If you are looking for more leads, more sales, and more profit for your business then your business should be making the most of Google My Business (GMB for short). What is Google My Business? Great question! This article will explain all.
What is Google My Business?
Google My Business can be at a simplest be explained as a business directory provided by Google. But it is much more. Google My Business allows you to manage a free listing to showcase your business, get reviews for your business and allow customers to directly connect with customers from the listing. Best of all it is free.
Why do you need a Google My Business GMB listing?
If you are looking for free traffic for your website, free leads for your business then having a GMB Listing is a must. Your free listing can get your business to the top of Google with or without a website. Yes, you read that right – with or without a website.
You see all the results for local search is driven not by what is on your website – it is driven by the directory listing on Google My Business. Your website if you have one is not one of the major factors in the how your listing ranks (if your listing appears at the top).
So where do these listing appear? They appear in three places:
#1 GMB listings get you found in Google Research Results
If Google search detects that you are doing a local search i.e., Plumbers in Stoke or Dentists Near Me the results will be generated using Googles local search algorithm. The results presented back will be in the following order:
- Paid for search results (you know the ads that everybody ignores)
- The three top map results – provided from Google My Business also known as “The Google 3-pack” or the “Local-Pack” appear next.
- Organic search results generated from website content.
So, you see – no matter how good your website is and if ranks well on Google, for local search an optimised GMB listing is going to beat the results and gain a place higher up on the page.
According to stats from Google, 46% of all searches are local The GMB ‘three-pack’ of results appear in 93% of all local searches.
#2 GMB listings drive the search results in Google Maps
Searching in the Google Maps application or the Google Maps site on desktop generates a list of results purely from – yes, you guessed it right: Google My Business. No web results are shown here. Customers searching on Google Maps are looking for services near them and are looking to visit or call a business soon. Your listing is likely to be the only thing these customers will see before contacting you or visiting you. Not your website. Having a optimised and highly ranked Google My Business listing is essential to getting more leads and visits to your business.
#3 GMB Listings Appear in Mobile Searches
Mobile search has now overtaken desktop. In Q1 2019, 62% of Google searches were mobile. This means GMB listings are being used more than ever by potential customers to find a local business. These are often people that are out and about and want you are selling. Do you that people searching locally normally have a buying intent. These may be thirsty customers looking for a coffee shop or someone in an emergency that needs a plumber NOW!!! These are not people who are wanting to research your business for later but people who need your business today.
GMB Listings are the ultimate online showcase for your business
Clicking any of the listings for GMB results will result in the full directory listing being shown. This is much, much more than the free business name and telephone number you used to get in those big yellow books that used to get pushed for your letterbox. These are phone blown business listing containing great stuff to showcase your business. Stuff like:
- Your business details including your website
- A full business description (up to 750 characters to sell your business)
- Product and service descriptions
- Photos for images, showcasing work, showing off your staff and premises.
- Reviews to help build trust through social proofing.
Local Search by Numbers
Here are some surprising stats for you:
- 53% of business are yet to claim and optimise their Google My Business listing and missing out on valuable leads and new customers. This is a great opportunity to get in before your competition does.
- Searches with local intent are more likely to lead to store visits and sales within a day. Google research says that 50% of mobile users are most likely to visit after conducting a local search
- 34% of consumers searching on tablets or computers will go to a store.
- 47% of searches on Google are local searches. Local searches for businesses and services result in Google My Business listings shown BEFORE the website results.
At MapHero, we believe local SEO and optimising your Google My Business listing represents the best opportunity for local businesses to be found online by new customers looking to buy goods and services locally!
Business is about location, location, location. If you want more local business you need to secure your place on the High Street, the internets High Street is Google. Contact us to find out how to secure your prime location at the top of search engines today.