Are you looking to get ahead of your competitors in 2021? If so, optimizing your Google My Business (GMB) profile is a great place to start. GMB is no longer optional, it's an essential part of any company's online presence and often the first place customers search for up-to-date information about your business. Experienced SEO professionals use GMB to optimize location-based strategies and Google My Business offers owners the tools to update, correct and add information to their business listing on Google. Did you know that 84% of GMB profile views come from discovery searches, compared to just 16% from direct searches? By choosing a category, Google provides you with specific features for each category, which makes your profile more effective and attractive.
For example, a hotel profile will often show star ratings, while a restaurant may display a booking or menu button. When choosing a category, be specific but don't overdo it. Including photos in your profile also increases engagement. According to Google, visitors are 42% more likely to search for directions to a business on Google if they see photos in their business account.
For best results, consider adding at least one new image every week. Photos are the safest way to make your account shine. On a page full of black text on a white background, images attract attention and attract the attention of viewers. To verify your business location, you will need to receive a postcard from Google with a 5-digit code. It will take up to 15 days for the postcard to arrive at the address indicated.
In addition, after receiving the postcard, log in to your account, select “Verify location” and enter the 5-digit code mentioned on the postcard. When optimizing the description, use all 750 characters and include important information in the first 250 characters. Avoid repeating details that are already mentioned in other sections of your ad. Use this section to talk about what makes you stand out from your rivals and what consumers like about your business. Do not include any links or HTML in the description. You may have selected the wrong category if you think your company meets the requirements for one of these attributes, but you don't see them.
You can select up to 10 categories, so use it. This feature gives users the ability to send a text message to their contact number directly from their GMB listing. Therefore, messaging offers users a great opportunity to get in touch with your business. Whenever you need to adjust your business hours, always make sure that your GMB profile reflects the schedule changes. Nowadays, a company that does not use GMB is like a company a few decades ago that decided to have an unlisted phone number. Google's Knowledge Graph also uses verified GMB information to generate details for its database about local businesses and other partner entities relevant to user searches.
Google Maps (both the app version and the web version for desktop and mobile) is intended to help address seekers, as well as discover businesses and locations. Keep in mind that your company's category determines the attributes available for your company profile. If, at that time, you have not been granted access or are denied access, you can verify your affiliation with the company to gain access. As Google says: “The product editor allows merchants to create a presence on mobile devices and on the computer to showcase their products and drive interactions with consumers”.Publications from companies that deal in regulated goods and services may use publications, but they cannot publish content related to the products themselves. While before business hours it was relatively stable and predictable, today this is not always the case, given that public health orders are changing so rapidly. In the words of Google: “Local results prefer the most appropriate results for each search, and listings with up-to-date and accurate details are easier to combine with the right searches”.Optimizing your Google My Business profile is essential for any business looking to get ahead of their competitors in 2021. By choosing an appropriate category and including photos in your profile you can increase engagement with potential customers. To verify your business location you will need to receive a postcard from Google with a 5-digit code.
When optimizing the description use all 750 characters and include important information in the first 250 characters. Keep in mind that your company's category determines the attributes available for your profile.
