Business Profile
- Create a Google account
- Type the name of your business to check for duplicates. If there is none, add the name of your business
- Add a business category that closely relates to yours
- Add a physical location if you have one
- Include your business address
- Add your contact details
- Phone number
- Business website
- Verify your business
- You can verify using your email or mobile phone
- You may also verify your business using a postcard sent to you by Google
- Include your hours of operation
- Ensure that the hours you provide are accurate
- Make the necessary updates in case of any changes
- Verify your location
- Location is a crucial factor as it determines how your business ranks
- Verifying your location lets the search engine rank your landscaping business according to your area of service.
Add the messaging feature
- This helps you interact with your customers which could potentially increase your sales
- Ensure that you consistently respond to your clients to avoid negative user experience
- You can get message alerts from your listing to ensure that you view them in the required timeline
Include a detailed business description
- Focus on the most relevant and useful information
- Let your business description be unique to help you stand out from your competitors
- You can include information such as your vision, mission, or a brief piece about your business history.
- Your business description should focus on solving your clients’ problems
- You want to work with a professional copywriter on this because they know the copywriting model that will boost conversions. You can hire a professional article writers to create a captivating business description.
List your products and services
- This will give your audience a comprehensive list of the products or services that you offer
- You can include the products or services names, their descriptions, and if necessary, their prices.
Upload photos and videos of your business
- Add relevant photos that grab your customers’ attention and build their trust
- For instance, take photos of your HVAC units, and your location. You can showcase the different storage rooms for various equipment
- You can also take a short video of yourself installing an air conditioner.
Use the Q&A section to actively interact with your prospects
- Provide them with detailed answers to their queries
- Build a positive relationship that can potentially lead to increased sales
- Customers are more likely to trust you when you engage with them on a personal level.
Post up offers, promotions, and discounts on your services or products
- This will act as an incentive for your clients which can potentially increase conversion rates
- For example, if you offer discounts for your roofing services a client is more likely to choose you than your counterpart whose charges are higher than yours.
- You can also post new products or services to increase awareness and promote sales
- Post up information on activities or events like charity causes that your business is supporting.
Acquire customer reviews
- Positive reviews create a good reputation for your brand
- Reviews will make your plumbing business more trustworthy and authoritative
- A customer who wants to purchase an air conditioner from you will most probably check its ratings and reviews first before making a purchase
- You can use email, messages or even ask a client to directly review your service or product
- Don’t just acquire reviews, also respond to them. This will show that you value your customers’ feedback.
- Customer reviews will help you identify your weaknesses and make improvements to enhance customer satisfaction.
Include the relevant keywords in your listing
- Conduct keyword research to help you determine which keywords you can rank for
- Try using tools like Keyword Planner to get an idea of important keywords and phrases
- You can also analyze your competitors’ keywords and modify them to rank better
- Incorporate the keywords into your business description in a natural way to avoid keyword stuffing which could cause low rankings.
- You can always hire expert article writers to optimize your keywords.
Update your business information regularly
- Make certain that your Name, Address, and Phone number are consistent on all platforms
- Post your actual business name without adding extra keywords
- Let the information be accurate and up to date. For instance, if you change your phone number, ensure that you update the new one on all platforms.
- This will help any clients lost due to inconsistent or incorrect information
- For instance, if your carpentry shop is temporarily closed for renovation, make sure you update that information. A customer might visit your store to get their sofa repaired and find you closed. You will end up losing them to your competitors
Include Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Post the most commonly asked questions
- Provide informative answers as there could be a potential client in need of that information.
- Providing clients with the solution to their problems could increase conversion rates.
Optimizing your Google My Business listing involves more than just creating a profile. A lot of effort goes into polishing your business listing to draw local customers and maintain them. Posting catchy photos, interacting with your prospects and consistent business information are all part of a great Local SEO strategy.