To succeed through SEO as a local business, you must benefit from high visibility on Google My Business, also called Google My Business or GMB. According to Hubspot , 46% of all Google searches are for local information and 80% of consumers use search engines to find information about local businesses, often using search terms like "business near me." combined with a city name. If your business does not appear in these searches, one of your competitors will appear. This is why it is essential that you implement a solid local SEO strategy.
Categories
Select the main category closest to your business area and add secondary categories that represent your business and industry.
FULL LIST OF GOOGLE MY BUSINESS CATEGORIES IN 2023
UTM tracking
Make sure to add the UTM tracking code to the web address (URL) of your GMB account to create a link that leads to your website. It is important to perform this action since Google Analytics does not always attribute clicks directly to your site. Simply add UTM tracking after the “?” » that follows your URL. Here is an example :
→( https://www.example.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=googlemybusiness).
Professional photos and image sizes
Make sure to add high-quality, professional photos & videos to your profile. Keep in mind that they will be automatically cropped by Google to display them correctly. Google My Business uses two different image sizes for display on desktop and mobile, so it is essential to consider how each image, especially the main image, will be displayed. For desktop, Google displays a square image while on mobile it displays a rectangular image. Videos can also be uploaded.
The dimensions and features you need to know are:
- Profile photo: 250 x 250px
- Cover photo: 1080 x 608px
- Post images: 1200 x 900px
- Format: JPEG / PNG
-
Size: between 10 KB and 5 MB
Call tracking
Enable call tracking for your listing or use a third-party call tracking app such as CallRail or Twilio. We advise you to check the integrations with your CRM as a first step to make everything easier. If you do not have a CRM, our team will be happy to present solutions adapted to your needs!
Want to take your Google My Business profile to the next level? Discover THE ULTIMATE GOOGLE MY BUSINESS GUIDE 2023 . Your reference to know everything from A to Z about this tool which is essential for your local SEO in your organic growth and social proof strategy!
Reviews from your customers and partners
Your Google My Business reviews are important. Some behavioral studies have shown that the ideal range for reviews is between 4.3 and 4.8 out of 5. Perfect ratings of 5 are not ideal because all perfect reviews tend to seem more suspect. Note, however, that you will never have enough 5 stars and that some dissatisfied people will not hesitate to be extreme in their opinions. The 5 stars will then come to reach a high average which gives confidence to your consumers.
It is important to ask your customers to submit reviews of your business. Indeed, it is essential to be able to collect customer comments on their experience in the purchasing process as well as their appreciation of the products or services . Some applications exist for this purpose only, but the simplest and most effective remains the implementation of sending an automatic email, from your email sending software or CRM , to follow up on the sale of a product or a consumer's visit to a store.
The keywords in your reviews are just as relevant because they can help you rank for those keywords in Google searches . When asking to leave a review, how you phrase your question can encourage people to include specific keywords, talk about your services, their store experience, or their overall satisfaction. Find out more about the sections of a GMB .
Share Google My Business marketing content through Google Posts
Google Posts , also called Google Posts, are an extension of your GMB profile and act just like a social network. Using Google Posts, you can offer longer-format previews of your content, updates, and promotions, all from your Google My Business profile . It's also a great way to control what readers can see when they browse your GMB listing. These messages are also visible on your Knowledge Panel — an informative box that appears to the right of search results.
Note that these posts only stay on your profile for seven days. You will therefore need to post content updates regularly. Find out more about best practices for brands, services & professionals on Google .
Do you need help applying these tips to your Google My Business ? Let our agency help you. Bofu is a marketing agency that guides SMEs and helps them improve their local SEO visibility by optimizing their Google My Business profile, in particular. We offer SEM and SEO services to generate more business in your area. Contact our agency today to start attracting more clients.
Are you new to Google My Business ? Start with: GOOGLE MY BUSINESS, AN ESSENTIAL
GOOGLE PARTNER MARKETING AGENCY
Structuring your business growthby establishing a precise strategic plan , allowing it to accelerate its development
and generate a return on investment
quick and measured.
Learn more about our Google Partner Agency certification here.
Contact us for more information.
