If you’re looking for ways to gain more customers and grow your business, listing your business with a free Google listing should be one of the first places to start. Listing your business on Google is one of the quickest and easiest ways to increase the visibility of your business online and make it easier for people to find you.
Google My Business is a local business listing service, which gives all businesses, large and small, and of any sector, the chance to create a prominent listing on the world’s biggest search engine.
Listing your business on Google My Business means that when people search for your type of business on Google Search and Maps, you will be found, helping you attract new customers.
Importance of local search
Research shows that local searches are vital to businesses, with a staggering 46 per cent of all searches made on Google being for local services. Whether you run a hair salon in a rural community, a shoe shop in a large city, a solicitors on a high street, or any type of business with a local presence, a strong local SEO strategy is vital in enabling customers to find you and driving more people through your doors.
By listing on Google My Business, you will reach out to those customers looking for businesses like yours in your local area.
Though Google My Business provides much more than simply being listed on Google. You can use the portal to reach out to your followers and give people searching for your business a reason to keep returning to your listing, by regularly posting updates and offers directly to your entry.
If your website has an appointment booking feature, you can include that URL on your Google listing, meaning customers will be directly linked to your appointment page.
You can also connect your Google Business listing to your Facebook account and publish any praiseworthy reviews and testimonials to your Facebook followers.
You can also read reviews from your customers on Google My Business and respond accordingly to the reviews your business receives.
Add photos to your listing to receive more customer traction
According to Google, businesses that add photos to their listings, receive 42 per cent more requests for driving directions on Google Maps and 35 per cent more clickthroughs to websites, compared to businesses that don’t add photos.
As well as adding images, you should make it as easy as possible for your customers to find you by having accurate business information on your Google listing, including opening hours, the description of your business, your services, phone number and address.
Google My Business is available as a desktop feature as well as a mobile app. The mobile app allows you to edit and manage your business information on Google and respond to reviews and comments quickly, even when you are on the move.