As a small business owner today, you know having an online presence is crucial. But with so much competition, how do you stand out? Enter local SEO and Google My Business - the powerful pair that can help us dominate local search and attract more customers.
Local SEO: The Visibility Key
First up, local SEO. This strategy involves optimizing your website and online listings to rank higher in location-based searches. For example, when someone searches "best pizza near me," you want your restaurant at the top. Local SEO makes that happen.
But how? It's all about using the right keywords, building local citations (mentions on directories/review sites), and optimizing your Google My Business listing (more on that soon). Having a mobile-friendly site with engaging local content like community event blogs is key, too.
Google My Business: Your 24/7 Virtual Storefront
While local SEO lays the groundwork, Google My Business is the cherry on top. This free Google tool lets you create a listing for your biz that shows up in search results and on Maps. It's basically a virtual storefront open 24/7!
With Google My Business, we can:
Add biz hours, contact info, website, and photos
Respond to reviews (positive and negative)
Share updates on offers, events, new products/services
See insights like listing views and direction requests
Seriously, it's like having your own free marketing assistant powered by Google's algorithms.
Optimizing Your Google My Business Listing
We know Google My Business is a must. But how do we optimize that listing for maximum impact?
First things first - make sure all our biz info is accurate and up-to-date. Consistency is key for local SEO, so we need to double-check that our NAP (name, address, phone number) matches across ALL online directories and listings.
Next, we'll upload high-quality photos showing off our products, services, location - whatever gives people a great visual of the business. Humans are visual creatures, after all.
According to Samuel Quincy Edwards, CMO of the SEO company SEO.co, using unique images of your actual location and your actual people can go a long way to imbue trust: "We encourage high resolution, high quality photos of your location and staff. Perception is everything when it comes to local businesses."
We can't forget to encourage happy customers to leave reviews on the listing, too. Positive reviews build credibility and can give our local rankings a nice boost. Be sure to respond to all reviews - the good and the bad - to show we value feedback.
Finally, take advantage of the "Posts" feature to share timely updates, promos, announcements, and such. Keeping that listing fresh and engaging helps drive more clicks and visits for your business. Simple as that!
Why Local SEO + Google My Biz = Winning Combo
Alright, let's bring it back to our dynamic duo - local SEO and an optimized Google My Business listing. When we combine these two forces, we create a one-two punch to knock out that local competition.
Think about it - our local SEO efforts help us rank higher in location-based searches, while our Google My Biz listing gives potential customers all the key info they need about the business - hours, contact details, reviews, and more. It's a match made in heaven for small businesses trying to boost online visibility and get more feet through the door.
According to BrightLocal, businesses with complete Google My Business listings are 7x more likely to be seen as reputable by consumers. Plus, a report from Moz shows high-quality citations on sites like Google My Business can account for up to 25% of local rankings!
Bottomline
At the end of the day, being visible online is more than half the battle these days. With a solid local SEO and Google My Biz strategy in place, you can make sure your business is front and center when potential customers search for what you offer.
