HOW TO OPTIMIZE MARKETING

FOR GOOGLE MY BUSINESS

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GMB Optimization & How To Rank
on Google Maps

MasterMindSEO is committed to making good businesses great, using a variety of tools and methods such as lead generation, content marketing, and SEO.
Right now, one of the best tools for businesses is the Google Maps marketing platform called Google My Business or GMB. MasterMindSEO teaches business owners how to optimize their GMB in order to get the best results, increase their revenue, and get ahead of the competition.
Google My Business is what controls local search results on the Google Maps platform. It is also what controls search results for Google Assistant and the Google search engine. With the vast majority of customers using Google to look up businesses, products, and services before making contact, setting up and optimizing Google Maps information has never been more important.

The Impact and Importance of GMB

Four out of five consumers are researching local businesses before making a purchase, according to Google. Almost 70 percent of these consumers are using their mobile devices to conduct these searches. Eight percent of consumers who look up local businesses on their mobile device end up calling or visiting the shop within 24 hours.
Furthermore, 61 percent of all local searches lead to a purchase, especially if they find the product on their mobile phone search engine.
Consumers are more likely to check out the top three search results presented to them by Google. Google displays the best search results based on consumer proximity and distance. This means if a customer searches for a product or service nearby, they will most likely do business with the first few results that pop up on their device.
Also known as Google Maps, Google My Business is a service offered by Google that allows customers to view local establishments. With GMB, businesses can regularly update their info so that customers can easily find and connect with them. It also allows them to manage what customers see when they look up the business.
Google Maps SEO experts such as MasterMindSEO helps businesses optimize their GMB.
Google is continuously upgrading its Google Maps platform. Right now, it allows business owners to fully customize the way their business is presented to the public. Taking advantage of these new tools can help you take the company to the next level.
But this is not just a tool that helps businesses get ahead—it also helps them stay afloat. With the constantly evolving technological landscape, it is very easy for businesses to get left behind if they do not adapt to the changes. Most businesses are using these tools nowadays, especially in this era of modern technology. To survive, businesses need to incorporate these new techniques into their business plan. And to thrive, they need to optimize their GMB and make sure they are doing it right.
Google My Business makes all the necessary contact information more accessible to potential clients. It increases website visibility. Some companies rely on GMB for their entire business. There is no reason not to invest in Google Maps marketing.
And if a business can’t adapt to new trends, it will not be able to sustain itself in the long run. Simple optimization of GMB ensures constant flow of new and repeat customers.
There are many how-to guides on how to optimize a business’s GMB profile. But it all boils down to providing great content, customizing and updating the website to make it more mobile-friendly, displaying your community connections, and making sure all the necessary contact details are there.
A few years ago, most businesses did nothing to optimize for local search. They mostly ignored Google My Business. But the landscape has shifted. Today, companies all compete to end up on top of Google search results.
Whichever company comes up first in local pack search results gets the lion’s share of customers. We can place emphasis on “lion’s share” here because it’s not just a simple 2 percent or 5 percent share. This is a 30 percent market share, and it is achieved by simply showing up on top of the search results. Because of this potentially large increase in revenue, every business is gunning for that top spot in their respective niches, and it is increasingly difficult to do it with how competitive the market is.
Depending on the type of customer you are targeting, the business may even get an even bigger revenue boost. For example, if customers need help quickly, they are more likely to search for local businesses: this means locksmiths, plumbers, door repair services, doctors, lawyers, drug rehab centers, electricians, mortgage brokers, and contractors of all types greatly benefit from GMB.
These customers are most likely to search on their mobile phones and contact the businesses they see as soon as they see it there.
A Google Maps Marketing Company like MasterMindSEO is a necessary investment in today’s business landscape. Think of it as a way to directly connect with new customers. Adapting to this new tool by working with Google Maps marketing companies is very important because it is hard to do it all by yourself. Just like how businesses depend on their clients, their employees, and investors, they should also depend on services that can take their company to the next level.
You can generate more revenue by optimizing your Google My Business profile. This means the people who are searching for your type of business in your area will be able to find you before your competitors.
Compare GMB optimization with the costs of social media ads. With proper Google My Business optimization, businesses can get a similar result that would’ve cost them a fortune via Google Ads or any other paid advertisement.
As expected, if a company ranks higher on the Map pack, they can expect a lot more traffic than businesses with a lower rank. Therefore, businesses should prioritize improving their Google Maps Rankings so that prospects will be exposed to their company first. And since customers already trust that Google is providing them with the best results that suit their needs, they are more likely to contact the companies they find.
However, it is very difficult to land a high ranking without a proper marketing strategy. A Google Maps Marketing Company like MasterMindSEO will be able to lead the way, especially since it’s more than just ranking higher, but dominating a certain niche.
MasterMindSEO can provide the knowledge, resources, and support that business owners need to properly optimize their GMB profile and improve their Google Maps Rankings.

Getting High Value Traffic

Campaigns may fail despite having a good Google Maps SEO and improved Google Maps ranking—and it’s because the company could not convert. People visit the site, learn about the product or service, and were still unconvinced, so they ended up closing the tab and taking their business somewhere else.
All the traffic the business receives from ranking on Google Maps converts at a much higher rate than any other. Your presence on the map ensures that consumers trust you as a business establishment that can serve their needs. This means the business owner should ensure that the website is optimized as well.
Google My Business SEO is one of the most effective ways of getting new traffic, phone calls, and customers walking into your place. GMB is one of the most potent tools to generate revenue. And it happens very quickly too. Websites see a drastic increase in traffic in a matter of hours after being correctly created.
Google Maps SEO appears organically at the top of organic results. Businesses should therefore try to be displayed on those

Creating Brand Awareness and
Increasing Customer Loyalty

In this day and age, social proof is everything for a business. This is especially true for companies that cater to consumers within a community. It’s the digital version of word-of-mouth.
With social proof, brands can earn the trust of their clients. Google Maps marketing ensures this by providing a platform that customers can trust. Consumers can leave reviews and rank your site accordingly—so this is where optimizing your products and services comes in.
Consumer reviews may also hurt a business, so it’s a double edged sword. However, proper reputation management is also part of any respectable Google Maps Marketing Company’s strategies. Besides, offering an excellent product and a great service should always result in good reviews that drown

GOOGLE MAP SEO:
WHAT YOU NEED TO CONSIDER

Google Maps places a lot of value on proximity when displaying search results. When a person uses a search engine to look for nearby services, it always prioritizes the ones that are closest to them.
So if a customer wants to get groceries and they search for a grocery store on their Maps app, they will mostly be shown a list sorted out by Google based on proximity to their current location.
A company’s rank also matters to Google Maps because not everyone uses location data sharing. Google Maps cannot recommend nearby businesses if the user has a fixed location. So it shows them results based on the rank instead of real time positioning. High ranking businesses will automatically come up on the search list despite not being the closest establishment.
After proximity and rank, Google Maps considers reviews, favoring establishments with better reviews. The Google Maps algorithm is constantly adjusting to consider factors like reviews because it measures customer satisfaction based on the star ratings they left. While customer testimonials vary widely across different client experiences, they are still valuable.
Reviews are particularly important because companies cannot change it in any meaningful way. This is something that develops organically. The best way to influence these reviews is by providing better products, services, and customer experiences.
Customers will find out first-hand if your business does not deliver good services and leave poor reviews anyway, so it’s best to try and earn good reviews with good services instead.

Optimizing Your Google My Business Listing

Most people have become accustomed to searching for businesses or services they need using the Google Maps platform. It has become second nature for most consumers to check products and services online before making that next step.
Google Maps marketing provides a reliable alternative to inbound marketing because it creates a platform full of people who are directly looking for products and services to purchase. Overselling them is not a concern because these people are looking for the best option there is. They want to be sold to.
Using Google Maps marketing also feels organic for customers, because they don’t even realize that they are being presented many different options. They only pay attention to the first three options and then choose from those.
Google Maps SEO is all about landing that top spot, when and where it matters most.
This is where it differs from inbound marketing. While this method still works, it comes with a lot of hurdles. Business owners might not have the time to walk their would-be customers through their buyer’s journey so that they eventually buy what they are selling.
With Google Maps SEO, the top businesses are prominently and professionally displayed in local searches so that people who are ready to buy can see them. Buyers can just contact the business and access products and services they need whenever the need arises.

Creating a Google My Business Listing

You cannot optimize your Google My Business profile if there is nothing to optimize in the first place. To keep all that potential from going to waste, you need to create a listing. This is the first step towards benefiting from GMB optimization.
To start off, you want to sign in to the Google account associated with your Google My Business SEO. Alternatively, visit the Google My Business page directly and log in. Fill up the portion where it asks for your business’ name and click next.
For the address information section, make sure you fill it out accurately because your location matters a lot. Service-area type businesses have to click on the checkbox marked with a truck icon. This is to indicate that the company serves customers at different locations.
Checking this box will also give you the option to hide your address, which should only be clicked if you are not serving customers from your business address.
Afterwards you need to find and choose the category that your business fits in. It pays to be as accurate as possible. This informs Google of the type of services you provide. It also reflects the kind of customer you are looking for. This is a crucial step of the GMB optimization process that helps you get your business in front of the right people.
The last step is to provide additional contact information, such as your website and phone number.

Verifying your Google My Business Listing

Once you have created your GMB account, it is important to verify it. This is a vital part of your Google My Business SEO process as it proves to Google that this is indeed your business.
You will be given a few choices in order to verify your account, and you can decide which one suits you best. Some businesses are eligible to be verified via phone code. This makes the process a lot easier and more straightforward. If your business is eligible to be verified this way, it will be there when you click “Verify Location”. Choosing this option means you will verify the account using your phone, so make sure you have it in close proximity. Ideally, business owners should use their business’ phone so they have immediate access to it.
Expect to receive the verification code within moments from choosing this option. Once you have the code, simply enter the verification code and you are done.
Another option is to verify via email, and it works in much the same way as a phone confirmation. Choose an email you have access to, preferably your business email, because your verification code will be sent there. Just click on the verify button and check your email for the code. Take note that some companies are not eligible for email and phone verification.
If you are not eligible for either of those methods, or if you just prefer it, you can have it verified through snail mail. The only downside to regular mail verification is that it may take some time. These may take up to two weeks to arrive. While waiting, avoid changing your business name, category, or address. Do not request for another postcard while waiting for the first one.
Once you have it, you can take the 5-digit code from the postcard and use it to verify your location on Google Maps.
Remember to provide complete and correct information. Many business owners make simple mistakes when filling up forms and the impact is much bigger than they realize. Putting in the wrong contact details, for example, will prevent customers from reaching you. This is a huge waste, especially if they are actually interested in doing business with you. They might not try to contact you again, as it appears unprofessional.
MasterMindSEO encourages business owners to double check or triple check their information.
Every single piece of information in your profile will help lead your customers to your business. To make things more convenient for them, all of your business’ information is compiled in one location. By giving detailed information, you are allowing Google to accurately assess the type of service you provide. This makes it easier for the search engine to match you with the right customers.
Filling out this information also protects the business from griefing. This means others can use Google’s “Suggest an Edit” function to fill them out with misinformation.
Pay special attention to your company’s description, services, service area, and schedule. This will protect the business from griefing and help clients find it more easily.

Google My Business Photos

Setting the right photos for your GMB profile is a good way to help potential customers to visualize your products, services, etc. From these photos, they may decide whether or not to do business with you. Again, in this day and age, your social profile is very important to your brand.
Businesses with photos receive 42 percent more requests for driving directions to their locations. They also enjoy 32 percent more clicks through to their websites than those businesses that don’t have pictures. Humans are visual creatures. It is also much easier for people to trust an establishment that they can see. They know what your building looks like, what the products look like, etc.
Therefore, having professional-looking photos of your business in your GMB profile is a big deal. Having photos is better than not having photos. But having great photos is even better because it increases your chances of converting a client.
It may not seem like it at first, but having professional photos is a big deal.
This also applies to the cover photo of your business in the GMB profile. For the purposes of optimization, your business’ cover photo serves as an essential piece. It is the centerpiece of your listing. Select one that you feel showcases the best side of your company. It establishes your brand with a single photo, so choose it strategically. If it feels entirely on brand with your corporate image, people are more likely to trust you.
For your GMB profile photo, try to use pictures with a minimum resolution of 720 x 720 pixels. Stick with JPG or PNG files as they take less time to load. Google recommends three pictures of exteriors, interiors, employees, rooms, and staff.
Google also recommends that you include one image per common area, one per product, and one per service you provide.
Last but not the least, make sure you add an appropriate video for your Google My Business profile. Other companies may say this is optional, but for business owners who want to optimize their Google Maps marketing, this is one way to take it to another level.
MasterMindSEO recommends adding a GMB video so that the company doesn’t miss out on a golden marketing opportunity.
As the internet becomes more audiovisual, people are looking for things that can catch their eye. If your GMB profile is able to attract their attention and keep it, then they will not hesitate to buy from you. Higher bandwidths and connection speeds even on mobile devices allow for seamless integration of video content. There is no reason not to have a featured video on your listing.
Another benefit of having a video for your Google My Business profile is that users are far more likely to share and like video content. The more they share the video, the more eyes it will attract—the more you can earn from it.
Create a promotional video that showcases the business, its products, and its people. The GMB profile is the perfect place to put it. Keep the video interesting and informative to get the best results. If you don’t have one yet, consider investing in one—also professionally made. But if you do not have the resources for a professional video at the moment, go and shoot one yourself. Make it look professional, and make sure it shows your business in its best light.
Still, if you can invest in a professional video along the line, go for it. The business will grow over time, and continuously upgrading your GMB profile is a good way to showcase this growth.
If the business owner chooses to shoot the video themselves, they need to keep it at 30 seconds or shorter so that viewers are inclined to watch the whole thing. Any longer than that and they will certainly get bored. The promotional video needs to be concise, informative, and to the point.
Keep the video file at 100 MB or smaller, but try to use 720p resolution.

Using Reviews to Optimize
Google My Business

As we have discussed previously, reviews are some of the most effective tools in a business owner’s arsenal. Reviews are a form of word of mouth marketing. They can encourage prospects to trust the business.
These testimonials are almost entirely out of your hands, however, because the best way to get positive feedback is by doing it organically. There is no way to directly influence reviews.
But there are ways to enhance your Google My Business profile with the help of reviews. The reviews may be out of your hands, but you can always respond to existing ones.
This encourages potential customers to give their own feedback. Even just thanking the reviewer for taking the time to talk about your business can lead to a meaningful conversation. At the very least, it makes the reviewer feel acknowledged. It may motivate other users to do the same.
Responding to reviews every now and then gives the business an image of approachability. Just make sure you don’t give a simple canned response to every single review. Try to customize it accordingly, or else it will sound inauthentic. People might even think you are a bot.
Whenever possible, acknowledge and address negative reviews as well. If you ignore these reviews, they may harm the brand’s reputation. Negative reviews need a more personal touch. It is important to deal with each concern with compassion and understanding.
If solutions have been provided and changes have been made, make sure you include those in your response as well. Ask them if they would like to talk through the problem in more detail and have them contact you.

Google My Business Posts

Optimizing Google My Business is all about taking advantage of everything the platform has to offer. This includes GMB posts. It is another powerful tool that you should be taking advantage of. Think of it as a platform to advertise new services or even exciting new content, but instead of posting them on social media or buying ad space, you are posting them on Google My Business.
This should prompt potential customers to find and interact with your business in a meaningful way. Simply looking at your posts is a display of interest. This means if your post engages with them and catches their attention, they are probably going to buy from you.
This is something that we can consider as an “advertisement meets social media” sort of platform.
Creating a new post is simple. Go to your Google My Business dashboard and select Posts from the left menu. Write your post and make sure you include appropriate call-to-actions to accompany your content. This is something you should do in any post or piece of advertisement.
Combine your best advertisement content with interesting information about your business. Talk about the staff, the products, or the services: anything that might make the brand more appealing to other people.
When creating content, MasterMindSEO suggests showing off your company’s best side while also incorporating conversion tools. This opens clients up to your products and services.
GMB posts should be handled by your community manager, just like your posts on social media. MasterMindSEO can also handle this for you. But if the business

Google My Business Insights

Once you have optimized your profile, it is time to track your progress by looking at your stats. Google My Business Insights or GMB Insights gives you a lot of significant information on how your profile is performing. It also tells you about what particular elements visitors respond to.
MasterMindSEO helps you keep track of these stats so you never have to worry about it. But business owners should feel free to stay updated by paying attention.
Insights is a GMB platform that gives you analytics, which can be viewed by week, month, or quarter.
It presents useful stats that companies should keep an eye on such as photo views, phone calls, customer actions, how customers found your business, etc.
To view these stats, just select Insights on your Google My Business dashboard. You can also download the reports going back up to eighteen months.

Google My Business Optimization and Benefits

Now we have covered most of the basics that every business owner needs to know. There are still advanced tools, tips, and techniques that can further help companies step up their game. Working with MasterMindSEO allows the business owner to not only adapt to the shifting business landscape, but also take advantage of the technological advancements of this era.
With GMB optimization, your business will not just survive, but thrive in a highly competitive market.
Your Google Maps presence can significantly increase the number of customers visiting your business. Not only that, you can also expect more calls from prospects with inquiries. You can then work on converting these leads into sales.
GMB also allows businesses to give customers everything they need to know right away, allowing you to establish trust. Appearing in Google Maps makes the business more trustworthy in the eyes of customers.
Work with the experts today. Work with MasterMindSEO and learn more about the advanced techniques and methods you can use to take your business to even greater heights.
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