Why you should optimise your Google My Business profile

When most of the UK has moved to online shopping to get what they need during the lockdown, the first place many customers will turn to is a search engine, primarily Google. According to Statisica (2021)

‘Google had the highest market share by far with 85.7 per cent of the desktop, tablet and console search engine market in the UK’.

Google your business in any city, and you’ll find plenty of local companies listing themselves there. It is not surprising to see these businesses at the top positions of Google searches, as they are genuine addresses and have been around for a while. But what you may not know is that they have also invested heavily in completing and optimising their Google my Business Profile regularly. If your business isn’t near the top of these searches, it means that you may be missing out on a big chunk of potential leads. A Google My Business optimised profile will help you do just that. But what is Google My Business?

Why Google My Business is important

As more of the world rely heavily on Google to find answers to their questions, local business services they can utilise, and products they can purchase cost-effectively, it makes sense that your business should have strong visibility on the search engine. Not only does this support your to engage with customers on google for free, but you can also boost your traffic and sales as well as boost your local ranking, mainly if your reviews are positive.

With a Google Business account, you can track and view your Google my Business insights through the dashboard, making it painless for your business to formulate a marketing strategy based on your findings.

What are the benefits of having a Google My Business profile

There are many benefits that come from creating a Google My Business profile.

  • Increase local visibility – The easiest way to get to page one of Google
  • Easy for customers to call you and visit your website using Call to Action buttons
  • Showcases trust using customer reviews
  • Shares the latest business info using photos and links to your website’s blog content
  • Cost-effective compared to other online marketing options like Google Ads.

Why consider using YostratO to manage your Google My Business listing?

Speaking to an agency about optimising your Google My Business Profile is has benefits. You can gain critical insights that will help you improve traffic to your website and understand which keywords best describe your business.

Cost-effective

Whilst the Google My Business service is free, it can cost a company in person hours to set up, complete and run effectively every month. This means taking someone away from other tasks to ensure that your profile is always updated. Having an agency like YostratO manage this aspect for you means you can get on with your business’s day-to-day running.

Time-saving

As with cost-effectiveness, freeing an employee up to run the Google My Business profile isn’t always that easy, and often elements like GMB can be left on the back burner until someone has ‘time’ to concentrate on it. By employing an agency to complete this on your behalf, you will save a lot of time that can be put to better use in other business areas.

Experience

To get your GMB profile completed and fully optimised, you should think about enlisting the services of an experienced person who will set up the profile, manage it and ensure it is updated regularly to get the most productive use out of it. An experienced agency will be able to support you with this, making sure your GMB profile is always at the top of its game.

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What to remember when optimising your profile

1: Google reviews

The focal point of a successful Google My Business Page is the reviews. Reviews from your customers and your business listing can often have a greater level of trust and authority than any promotional content you will create.

By creating your business listing and promoting your business reviews, you can support google AI by showing that your business is reputable – this is very important when reaching your visitors and turning leads into sales.

2: Full profile 

Ensuring your online profile is fully completed to include Business hours and your business type will also help Google push your business locally, meaning you are more likely to appear when an end-user completes a google search for a product or service that your business can supply.

Getting found online is tough, sometimes impossible. To get found on Google, you need to have a well optimised Google My Business (GMB) page with your business information and location data completed accurately and verified as well.

Fundamental basics you should always complete before publishing your profile are:

  • Opening Hours
  • Directions and business location – you can even plot your site using google map, making your page more accessible.
  • Contact details, including a phone number and your business address

Ensure you have a ‘call to action button’ throughout your online profile, supporting customers into a conversion funnel and ensuring it is as easy as possible for them to make contact with you. This could be as simple as a booking button or a contact for more information button.

3: Photos

Adding photos to your GMB profile is a great way of attracting customers to your business. It offers the customer a feel for your premises, shop and the products or services you work with. Ultimately, a good photo will make you seem more real to your customers, even when they are browsing online. Having regularly updated photos will also trigger the AI on Google to pay more attention to your site and profile.

4: Special offers

We all know that a special offer for a customer goes a long way to converting leads to sales. If a customer has an incentive, such as a special offer or discount code, to shop with you rather than a competitor, this will drive traffic to your site, and your GMB profile will help with this.

5: Links to blog posts

Having an active blog space to let others see your expertise in the industry is a great way of showcasing your business and services. Industry-related posting, including advice, tips, and guidance, is becoming ever more popular for customers looking for more information before enlisting a company’s assistance. Linking your GMB profile to your website blog will help ensure that fresh content gets viewed, and the GMB Artificial Intelligence picks up your activity and promotes your pages.

How you can reach your visitors

Google has developed a user-friendly way to make your business stand out, and your google my business profile allows you to reach new potential customers through online searches. By optimising your business page, you can maximise the number of direct inquiries that you receive.

Unless they have been referred personally, prospective customers will often start their journey to you by using search engines. With direct searches being less common, customers will often resort to utilising keywords within their search terms. Suppose you have been practically using keywords. In that case, Google, with the use of AI, will support in boosting your online presence, meaning when a customer types in a keyword, your business has a greater likelihood of appearing on the page.

Why you should use YostratO to maximise your GMB profile potential

Started in 2016 from an office at home, YostratO has quickly become a leading expert in website and all things online. Based locally in Aylesbury, YostratO has been helping various clients, from those just beginning to those who have been creating an online presence for many years; YostratO prides itself on supporting clients to achieve the best results from their website and online platforms. Whether you require SEO services to boost your presence, a new website to promote your products and services, or support your Google My Business listing, YostratO is the only choice you need to make when growing your business. Get in contact with the team today to discuss your requirements; you won’t be disappointed.