Having a local business presence on Google is more important than ever. Why? Because it’s where your customers are, and it’s where they are searching to find more information about your business. Consider that 72% of consumers who conducted a local search visited a store within 5 miles, and that 82% of smartphone shoppers conduct “near me” searches.
Consumers want local information quickly and easily, and in order to appear in the local searches they are conducting, you need to have a claimed and optimized Google My Business (GMB) page. Google My Business is essentially a listing for your business that’s hosted on Google. It holds all of your relevant information, like address, phone number and hours of operation, but it also offers much more than that.
If you really want to create an impact on your local SEO, and develop a stronger presence on Google, there are several others features within GMB that you can and should be using, here are a few of them.
Q&A
Most businesses have a list of FAQ that they come across regularly. Imagine having all of those questions, plus more, present in a single location, where all of your potential customers can easily access them? Google’s Q&A feature allows for this, as users can ask questions directly within the business listing. They can ask you about a specific product or service, whether you’ll be open on a holiday or what your pricing looks like.
When a question is asked, you, the business owner, can login to your GMB account and answer the question directly. This ensures that the answer is accurate and up to date. This feature can really help you educate and inform your customers about the different components of your business.
Business Descriptions
This simple feature can go a long way in telling consumers about your business. However, keep in mind that you only have 750 characters to create a description. You can use this feature to help build your brand. Don’t forget to be unique and creative in your description, all the while informing consumers about what exactly it is that you offer.
Posts
Similar to a social post, this feature allows business owners to create mini posts within their GMB listing. Posts can include images, call to actions or a URL to your website. These can be used to promote upcoming events, special offers or discounts, or even a new product. Here’s what they look like in the listing:
Booking Appointments
If you’re a service business, this GMB feature allows visitors to book appointments directly from your listing. You just need to input a URL that directs the user to the booking site, whatever that may be. There are plenty of online booking provider options, and Google will give you the option to choose once you implement the feature. Additionally, you’ll be able to track all incoming bookings and view the analytics.
Service Areas
Earlier this year, Google announced an update that allows service-area businesses to share their offerings and other pertinent business information through Google Maps and Search. With this feature, rather than listing a specific address like many businesses do, you can instead add the various service areas your business covers by including postal codes or cities. This alerts consumers of whether or not your business is an option for them.
