4 free tips to get your business listed on Google Maps
Internet marketing agency
If your business profile is incomplete, has inaccurate information and does not have photos of your business, it probably does not appear.
Google is still the king, queen, and court jester of online searches. Sure, Facebook and Amazon are trying to get their own slice of the search pie, but as of July 2019, Google dominated more than 90 percent of all search queries. When someone does a Google search for a product or service, they are showing intention and motivation. The beauty of intent-based searches is that this traffic can be free. Keyword paid advertising works, but it's not the only way to get clicks and customers. Have you ever noticed that some businesses and entrepreneurs are always right under the paid ads on Google Maps, while others never appear? Those who show up do four things in their business profile better than the others.
Before we get into the four specific tasks, it is important to know that your business does not appear on Google Maps unless you establish a Google My Business (GMB) profile for each and every location. Search Google for the phrase "Google My Business" to find a direct link to set up your GMB profile. It is connected to your Google account.
A physical location is an actual office or commercial space that people go to, such as a doctor's or lawyer's office. Customers come to you. A service location is one where you serve a neighborhood or city, but do not have an office or commercial space. Examples include a plumber, real estate agent, or HVAC service technician. Go to the customer. In both cases, you need a postal address so that Google can send you a verification postcard. "Claim" your ads and start taking over your online presence.
With that foundation in place, let's go over these four quick and easy ways to get your business listed on Google Maps when people search for a location (fill in the blank) like yours.
1. Photos, photos and more photos
Have you ever looked at a company profile and wondered if the place was still open? You can tell when a business profile looks empty. The first indication of death is when the only photo for that business profile is the street view from Google Maps.
You have to upload relevant photos. This cannot be stressed enough. People eat and buy with their eyes. You don't need to hire a professional photographer. The cameras of most smartphones will suffice.
Take as many photos of your workplace as possible. Make sure to rename each photo to include the company name and what is in the photo. When an image is given a file name, it usually looks like this: "1074738img.jpg". Rename the file "Dans-Plumbing-Front-Of-Office-1234-Mockingbird-Lane-Anywhere-Ca-90210.jpg". By doing this, you are correctly tagging the photo in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines, which is a courtesy in itself, plus you're helping Google easily understand what the photo is about. , making it easier for the algorithm to deliver more accurate results.
Other photo ideas include clients, customers, products, food, and before and after. Remember, you can't have too many photos as long as they are relevant to your business.
2. Insert your Google Maps profile
Google loves when you use its tools. One of the quickest and easiest ways to signal Google that your GMB profile is getting traffic is by leveraging existing traffic from your website. Insert the small Google map on your site. Every time someone visits your site, they are inadvertently seeing the built-in Google property. Google realizes this even if they don't click on the map.
Search your business on Google Maps. When you find it, click on the "share" option and select "embed map." Copy that code and put it on your site in the same way that you would embed a YouTube video.
3. Reviews
The more clicks your profile receives, the higher and more often Google will show it as a result of a search engine on Google Maps. The more reviews you have, the more likely people are to click on your profile. This is known as social proof.
The more clicks your profile receives, the higher and more often Google will show it as a result of a search engine on Google Maps. The more reviews you have, the more likely people are to click on your profile. This is known as social proof.
4. Accurate information
Make sure your business phone number, website, and hours are up to date. Use a guest browser and test the links to the phone and the website. Are they accurate? Are they working as intended? Does the phone ring to the right person? Does the website link to the home page or the correct product or service? These are all things you should try. It's all about the customer experience and the longer you keep it on your GMB profile, the more valuable it will be in the eyes of Google.
Google wants to offer the best and most relevant search results to the consumer. They have a universe of online tools and signals that help them determine what search engine results to return. The more competitive your commercial space, the more complete and professional your GMB profile should be. If your business profile is incomplete, has inaccurate information, and does not have photos of your business or photos of you at work, it probably won't appear on the Google map.
Use these four quick tips to update your Google My Business and Google Maps profiles for more exposure.
Source: entrepreneur
About LaraNet: We are a web design firm focused to help you to grow your business and communicate with your customers and prospects using two simple but powerful tools: 1) Interactive Website and 2) Internet Marketing Strategy on social networks like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc… Whether you want to work with just a web page, or launch or improve your presence on Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn or communicate with your customers through newsletters, or improve the location of your business in the search engines through Search Engine Optimization, or start marketing your products or services online, in LaraNet we can help you.
