Billions of people every day use Google to search for a variety of information. And there are tools that can help you appear among the first results of those searches. In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at the benefits of a Google My Business Listing.
What is Google My Business Listing?
For quick familiarization with those who are not familiar with this service, Google My Business (or GMB) is a free online service designed to promote local businesses on the Internet. This is a tool that allows business owners to control how they look on Google and to highlight their business.
Benefits of a Google My Business Listing
Thanks to modern technology, it’s faster and easier to promote your product or service. Creating, verifying, and properly optimizing your Google My Business account is an invaluable opportunity, so you should take full advantage of this feature.
1. GMB allows you to appear on maps and Local Pack listings
Pay attention to the clearly visible map and list of company names that appear at the top of the page when searching for places on Google? This is called the Local Pack, and there are two reasons why you should pay attention to it.
1. It is very noticeable
The Local Pack takes a huge place on the first page of Google search results, and this is the first thing that any Google user will see after entering their query.
2. It allows users to see the necessary information at a glance
The Local Pack is a search engine results page (SERP) that displays places related to your search. It also includes a bunch of other relevant information that any potential customer can access – where it is on the map, the company’s contact number in case potential customers have additional questions or want to make a quick reservation, working hours, and even star rating of the institution. This is a convenient feature for both businesses and customers.
2. GMB allows people to leave feedback about your business
You should never underestimate the power of customer reviews, especially when it comes to search rankings. Study shows that online surveys account for 10% of how search engines rate results. Thus, if you want your business to be visible in the search results, be sure to use GMB so that your customers can leave positive feedback about your business. Here are other reasons why reviews are one of the benefits of a Google My Business Listing.
Reviews improve local SEO
Many people pay attention to reviews when making decisions about their purchases. In fact, up to 93% of customers may be influenced by online reviews. In other words, almost all of them. This is because these small blocks of text are evidence of real consumers for whom the company did not pay to promote its product or service. Thus, people feel that they deserve more trust, and therefore many believe what they say.
More and more people are checking customer reviews before choosing a local business. Because people love to read reviews, search engines use them to rank search results. If you can use this GMB feature correctly, it can have a huge impact on your local SEO and your business.
Reviews increase sales
Positive feedback matters. They not only improve your ranking in search engines but also serve as free and reliable advertising for your products or services. For example, customers are more likely to try a product with many positive reviews, rather than many criticisms.
Online reviews work the same way as personal recommendations. The more positive customer feedback you receive, the more likely you are to get potential customers and increase sales. The studies confirm this: there is a positive correlation between reviews and sales.
It’s important to get positive reviews, but remember that even the best companies get negative reviews. If this happens to you, handle them professionally. Do not take this criticism personally, but use it to improve your product or service. Negative feedback, when used correctly, can provide useful information that will help your business grow.
Reviews show what customers think about your business.
Testimonials give business owners an idea of how customers see your brand. They allow you to see how consumers perceive your products or services, what strategies you should follow, what things you need to change, or what areas should be improved. Good or bad reviews will help you understand what your customers think. Consider them logically and take them into account.
3. GMB provides an understanding that gives you useful information
GMB is a useful tool for your business. This not only promotes your product or service but also helps you understand the market.
Views
GMB can show you the number of views your business profile receives. This is especially important for checking the effectiveness of your campaigns – whether they work well and attract attention, or do nothing for your business.
Search queries
GMB can help you learn and understand how consumers find your business. It shows how people search, in particular, which keywords they enter to find your list.
Knowing which keywords are relevant to your online presence can help you significantly increase your traffic. For example, you can dominate relevant long-tail keywords to seriously increase the number of clicks on your web pages. GMB can provide this information.
Commitment
GMB can show you how your audience interacts with your posts. This allows you to see which publications they share and what kind of comments they leave. Thus, you will have an idea of the types of materials that are well suited to your business.
Audience
GMB has a section where you can find brief information about the profiles of people who follow you. You can check the age groups, gender, and even the countries from which they are. All this is useful when creating a campaign.
GMB can also show you the number of clicks on a link on your site.
4. It is free and easy to use
No matter how useful the product is, its potential will not be maximized if it is too expensive, impractical, and difficult to use. Fortunately, this does not apply to Google My Business.
This effective tool is free and easy to use, so even startups can use it to promote their business. Creating and verifying your profile can be done in a few hours. In fact, there are tools that can instantly verify you. Once this is done, you are ready to go to the first page of Google.
As you could see, there are plenty of benefits of a Google My Business Listing. It allows startups and local companies to promote their products and services on the Internet, increasing their visibility chances of appearing in search results. This can help potential customers quickly find and contact you.
