We’ve all been there; You’re out on the town with friends, and it’s late at night, and you are all of a sudden hungry – what do you do? Well, like most, you’ll probably go to Google, type in the kind of food you want, and see what shows up.

Once you search, Google will recommend 3 options to you first, which is called the Local 3 Pack; the holy grail of Google organic marketing and why Google My Business (GMB) is such a sought-after platform.

So what actually is Google My Business?

In a short and simple answer, it’s a business-centric platform that allows your company to be visible on Google Maps!

Some of the main features are:

Photo Integration

When it comes to people buying products or services, it’s all about the visuals!

Just imagine being in a clothing store and having blurry photos of your clothing… If you were a customer looking at that business, would you trust them or think that they’re the best in town? Probably not.

GMB allows you to upload your best content (photos and videos) to show why you’re the best in the business; and just like anything, the more great visuals and content you have, the better your chances of converting more “visitors” to customers!

People Can Leave Reviews!

Having a customer leave a good review for your business is the ultimate compliment because it shows that all your hard work paid off to that individual! 

People will always appreciate great customer service, and exceptional products, and your reward for doing so is a 5-star review which benefits you long-term as 89% of customers will look for an online review of a company or product before they make their decision.

Not really a surprising statistic if we’re being honest.

Let’s say you own a pizzeria. When people Google your business and see multiple reviews saying that the pizza and service is outstanding – giving five stars – the potential customer who sees that review is more likely to now come and try what you have to offer. 

On the contrary, if people see a whole bunch of 1-star or negative reviews, that can actually deter business and give the impression that business isn’t a place to go/shop.

Stay on top of your customers and try to convert as many positive reviews as possible!

You Can Share Live Posts

This is such a great feature as it brings a “social media-like” integration to your Google My Business profile.

Google live posts will not only light up search results but also keep people in the loop with what’s currently going on with your business like discounts, happy customers, new products, highlighting the success stories of your company, staff or even educating people about your industry and why you’re the best!

Posts consist of an image, caption, and a Call-To-Action button (Learn more, Reserve, Sign up, Buy, Get offer).

Posts will stay live for seven days, and after that, will hide into an accessible list on the bottom of your profile.

It Improves Your Local Presence (Local SEO)

Local SEO or Local Search Engine Optimization is a massive driving force to attracting new local business.

It’s all about local presence with Local SEO, which is why the categories you choose will have a big impact on how people find you when they’re searching for products and services.

Now, Local SEO isn’t to be confused with Website SEO, as Local SEO just deals with Google My Business only, NOT your website.

And if you’re a local business, there’s no reason to do Website SEO really anyways as it focuses on the entire world, where local SEO focuses on your specific geographic area – which means those consumers looking at your business are a lot more likely to walk through your front door!

With 81% of the world having a smartphone, the first thing that anyone does when looking for something is search on Google. You only get one chance to make a first impression – people make up their minds quickly, so it’s essential you get it right.

So there you have it; as you can see having a GMB account gives you access to these critical tools, which can give your business that boost you’ve been looking for.

Our Local SEO team is the best in the business when it comes to local presence.

We’ll not only rank you top 3 in your local area for 1 keyword minimum in 90 days, but we’ll also work hard each month to ensure your profile looks amazing and has great content, so you’re able to convert more people to customers!

Take your local presence to the next level – call or click below to get started!

(437) 317-4452 | yourlistingexpert.com/listing-packages

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Sources

https://www.google.com/intl/en_ca/business/ 

https://localiq.com/blog/google-my-business-benefits/ 

https://www.oberlo.ca/blog/online-review-statistics#:~:text=Online%20Review%20Statistics-,1.,products%20(Trustpilot%2C%202020).  

https://searchengineland.com/google-posts-now-live-google-business-users-277710 

https://www.google.com/search?q=google+reviews&rlz=1C5CHFA_enCA831CA831&sxsrf=AOaemvK6XUli7R7ZSqt8n6rfjtUVqvWY3w:1637683502896&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjs5sa77q70AhXXjYkEHViLCrIQ_AUoAnoECAEQBA&biw=1440&bih=821&dpr=1#imgrc=3NK_oo1nibRmoM