Why is Google Maps Important for my Business?
You might not think it, but Google Maps is a very important (and free!) tool to help you grow your business. In my previous blog post, I talked about how it is vital that your website is properly optimised for search engines, so that Google’s algorithm (as well as that of the other search engines) will show your website near the top of a relevant search. You’ll be surprised, but many websites out there haven’t even gone that far. Performing SEO work is key, but it is not everything. Whilst your website might rank highly, it might not engage potential visitors or clients particularly well. That’s where Google Maps and Business comes in.
Research shows that 67% of consumers use Google Maps as their preferred navigation app. In addition, when consumers perform a search on Google, 84% of the time, they will find you as a result of a keyword search, rather than directly searching for yours or your company’s name. When a keyword search is made, such as ‘web designer’, Google Maps will show the top three-ranked search results and the majority of people won’t look much further than that, since they will assume the top three are likely to be the best options for their needs. That shows just how important it is to use Google Maps effectively, to market your business, or organisation. Notice how my business listing ranks very highly for web designers in the area!
What can a Google Business Listing Tell my Clients about my Business?
As I have mentioned, if you want your website to succeed on Google, you need to make sure you have an active Google Business listing. Not only that, you need to make sure that your listing is completed, telling potential visitors and clients everything they need to know. Here are some key guidelines you should look to follow.
Consistency with your Name and Address
You might not realise it, but Google actually looks for your business right across the internet when it shows you in search results. If it finds your business in multiple locations, but there are inconsistencies with your name and/or address between locations where it has found your business, then it will rank it lower, since it does not trust is as much as other businesses. For example, my business is called ‘Digital Lychee’. If I had it noted as ‘Digital Lychee’ on one site, but ‘Digital Lychee Website Design’ on another, Google would penalise me for that and I would slip down the search rankings. This includes Facebook, Yell, FreeIndex, Trustpilot and other such websites.
Use a Local Phone Number
Have you ever tried to get in touch with a company and found that you had to call a number starting with 08 or 03 (or the equivalent ones where you are)? Well, these are non-geographical numbers, not linked to the location of the business or organisation you are trying to call. Google’s algorithm looks negatively on these types of numbers, since they are often used for spam calling (the old ‘you have been involved in an accident that wasn’t your fault’ trick springs to mind). Make sure you use either a local landline number related to the location of your business, or even a business mobile number, to avoid these issues.
Keep your Business Hours Up-to-date
Have you even tried to visit a shop or business of some sort, only to be disappointed that when you turned up, it was shut? That’s why you need to keep your business hours up-to-date. Google Business profiles of organisations across the globe tell their customers when they open on a regular basis, as well as if there are any changes to their opening hours. This could be during religious festivals, public holidays, or even during the current pandemic (at the time of writing). If you do not make sure your business hours are regularly updated, you may end up with some rather angry customers, who could then leave a negative review, the overall result of which is a hit on your search rankings. It is perhaps less of an issue for businesses that only operate online, although having accurate business hours on your profile will definitely discourage people from calling in the middle of the night!
Use Accurate Categories for your Business
It is important to include accurate categories on your business profile, since they are what customers will look at, once your profile has shown up, to decide whether or not you are the right company for them. You want to make sure that the primary category is the one that best represents the core of your business. For any additional categories that apply to your business, you can include them as secondary categories. For example, my business categories are:
It is important to note that you cannot create custom categories, but as you are searching you will see a dropdown menu of possible categories. This helps you to find the most applicable ones.
Include a Good Business Description
Including a good business description on your Google Business profile is very important, as it is likely to be one of the first things a potential client reads about your business. It needs to grab their attention, giving them all the information they need to know you are the right option for them, without being too long. You also need to make sure that the description you write includes keywords, as this will help your profile to rank highly for searches that don’t just contain your business name, but also for those that relate to your products or services.
Photographs, Photographs and more Photographs
You might not think that including photographs on your business profile is particularly important, or you might just not have thought to include them at all. That could be where you are going wrong. There are three particular reasons why you should make sure you include relevant photographs on your profile:
- Regularly adding photographs tells Google that you are an active, trustworthy business, deserving of higher search rankings.
- Google’s photo-recognition technology is getting rather clever now. If you add photographs to your profile, they will start to show in local search results, linked to you and your business.
- The SEO rule of thumb is that Google loves what your clients and other consumers love. Consumers love photographs and therefore so does Google.
If you do not add any photographs, all that is likely to appear on your profile is a map location, if you have a physical business location, which just isn’t as compelling for potential clients.
Get Plenty of Google Reviews
Since we know that Google loves what your customers love, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to you that Google Maps will rank business and organisations with higher ratings above those who have lower ones. Whenever you do business with a client, you should make sure that you are proactive in asking for a review from them. Not only that, you should also make sure you respond to their review. This shows prospective clients that you are very attentive to your customers and should any issues arise, then it tells the same clients that you are proactive in sorting them.
How will Digital Lychee Help You?
At Digital Lychee, I know just how important it is to have an effective website that brings you all the traffic and new clients that you need. In addition to the SEO services I mentioned in my previous blog, as part of the free features tutorial I offer to all of my clients, no matter how big or small the website is, I will show you how to create the perfect business profile. Get in touch now to find out more.