Back in the day getting targeted visitors to your business for free was not heard of. These days thanks to advanced tools like Google My Business. it has become a complete no-brainer to have a GMB profile. Just creating a GMB listing won’t be enough. That is why we wrote this article that gives you the complete Google My Business checklist.
Even though many businesses use this tool, not many are actually leveraging its true potential. Most Google My Business profiles are poorly set up and lack basic information. If optimized properly, your GMB listings can really set you miles ahead of similar local businesses.
Here you can see a list of local businesses that are showing up for the search term “car accessories in London”. You can create your own GMB profile, optimize it and rank on the first page just like these businesses are.
Why Is Optimizing Google My Business Important?
With an optimized Google My Business profile, you can reach more people and increase your local visibility in less time, all for free!
Now let’s talk about optimization. Here are some essential Google My Business optimizations.
7 Essential Google My Business Optimizations
Your Business Name
Some people might tell you to add keywords to your GMB name. But make sure not to do that. Google has released many updates and now adding a keyword doesn’t matter. What you should focus on instead is making everything clear and particular.
Make sure that your GMB name is the same as the one your on-site business has. There is no need to do keyword stuffing in this section.
Business Category
Choosing the right category is an essential part of optimizing your GMB profile. This will help Google identify what your services are about.
Selecting the right category will also boost your visibility in the discover searches – if someone searches for a particular service, similar to what you offer. Your business will also be recommended to that viewer.
After selecting your category, you can also add some special features such as a book now button. For example, Hotels can add a reservation button or restaurants can showcase their menu.
The secondary category isn’t the most important, but it does hold some weight. So adding your secondary category is also a good idea.
Business Contact
Adding contact information the right way is also crucial. This is one of the most important parts of optimizing your Google My Business profile.
As highlighted before, your name should be exactly the same as the name you use on your shop or building. Your address and contact information should be accurate. Make sure that your address is consistently used if you have mentioned it on any other web page. Even the slightest details of your address matter. So make sure to double-check it.
Business Description
Adding a description to your Google Business profile is also important. It’s not rocket science. Just briefly describe what your business is about and what you offer. You can add a keyword as well. Here’s what Google recommends about what should be in the description.
Customer Reviews
These days majority of the people read reviews and do some research before purchasing something from a business.
If you look at the screenshot attached above, you can see the reviews under each business name. You can ask your customers to leave feedback and most of the time, they love to. Having good reviews will make your business stand out a little and make you more credible in your niche.
Your Services
Many businesses overlook this part. Adding services is also really important for optimizing your GMB profile.
Add everything your business has to offer. Google also automatically adds some services by scanning your website. You can approve or disapprove the ones that we e auto-added.
Operating Hours & Date
Adding the actual hours of service and open-on date is important. Some businesses tend to provide false information such as 24/7, where in reality the business only operates 9-5. Now Google lets other businesses report false information. So incorrect working hours can actually affect your rankings.
Weekly Posts
You can use the post feature to update your customers every time you host a new event, launch something new or offer a promotion, etc. Most experts recommend doing weekly posts to keep people engaged.