Benefits of having a Google My Business (GMB) profile

You’ve probably done a Google search at some point looking for restaurants near you or a flower shop in your area. Most likely the businesses that show as a result of your search query have a GMB page – otherwise, they wouldn’t have shown up -. Google My Business allows you to list your business location on Google Maps and local search results. You can display important information such as the opening/closing times, contact details, or a link to your website. Here are some key benefits of having a GMB profile.

1- Customers can easily find your store

Setting up your GMB listing is one of the simplest and most effective ways of making your business be found online. Your GMB listing has seamless integration with Google Maps, which means it’s easier for customers to navigate to your shopfront as well as boost the organic visibility of your business on Google. With Google Maps directions, users can get directions to your business in one tap. Additionally, they can access important contact details and business hours. The easier it is for new customers to reach your store, the more likely they’ll be to have a positive association with your brand and the higher the chances of turning those users into paying customers.

2- You can improve your local SEO

Google My Business can be one of the best ways to reach leads when they’re ready to convert. By optimizing your GMB listing, you can assure your business shows up when interested customers are searching for what you offer in your local area. Whether they search directly into Google or through Google Maps, your business will appear at the top of the search results. By setting up your profile with the right information, keywords, and business category, you can get your business listing in front of valuable online visitors. This can help expand your presence in local search results and make it more likely for potential customers to find your business.

3- GMB helps build social proof through customer reviews

Customer reviews are one thing that should never be underestimated, especially when it comes to search rankings. According to statistics, 68% of customers consult reviews before deciding to trust a business. Additionally, 93% of customers are influenced by reviews when deciding what to buy. While marketing tactics can be a useful way to reach new targets, nothing is more convincing than the words of a trustworthy, external customer. Thus, if you want your business to be visible in the search results, it’s important to make it easy for your customers to leave feedback on your GMB profile. Ultimately, potential buyers want to know if other consumers have had a positive experience with your business before they choose you. By showing your positive Google reviews, you can win the trust of potential shoppers and help them move down the path to purchase with ease.

4- Find powerful insights about your customers

From your GMB listing you can actually score powerful analytics and insights that give you a deeper understanding of how your listing is performing in the organic search results. You can get information about your audience and discover the gender, age, and location of searchers who find your GMB listing. You can also see which posts are generating the most engagement from searchers as well as see how many times your profile has been seen by visitors. Other important insights include learning what keywords searchers are using to discover your business (a great tool to improve your SEO strategy) and discovering how many users are visiting your website from your Google business listing.

Nowadays, having a Google My Business profile is an essential part of any business’s online presence. This is so because oftentimes it’s the first place customers look for up-to-date information about your brand/store. If you have not taken the time to create and optimize a GMB, contact us today to get started and avoid missing out on one of the best ways of appearing in Google search results.