If you want to grow your business, Google Maps is one of the best tools on the market.
When searching for businesses, consumers use mapping products 44% of the time. On average, 41% of these site searches result in on-site visits. Ipsos study. So take advantage of all the customer traffic on the platform. On top of that, a majority of the functionality is free to use so it won’t hurt your budget. Here are our 5 top tips.
1. Claim and complete your listing
Registering your Google My Business is the first step to dominating your local SEO. It’s free; just go to
https://www.google.com/intl/en_au/business/
Register your business. Google will send you a letter with a security code to confirm your location. Alternatively, they can robocall your business with the security code.
Then you need to complete your listing. Checking the following information about your business is on your list and correct.
- Name of Business
- Address
- Phone Number
- Website
- Trading Hours
- Category (For example, Butcher, Baker, Candlestick maker)
Look at a before and after example of the listing we completed.
Which of these places would you instead visit?
2. Turn snapshots into sales.
Draw in new customers with excellent photos of your products or services. Pictures show what’s unique about your business; you can add as many as you like. We’d recommend adding some photos of people enjoying your product/service, as they are trendy.
Remember, Listings with photos and a virtual tour are twice as likely to generate interest.
3. Look after your NAP!
Make sure your NAP
- Name,
- Address,
- Phone number
It is consistent across all your digital presences.
This is how Google identifies that different properties are talking about your site and how it decides to rank it. These must be as consistent as possible.
For example, our NAP is:
Search Marketing Group®
Level 5/111 Cecil St, South Melbourne VIC 3205
You need to make sure your NAP is the same on all websites and directory listings. Think Facebook, Google, Instagram, Yellow Pages, White Pages, True Local, Zomato, Houzz, etc. All these NAPs on different platforms will increase your local SEO Melbourne.
Run A Free Local SEO Audit
4. Respond to your reviews
When it comes to local SEO, the quality and quantity of reviews on Google is one of the most important ranking factors. When a person scans the search results for a local product or service in Google, the business listings that include reviews present greater credibility and receive many more clicks. What business would you instead click on, a 1-star or a 5-star?
If you ask all your satisfied customers to leave a review of your business on Google Maps, this can improve your digital reputation.
Don’t be afraid of bad reviews, either. Respond to them as quickly as possible, and be polite even if their review is rude. Other potential customers want to do business with brands that care about their customers. Showing you care and resolving these customers’ issues demonstrates your professional approach to customer service.
Bonus tip: Download the app
You can now edit most elements of your Google Maps listing in the palm of your hand. The app is free to download in the App Store and Google Play. The app makes it easy to see business insights about your location at a glance. You can also take photos with your phone, quickly upload them to Google Maps, and share them with your audience.
Download the Google My Business app.
https://www.google.com/intl/en_au/business/
5. Accessibility options
Let your customer know that you are/are not an accessible venue.
Common accessibility attributes include Wheelchair accessible car park, Wheelchair accessible entrance, Wheelchair accessible toilet, and more.
Australia has an aging population, so accessibility isn’t already an issue for your premises. It soon might be. Simply login to Google My Business, go to your business’s “Info “ tab, and edit the accessibility options.
There is nothing worse than watching large potential bookings roll to your competitors because you didn’t communicate your accessibility status, so update it today.
Boom!
There are 5 of our top secrets! I know they will help your business thrive. If you need any more advice for marketing your business, get in touch with us today.
