Google My Business (GMB) is your lifeline when it comes to Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization). When it comes to local SEO, it should be your first step, no kidding.
In our experience, it’s directly linked to how you rank on Google Maps.
Setting up your GMB profile is a must for any company looking to be listed online. How else will your local clients find you if you’re not listed? Word of mouth will only get you so far.
The Actual Statistics
86% of people? That’s just the traffic. Just ranking can give you 50% more exposure to potential clients. How you choose to stand out with your business’s branding is up to you, but facts are facts. This is straight from the horse’s mouth.
“Almost 40% of all of our contractor clients like plumbers, electricians, demolition contractors, and excavation contractors traffic come from their Google Maps listing. It is very important that our client’s GMB profile is update to date and consistently getting new reviews” – Chrispien Mancino at Blue Sky Advertisement
If for some reason you don’t use GMB, you’ll be cutting yourself off in more ways than one. GMB isn’t hard to set up. If you’ve ever waited in line at the BMV, I can promise you it’s nowhere near as difficult as you might think. It’s basically filling out a form, waiting, maybe filling out a little more, and it can bring in up to 500% more clients (compared to word of mouth).
Utilizing Google My Business Insights for Growth
The GMB tool, especially the Insights feature, tells you how many users come from different sources. This tool is crucial for helping you adjust your approach to GMB. Once you’ve handled that, customers will find you, instead of you always having to find them.
Use the Insights feature to see how people interact with your listing. Are they clicking on your website? Calling you? Requesting directions? Use this info to fine-tune your strategy or use these 5 tips to help you get more leads. If you’re getting a lot of calls, make sure someone is always available to answer.
Insights gives traffic data for the last 28 days, but that doesn’t mean you should change everything on day 29. It means you can evaluate how you’re ranking and use that information to plan your next steps. Otherwise, you might keep moving the goalpost farther than necessary.
As of 2024, you can not use the call tracking function which is a bummer, but you can use things like call rails to keep track of all your business calls.
How to Use Your GMB Profile for Local SEO
Using your GMB profile could be as easy as 1, 2, 3, but a lot of local contractor companies still till this day get this wrong in some shape or form.
Google maps is your main source of traffic, and the main use of GMB is to bring in more leads to your company.
Optimizing Your Google My Business (GMB)
Keeping your GMB profile up to date and regularly updating it should be one of your main focuses as a local company. As stated previously, 40% of your traffic on average is going to come from your Google Maps listing.
- Business name
- Business category
- Description
- Contact Information (NAP) name, address, and phone number
- Website
- Social profiles
- Locations served
- Business hours
- All products (can be listed and directed to your service pages)
- All services your business provides
Gaining Position With Local Citations
Local citations and directories include platforms like Yelp, Angie’s List, and local news websites. Listing your business across these sites helps build trust with Google’s algorithm, which can improve your website’s ranking.
The more your business is listed, the better Google will rank it.
Ensure your NAP (name, address, and phone number) is the same on every citation or directory listing to maintain consistency.
Click here to learn more about citations and backlinks.
The Importance of Reviews
The number of reviews on your Google My Business (GMB) profile plays a key role in outranking competitors once your profile is fully optimized.
If you’re asking, “How many reviews do I need to rank higher?” At Blue Sky Advertisement, we follow this approach: we take the total number of reviews from the top 3 ranking businesses, divide that by 3, and use that as the target number of reviews our clients need to aim for.
Avoiding Common Mistakes on Google My Business
One of the biggest mistakes is inconsistency with your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number). Without consistency, people get confused, and forms might end up going to the wrong location.
Worst-case scenario, I’ve seen customers from two states over trying to reach a business. It was sweet how it played out, but a poorly managed NAP can leave you in areas you don’t even serve.
Role of GMB in Your Local SEO Game
Boosting local search rankings is critical. Google looks at your GMB activity when deciding where to rank you in local searches. The more relevant and active your profile is, the better your chances of climbing the ranks.
Don’t let GMB stand alone. Tie it into your social media, email newsletters, and even your physical marketing materials. Got a special promotion? Share it everywhere, including a Google Post on your GMB profile. Consistency is key, so make sure your branding is uniform across all platforms so people recognize you instantly.
Integrating GMB with Other Marketing Channels
GMB by itself won’t cover all your bases. You need to branch out to other marketing campaigns and channels to reach a wider audience.
Social media synergy is crucial. Share your GMB posts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or wherever your audience hangs out. Consistent branding across platforms makes you more recognizable.
Paid advertising complements GMB at times. Running Google Ads? Use location extensions to showcase your GMB info right in the ad. It’s all about making it easy for customers to find you.
To achieve the perfect traffic volume, you’ll need to put in some work to bring customers in. Otherwise, you’ll attract traffic that doesn’t really know better. They still bring business, but if you leave something out of line with their expectations, they’ll be the first to tell your GMB profile how you let them down.
And let’s be honest, that’s the game, right? But if you put in a bit more work, keep your GMB shiny, and maintain high ratings, you’ll bring in more organic traffic.
Your Google Maps rating has a direct impact on the algorithm when compared to similar industries nearby. A low rating puts you in a bracket that doesn’t get chosen nearly as much as it should.
