It’s extremely important for local businesses to take advantage of online tools and platforms to enhance their online visibility and reach customers where they are spending most of their time.
One such platform that businesses of all sizes should be utilising is Google Business. With millions of active users every month, a Google Business Profile offers businesses an unparalleled opportunity to connect with potential customers in their local area. But simply having a listing isn’t enough.
In order to truly reap the benefits of this powerful platform, businesses must keep their listing up-to-date and actively manage their presence.
In this article, I’ll explore how regularly updating your Google Business listing can improve your local visibility, and ultimately lead to more foot traffic, phone calls, and website visits.
I’ll discuss the key elements of a strong listing, including accurate business information, customer reviews, and photos, and explain how each of these components can contribute to your business’s success.
So let’s get started!
Ensure that your business information is accurate and up-to-date
Having accurate and up-to-date business information is crucial for improving local visibility. One of the most important platforms for this is Google Maps. Your Google Maps listing (Google Business Profile) is often one of the first things potential customers see when they search for a business or service like yours. Ensuring that your business information is accurate and up-to-date on this platform is therefore vitally important.
This information includes your business name, address, phone number, website URL, hours of operation, and any other relevant information related to your business. By regularly updating your Google Maps listing, you can keep your customers informed about any changes to your business and improve their experience with your brand.
Include additional details about your business
In addition to the basic information, such as the name, address, and phone number of your business, it’s also important to include additional details that will help potential customers understand what you offer.
This can include a description of your business and the products or services you offer. By providing comprehensive information, you can make it easier for people to find and learn more about your business on Google Maps.
This will not only improve your visibility but also increase the likelihood of them choosing you over your competitors. By keeping your Google Maps listing up to date, you can establish trust with potential customers and improve your chances of converting them into loyal customers.
Use high-quality photos to showcase your business
One of the most essential elements of improving your local visibility through Google Maps is ensuring that your business photos are high-quality and relevant to your business.
People are visual beings, and they are more likely to engage with your business if your photos reflect the actual products, services, and ambience of your establishment. High-quality photos can make your business stand out in Google Maps, especially when competing against similar businesses in the area. When updating your Google Maps listing, take the time to upload clear, high-resolution photos that accurately depict your business.
Avoid using stock images or low-quality pictures that might misrepresent your business, as these can deter potential customers from engaging with your business. With high-quality and relevant photos, you increase the chances of attracting new customers and retaining existing customers, which ultimately contributes to improving your local visibility.
Use reviews to draw attention to your business
Using reviews is a highly effective strategy to draw attention to your business on Google Maps. Positive reviews and high ratings from satisfied customers can help build a positive reputation for your business, attract new customers, and improve your local visibility.
By monitoring and responding frequently to reviews, you can also engage with your customers and gather valuable feedback to improve your business operations.
Implement targeted advertising through your listing
One effective way to improve your local visibility on Google Maps is to implement targeted advertising through your listing. This feature is called AdWords Express and it allows you to target specific customers who are searching for businesses like yours.
By using AdWords Express to promote your Google Maps listing, you can reach potential customers who are already interested in your products or services. AdWords Express provides you with options to set a monthly budget, select keywords, and choose ad locations to help optimise your advertising campaign.
With AdWords Express, you can create an ad in minutes, and your listing will be displayed prominently on Google Maps and Google Search results. This can significantly improve your chances of being found by potential customers and ultimately help drive more foot traffic to your business.
Utilise Your Google Business Profile dashboard to track your business and engagement
With this tool, you can track insightful analytics about how your customers are engaging with your business in the map results.
In addition, you can use the dashboard to respond to customer reviews, post updates about your products or services, and showcase photos of your business.
Monitor your analytics to identify opportunities for improvement
Monitoring your analytics is a critical component of improving your local visibility through a regularly updated Google Maps listing. By analysing data such as search queries, views, and actions like clicks and calls, you can identify opportunities for improvement and make informed decisions about how to optimise your listing.
Google Posts
By posting regular updates, you can not only keep your customers informed about your latest products and services but also attract new customers who are searching for businesses like yours online.
Apart from enhancing your customers’ experience, regularly posting updates to your Google Business Profile can also improve your visibility on Google search results. Google rewards businesses that keep their profiles updated with fresh content, which can result in higher rankings and more visibility for your business.
To conclude, having a regularly updated Google Maps listing can significantly improve your local visibility. By providing accurate and up-to-date information about your business, Google will recognise your business as a trusted and relevant source of information for potential customers in your area. This, in turn, can lead to increased website traffic, foot traffic, and ultimately, revenue.
Taking the time to ensure that your Google Maps listing is always current and informative is a small investment that can yield significant returns for your business.
Article by Danny Smith | Virtualeap