Local businesses, listen up!
First of all…Did you know that 46% of all Google searches are location-based? More importantly, over 50% of mobile searches are local or location-based and that number is still growing!?
One of the first places users go looking for products and services online is Google. We all do it!
If you didn’t think so before, Google My Business and Google Local Ads need to be a prominent piece of your local business’s marketing and search strategy. For all location-relevant businesses, these searches can be the most important queries you could hope to win because instead of window shoppers, these are people immediately converting into customers.
When do location searches matter most? Your location matters anytime someone is trying to do a search to find a product or service based on what they are in close proximity to. And if you haven’t already guessed, they’re searching right now on their mobile phones which use Google Maps that, yes, pull information from your Google My Business Page.
When you begin to edit your current listing (and add new listings if need be), be sure to be as complete and catchy as possible. Treat your Google My Business page as your new landing page, because it is what is going to show up at the top of people’s searches.
Google is constantly working to evolve and make it easier for business owners to manage their online presence. As a part of their ongoing efforts, Google is adding new options within Search and Maps which will enable business owners to manage their Google My Business presence directly from their mobile devices.
Now every business owner will have the options necessary to edit their information, view messages, check reviews and more all on the go.
This is just one more reason to have your page’s information filled out entirely. When you use quality photos, make updates and respond to reviews using your unique brand voice will all reassure Google that your business is up-to-date and ‘active’. Therefore it will also place your business higher in the search results.
Your Google My Business page will also boost appeal among potential customers with reviews. Reviews are an influential factor when customers are making a purchasing decision. With nearly 90% of customers reading online reviews to evaluate the quality of a local business, and most customers always choose the product with the highest reviews.
Although the idea of reviews can be daunting, the review process is worth it to build trust and confidence with customers. Believe it or not, 88% of customers trust online reviews and believe they carry the same weight as a personal recommendation.
You also can track all of your marketing efforts through Google Analytics within your Google My Business account, making it a very simple way to navigate the flow of how your customers are finding your business and what strategies are working, and those that aren’t.
Now more than ever, your Google My Business profile is an essential place for your business to bring in new customers, as the world shifts entirely online, to see what locations are open, have curbside pickup, or are closed.
As previously stated, Google’s been looking to add more responsive, accessible business tools in recent months as it seeks to help businesses impacted by COVID-19. Eight months in, we have seen it effect nearly every industry and business, so Google Local’s initiative is to help during these times.
It’s worth logging on and taking a look at your Google Business listings if you haven’t. This is just one of the many cost-effective ways to maintain a valid market presence as economic circumstances change, and local search markets continue to grow.
Take a look at what there is being offered, and how it can help to showcase your brand! At the end of the day, Google My Business’s intention is to connect customers to local businesses. So why not let them help you?
