Long gone are the days of listing businesses in phone books and printed directories. Not only did it save us from cutting down trees to make an infinite amount of paper, but also helped us to rethink our modes of interaction with customers. Modern digital tools have enabled us to minimize our effort and get more work done at the same time. Over the past decade, the scope of digitalization has taken over everyone and everything. From small shops to large corporate businesses, everything has switched to online channels of operation. If we go back a few years, it was nice to have your business listed on the online directories. However, in the present times, it’s definitely a must-have. Whether you run a small business or a fully-operative company, the need for having your business presence online is inevitable.
Google has helped millions of businesses around the world to establish, maintain, and grow their online presence by applying less effort. One of the key contributions made by Google to help businesses grow is Google My Business (GMB). Now known as Google Business Profile, this amazing internet marketing tool helps you step into the digital world without having technical knowledge. With the help of Google My Business SEO, you can attract and engage your targeted customers to your business website as well as a physical office location. If you are wondering how does it work, we have got you covered with all the details you need to know.
What is Google My Business (GMB)
To put it simply, Google My Business (GMB) is a digital phonebook. Everything you used to look up in a phonebook back in the days is now available in a virtual form. However, unlike a typical phonebook, Google My Business can do a lot more for your business. Not only does it make your business easier to find online, but also helps you to reach out to your potential customers. With smart devices taking over the world, it has become a lot easier to find information about anything in a matter of a few seconds. Using the ideology of search engines, Google My Business enables customers around the world to find nearby businesses that would otherwise be hard for them to find.
It is worth mentioning that Google My Business is a free tool. You can use it to list your business alongside other related local businesses. Whenever someone searches for the products or services you offer, your business profile can appear (based on relevant keyword search) among the top listings on Google. Your GMB profile can include and display information like your phone number, business website, address, reviews and ratings, hours of operation, images, and any other important detail that you want to display. Moreover, online users can simply click on the location tag on your business profile to find directions to your office.
Why Is Google My Business Important?
There are many reasons why having a Google business profile is important for your business. To start with, it is the door that leads you to the digital world. Everything, that is online, has a rapidly changing behavior. Whether you have a simple website, an eCommerce website, or a social media profile, you need to keep it up-to-date with the latest information to stay relevant in the competitive market. With the help of local SEO services in your area, you can not only create your GMB profile but also use it to engage more customers in less time. To help you understand the importance of Google My Business listings, consider the following interesting facts.
- About 97% of people tend to look up a local company online than any other means.
- 91% of adults use search engines to find the information they are looking for.
- Google has over 90% market share for search engine services.
- As per Google, 46% of all the searches show a local intent.
- 64% of consumers tend to use GMB to find business contact details.
- 16% of businesses receive more than 10 calls monthly with the help of a GMB profile.
These are some of the many facts that prove why Google My Business SEO is important for your business in the present market scenario.
Benefits of Google My Business (GMB)
For even a better understanding, we have listed some of the key benefits of having your company listed on Google My Business. Let’s have a look!
Boost Sales With Google Maps Integration
With the help of a GMB profile, you can not only target a bigger number of customers but also achieve it. The majority of online users looking for nearby businesses most likely have an intent to make a purchase. If your business appears in the searches and has all the important information that your customers need, your chances of making more conversions increase. About 86% of people use Google Maps to locate nearby businesses. With the help of local SEO services, you can easily target your customers that may fail to find your business otherwise.
Be a Part of Google’s 3-pack
Have you ever wondered how local search results show a separate box of nearby businesses above the organic results? All thanks to Google My Business which allows you to boost your listings ranking and be a part of Google’s 3-pack. The 3-pack shows nearby businesses (best optimized for local searches) with pin location on Google Maps. Moreover, the 3-pack greatly increases the chances of customer engagement as compared to those listed below on the list. To understand how important it can be for your business to appear in the local 3-pack, consider this: Businesses that show up on Google’s 3-pack get a 700% boost in clicks compared to the brands that are not included in it.
Building Trust With Customers
The GMB profile can help you elevate the trust of your customers. With a large majority of businesses switching to eCommerce websites, a lot of customers have shown concerns about the credibility of businesses over the internet. However, if your business is listed on Google, your prospects have a much greater chance to develop trust in making purchases from you. This is because of the legitimate policies of Google. Businesses have to go through specific steps of verification before creating their GMB profile. This is also a tip for small businesses struggling to find customers online. If your business is legitimate and you want to get the maximum customer response, you need to have your business listed on Google.
Positive Ratings Get More Customers
Trying out the products or services of any business for the first time can take a lot of thinking. The most common way to make this decision is by looking for reviews. All thanks to Google’s transparent ways of validating a business’s credibility. You can find customer ratings and reviews listed on the GMB profile to help you make the right decision. Did you know that about 90% of online users read customer reviews before making a purchase? Whenever a customer makes a purchase from your business, he or she might leave a rating (1-5 stars) and a review on your GMB profile. It is important to take these reviews seriously because if you get negative reviews, you may end up losing your potential prospects. On the other hand, with positive reviews and a 5-star rating on your business profile, you may witness exponential growth over the months.
Increase Your Web Traffic
With the help of Google My Business SEO, you can play two cards at once: Getting more in-door visitors and getting more website traffic. This is one of the key reasons why GMB maximizes the potential of your business effectively. Just by having your GMB profile, there are 70% chances to attract customers for in-door visits. Moreover, there are clear possibilities of 35% more website clicks contributing to the overall traffic of your business website. This way, you can play two vitally important cards in the favor of your business at once.
Valuable Customer Insights
The key to success for any business is knowing what the customers are looking for. If you can offer exactly what they need, not only do you make sales but also win their trust. Your Google My Business profile can help you keep a track of your customer’s behavior and preferences. The insights section of your business account can give you valuable analytical details that you can use to optimize your business. With key indicators including how visible your brand is, who your target customers are, and how they are engaging with your brand, you can map out an improvised strategy to ensure better engagement.
The above-mentioned details and benefits of Google My Business (GMB) can help you get started with the creation process of your business profile. It is important to know that you may need to seek the services of an internet marketing company in your area to help you set up your business profile in the right way. You can also lookup on Google to find local SEO services near you.