Getting the Most From Your Google Business Listing
What is a Google Business Listing and how do I Create one
Google Business listings are a free way to list your business on Google Maps and Google Search. When customers search for businesses in their area, your business will come up in the results. Creating a listing is easy and only takes a few minutes. Here’s how to do it.
1. Go to https://www.google.com/business/ and click “Start now.”
2. Enter your business name and address. If your business doesn’t have a physical location, you can enter a service area instead.
3. Choose a category for your business. For example, “Restaurant,” “Plumber,” or “Dry Cleaner.” You can also add multiple categories if they apply to your business.
4. Add your business hours, business website, and contact information and don’t forget your business phone number.
5. Choose how you want customers to find you on Google Maps and Search. You can either verify your listing with a postcard or by phone.
6. Once you’ve verified your listing, you can start adding photos, videos, and other information about your business.
All of these steps will help your business to appear in local searches.
Why is a Google Business Listing Important for my Business
There are several reasons why claiming your business page and getting your business listed on Google is important for businesses in the UK.
First, it helps you appear in local search results. When someone searches for something like “plumber in London” or “best Italian restaurants in Manchester,” Google will pull up local businesses that match those keywords and display them along with a map. If you have claimed and verified your business on My Business, there’s a good chance you’ll appear in these results—giving you valuable exposure to potential customers who are already interested in what you have to offer.
Second, it allows you to control what information appears about your business on Google search. When you claim your Google business profile, you can add contact details, photos, update your hours of operation, your physical location, respond to customer reviews, and much more. This allows you to put your best foot forward and ensure that potential customers have accurate and up-to-date information about your business before they even step foot through your door.
Finally, appearing in local search and having control over the information about your business that appears on Google can help boost your SEO efforts. Search engine optimization (SEO) is all about making sure your website appears as high as possible in search engine results pages (SERPs). And since appearing in local search results is one of the main ranking factors for SEO these days—not to mention the fact that having an accurate and complete My Business listing can also help—claiming your business on My Business and getting listed on Google should be at the top of your SEO to-do list.
As a business owner in the UK, it’s important to claim and verify your business on My Business so you can get listed on Google—and there are plenty of good reasons why. From helping you appear in local search results to giving you control over what information appears about your business on Google, having a listing can do wonders for boosting both your visibility and your SEO efforts. So what are you waiting for? Get started today!
Making the Most of Your Google Business Listing
1. Add Photos and Videos
One of the best ways to make your listing stand out is to add photos and videos. People love visuals, so adding high-quality photos and videos of your products or services will help attract attention to your listing. You can also use photos and videos to show off your company culture and give potential customers a behind-the-scenes look at your business.
2. Use Keywords Strategically
When you’re creating your listing, be sure to use keywords that potential customers are likely to use when searching for businesses like yours. These keywords should be used throughout your listing, including in the title, description, and even in the photos and videos you upload. By using relevant keywords, you’ll increase the chances that your listing will show up when people are searching for businesses like yours.
3. Ask for Reviews
Reviews are important because they help build trust with potential customers. If someone is looking at your business listing and sees that you have positive reviews from happy customers, they’re more likely to do business with you than if they see no reviews at all. So don’t be afraid to ask your customers to leave a review on your Google business listing. Just be sure to respond to any negative reviews as well, so potential customers see that you’re committed to providing a great customer experience.
4 Common Google Business Listing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Here, we’ll run through four common mistakes people make with their Google business listings and how to avoid them.
Not Optimising Your Listing for Search
One of the most common mistakes businesses make is not optimising their listing for search. Just like you optimise your website for SEO, you need to make sure your Google business listing is optimised so it appears as high up in the search results as possible.
There are a few key things you can do to optimise your listing. First, make sure you choose the right category for your business. You can select up to five categories, so take advantage of that and be as specific as possible. For example, if you’re a plumber, you might want to include categories like “plumbing” and “emergency plumbing.”
You should also add relevant keywords to your business description. Again, be as specific as possible—don’t stuff your description with keywords or try to trick the system, as this will only hurt your ranking in the long run. Finally, add some high-quality photos of your business (more on that below) and encourage customers to leave reviews.
Not Claiming Your Listing
If you haven’t claimed your listing yet, now’s the time! Claiming your listing gives you control over the information that appears on it and allows you to respond to customer reviews—two very important factors when it comes to ranking high in search results.
To claim your listing, simply go to Google My Business and search for your business name. If it comes up, click on it and then click on “Own this business?” on the right-hand side of the screen. From there, just follow the prompts to verify your business. Once you’ve claimed your listing, take some time to update any incorrect information and fill in any missing details.
Using Poor Quality Photos
As we mentioned above, one of the things you can do to optimise your Google business listing is add high-quality photos of your business. These days, potential customers expect businesses to have photos—83% say they’re essential when looking for local businesses online—so don’t skimp on this step!
When adding photos to your listing, make sure they’re high quality and showcase different aspects of your business. For example, if you own a restaurant, you might want to include photos of both the exterior and interior of the building, as well as some shots of popular menu items. You should also include a mix of professional photos and user-generated content (like customer reviews with accompanying photos).
Ignoring Customer Reviews
Finally, one mistake many businesses make is ignoring customer reviews—which is a huge mistake! Not only do customer reviews impact your ranking in search results (Google takes into account both positive and negative reviews when determining where to place listings), but they also give potential customers valuable insights into what it’s actually like doing business with you.
So what can you do about negative reviews? First of all, don’t delete them! This will only make potential customers suspicious. Instead, take the time to respond thoughtfully and professionally—even if the customer is being rude or unreasonable. Remember: how you handle negative reviews speaks volumes about your level of customer service!
There are a lot of factors that go into creating a successful Google business listing—and unfortunately, it’s easy to make mistakes along the way. In this blog post, we ran through four common mistakes people make with their listings and how to avoid them. By taking care with these details, you can ensure that potential customers find all the information they need about your business—and that they see it in a positive light!
How to Optimise Your Google Business Listing for SEO
Our tips on how to optimise your GMB listing for better visibility in search results.
1. Optimise Your Business Name
Your business name should be reflective of your brand identity and include relevant keywords for your business. For example, if you’re a plumber, you might want to include your location in your business name (e.g. “Joe’s Plumbing – London”).
2. Create a Detailed Description
Your GMB description is an opportunity to tell potential customers more about your business and what you do. Be sure to include relevant keyword phrases here as well, but don’t stuff your description with too many keywords or else it will sound unnatural. Instead, focus on writing a description that’s informative and engaging.
3. Choose the Right Category
Picking the most relevant category for your business is crucial for local SEO purposes. If you’re unsure of which category to choose, you can use Google’s “suggest a different category” feature to suggest a more appropriate one.
4. Add Photos and Videos
Adding photos and videos to your GMB listing can help it stand out from the competition and give potential customers a better sense of what your business is all about. Be sure to add high-quality photos that are relevant to your business (e.g., photos of your products, staff, store front, etc.). You can also add videos up to 100MB in size.
5. Encourage Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are an important part of local SEO as they help show potential customers that your business is reputable and trustworthy. You can encourage customers to leave reviews by sending follow-up emails after they’ve made a purchase or by adding signage in your store asking them to rate their experience on Google. Just be sure not to offer any incentives in exchange for positive reviews as this violates Google’s guidelines.
By following the tips outlined above, you can start optimising your GMB listing for better visibility in search results—which can ultimately lead to more traffic and sales for your business. Keep in mind that SEO is an ongoing process, so be sure to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and changes so you can continue achieving strong results over time.
Hopefully this blog has given you some useful guidance on why you should claim your Google Business Listing and what to do with it to make sure your business profile performs well for you.
