📊Local SEO: Capturing Attention of Local Customers with Google My Business

When you’re building your business’s online presence, you’ll hear experts talking about the importance of Google search engine optimization or “SEO.”

Why? Google owns 92% of the Global Search Engine market. As the dominant search engine, how to use SEO typically revolves around what works best for their search environment.

What’s not talked about often enough is that’s there’s more than one kind of SEO and even more ways to optimize those different types to benefit your business.

In today’s newsletter, you’ll learn the importance of Local SEO and how to use Google My Business to increase your search rankings so customers can find and engage with you online.

Before we dive in, there’s an important distinction to know between National SEO and Local SEO.

National SEO: optimizes for relevant keywords and phrases that relate to your business’ products and/or services but don’t include targeting to a specific geographical location

Think of keywords and phrases like “top fathers’s day gifts” or “best cheese subscription services in the US”

Local SEO: optimizes for similar keywords and phrases as National SEO, but has a key intention of being highly searchable in a specific geographical location

Think of keywords and phrases like “coffee shops near me” or “Beacon Hill bookstores”

In 10 minutes or less, you’ll learn:

• why Google My Business is underrated

• 8 tips + tricks to optimize GMB to drive local traffic

• other ways to improve your local SEO

WHY GOOGLE MY BUSINESS IS UNDERRATED ⌨️

Let’s say you’re looking for a wedding photographer in your small city. You type “wedding photographers near me” into Google’s search bar. A plethora of results pop up with a few paid placements at the top.

Before you even scroll down to the non-paid placements of wedding photographer websites, your eyes are drawn to the Google My Business section complete with a map of your area and a list of businesses within the tool that match your keyword search.

Paid ad placements can be expensive, especially with a smaller budget that has to stretch across other marketing campaigns. Plus, there’s always the chance that your return on investment may only be a fraction of what you’ve paid that SEO placement.

Enter Google My Business (GMB), a versatile underrated marketing tool that’s bound to improve your local SEO rank regardless of the size of your business.

The best part is that it’s completely FREE to use.

As your customers search for you, they’re highly likely to check Google which is why it’s important to have a completed GMB listing.

Not only will it improve your local SEO ranking, but it will keep you competitive.

If you aren’t taking advantage of your GMB listing, you may fall behind in rankings simply because your competitors got more reviews or completed their GMB listing.

Here’s how you can make the most of this free tool.

8 TIPS AND TRICKS TO OPTIMIZE GMB TO DRIVE LOCAL TRAFFIC 🚦

1. Claim your GMB listing on Google My Business and complete their verification process to prove ownership.
   

2. Dive in and update your business’ contact information, frequently asked questions, attributes, logos, and high quality photos (business, products, services, store location, etc.) to be consistent with your online + offline branding. Consistency across all channels is key to building trust both with Google for your ranking and with your customers.
   

3. Choose relevant categories that help Google understand what your business offers. This will help their search engine determine what keywords to associate with your business.
   

4. Find out what keywords similar businesses to yours use, then write a short to the point description of what you do that incorporates relevant keywords and highlights your distinct brand edge/selling point, what problems you solve and what solutions you offer.
   

5. Encourage all customers to leave Google reviews. Having customer reviews improves your local SEO ranking and acts as social proof to future customers that you’re trustworthy and great at what you do. Respond to all reviews left on your GMB profile.
   

6. Turn on direct messaging within your GMB profile so customers can reach out to you via the contact info in your profile. Monitor and respond to all messages and questions asked through direct messages.
   

7. Make the most of Google Posts to share sales, events, and new offerings in 100-300 words and include photos and videos (if relevant). Regularly posting content on Google Posts will keep you ranked higher in the GMB tool and encourage engagement and click throughs to your business’ website.
   

8. Like your brand, GMB isn’t built once and up to date forever. Optimizing it is an on-going process of engaging with customers, updating information, and using the insights section of GMB to learn what questions and keywords customers are using to find your business online.

Marketing Resources to Improve Your Local SEO 🛍️

98% of customers read and write local business reviews and a whopping 85% of customers believe online reviews as much as personal recommendations from their friends and family. Here are a few other ways you can improve your local SEO ranking.

• Consistently get reviews from happy customers. Ask them to review you on their choice like GMB, Yelp, Apple Business Connect, Foursquare, the Better Business Bureau, etc.
  

• Start optimizing for voice search by including conversational words “who, what, where, when, why, and how” at the start of your online posts.
  

• Use social media to share relevant, real time content based on local news or events.
  
  Examples: Your town’s 4th of July parade, the weekly farmer’s market, charity fundraisers, and new housing development grand openings
  

• Use Google keyword planner to find hyper local keywords that customers near you are searching such as a local landmark or attraction you live by and use them in your online content.
  

• Optimize your website to be responsive for mobile. 60% of all online searches are done now on phones.

TRENDS 📈 , INSIGHTS 🧠 , & NEWS 📰 

• How to improve your local ranking on Google My Business

• Marketing is among the top AI applications for Small Businesses

• Text message open rates are massively higher than email open rates, here’s 7 of the best SMS apps you could use

ABOUT VERSA STRATEGY

Chandler Kirkman is the driving force behind Versa Strategy and is on a mission to empower and educate business owners on how they can elevate their marketing. She’s consulted with over a hundred businesses throughout her career ranging from Fortune 100 companies to small businesses in her community.

By infusing branding, advertising, and marketing efforts with her signature blend of creativity, strategic thinking, and enthusiasm, Chandler cultivates a dynamic and empathetic approach that helps business owners better connect with their customers.

LET’S CHAT! [email protected]

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^{*Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by Google or Google My Business. I’m just a fan.}