Want to boost your local SEO? Google My Business (GMB) allows you to rank better in “near me” searches, but only if you use it to your advantage.
What is Google My Business?
Google offers its free tool, GMB, for businesses to manage how they appear in searches and on maps. With GMB, a company controls its business name, location and hours. It also lets a business respond to customer reviews, add photos and discover how consumers search for their product or service.
Create Your Listing
To start your listing, create a Google account you want associated with your business. Then, you need to go to google.com/business and select “Start Now” in the top right corner. The rest of the process includes entering the name of your business, your location, phone numbers, and choosing a business category.
Verify Your Business
After creating a listing, Google will want to verify your business. Ways to verify include postcard, phone, email, instant verification and bulk verification. Keep in mind, some methods of verification may take up to a week for Google to review and confirm.
Optimize Your Profile
Once Google recognizes your business, you are ready to optimize your listing. This is when you fill out your about section, add business hours and provide a profile picture. You will also want to provide a phone number and website URL. Make sure to take advantage of the ability to add attributes like “free wifi”, “kid-friendly” or “wheelchair accessible” to continue optimizing your profile.
Optimizing your profile doesn’t stop there. Your account will need to be regularly updated with new photos, posts, responses to reviews and holiday hour changes to remain relevant and continue ranking in local SEO searches. Being a business owner can leave you little time to worry about SEO ranking. That’s where Springwood Marketing comes in. Let our team increase your presence in local SEO searches for The Woodlands, Conroe, Houston and beyond. Contact us for a free consultation and SEO package quote.