Optimizing your Google My Business profile is essential for any business that wants to be successful in local search results. It's important to make sure that your company's real name is used, that your hours of operation are correct, and that you write a compelling description. Uploading videos and images can also help to attract more customers. People want to get an idea of what they can expect from your business, whether they're visiting your current location or doing business with you remotely.
When it comes to searching on Google Maps, you've probably noticed that you can filter the results based on how reviews are rated. In addition, if you are looking for something that includes “the best” or “the best”, Google will usually show you companies with a rating of more than 4 stars. So, in order for your ad to appear in these results, make sure to improve your online reputation. According to Google, half of the people who search for a local business will visit that business within 24 hours.
However, if you don't claim your Google My Business listing, Google will try to provide you with the best information about your business, which may not always be accurate. As we know the impact that photos have on promoting a financial services company, we recommend that you add at least 3 to 6 photos to your Google My Business listing for optimal performance. GMB now also offers virtual tours, so you can also consider hiring a Google-approved photographer to create a 360-degree virtual tour of your space for potential clients. Another way to locate your GMB page is to include a phone number with a local area code.
Not only does this allow GMB to validate your ad, but it also attracts local potential customers who might be more willing to work with local financial advisors. Google business profiles complement a brand's existing websites by giving them a public identity and a presence with a Google profile. In this case, Carl's Google Business Profile is a short box, but Ernie's business profile shows up even more when you scroll. The first thing to keep in mind is that the brief description that appears just below your company name in your business profile isn't really under your control.
This feature gives users the option to send a text message to your phone directly from your Google business profile. Most types of companies can exhibit products, provided that they are small and medium-sized companies and some vertical business sectors. Until now, Google My Business, Google Places for Business and the Google+ page control panel were the best ways to manage your company information. The comparison above makes it clear that an optimized business profile on Google helps consumers choose your company over the competition, but optimizing your business profile has other advantages for achieving effective local marketing.
It may seem tedious, but it's essential, as this is how Google can verify that companies are legitimate. Over the past few years, Google has made great progress with the analytical data available for Google business profiles. Not only does the fact that your Google business profile is complete help Google to position you better in local search results, but it also increases the number of actions that customers take when they find your profile. The description over which you have control is the “from the company” section of the control panel of your Google My Business account.
In your Google business profile, users have the option to ask questions that you or other users can answer (in the Questions section: & answers). It's important to know that Google won't show your company or its changes until the company is verified. The problem isn't the Google My Business platform, but that there aren't enough companies taking full advantage of its impressive features. The first step in getting your Google business profile up and running is to perform a Google search to make sure that your company doesn't already have one.