Maximize Your Google My Business Account

Regularly Post Updates And Special Offers 

Posts on GMB are great ways to communicate special offers, new products, safety information, and news updates. If the post you’ve chosen includes an option to include media, take advantage of the opportunity. According to Google, people engage more with posts that have photos, videos, or GIFs in them.

• Sign in to Google My Business and open the location you’d like to manage.
• From the left-hand menu, click “Posts.”
• Choose the post you’d like to create from the options given (offer, event, product, update).
• Enter the relevant information in each field.
• Your text should include details and be concise. Avoid commercial slang and too much punctuation.
• Click Preview to double-check formatting and spelling. If you need to make an edit, click the back arrow.
• When you’re ready, click Publish. 

Upload Photos

When you create your Google My Business profile, you can add a logo and cover photo—similarly to Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Without these images, it will be harder for people to recognize your brand online. 

With photos, you can show off your location, products, or job sites by posting more photos. If you run a restaurant, post pictures of your meals, menus, and dining room. Make sure they look professional and aren’t low resolution. We recommend uploading photos that are at least 1280x1080. Google claims that businesses with pictures receive 42% more requests for directions and 35% more clicks through to their websites.  

• Sign in to Google My Business.
• Open the profile you’d like to manage.
• Click “Photos” from the menu.
• Choose the photo you’d like to add
• Upload your photos from your computer or choose the one you’ve already uploaded.
• Post news, updates, and special offers

Collect And Respond To Customer Reviews 

Customers love engagement, and you can create more engagement by engaging with them. Sounds easy, right? Responding to your customers only takes a bit of time out of your day, but the impact that it can have on your customer loyalty is massive. Everybody loves to be heard, and the more that your customers feel like they are being heard, the more likely it will be that the customers experience your company as positive and trustworthy. 

You can also encourage customers to leave a review of your business. An excellent review can make other customers choose your services to fulfill their needs. Make sure you answer all questions and reviews, even the negative ones. This will show people that your business is active, reliable, and professional. You can create a custom link that will make it much easier for your customers to leave you a review and can save you some future hassle. 

• Go to the dashboard and click on “Info.”
• Then, click “add the short name.”  
• Enter the name you want and voila! Your link is created!

Incorporate Keywords 

With the endless amount of businesses out there, it’s hard to stand out. Your Google My Business profile is THE way for you to set your company apart from the rest. 

There are thousands of people searching the Internet every single day. You should incorporate keywords (that these people are searching for) that will attract more customers to your business. Here are a couple of questions that will help you find the best and most successful keywords for your business.  

• What are your primary services? 
• What are your core values as a business? 
• Where would you like your business to be?
• What sets your company apart from the competition? 
• What can customers expect while conducting business with you? 

Determine Primary And Secondary Categories 

Even if you have determined the relevant keywords, photos, and location, it is necessary to put your business in the right category and subcategories. Google My Business offers unique features for each category. If you are in the restaurant category, it may be helpful for you to use the “Menu” feature that Google offers, so that your customers can make an easier decision. Choosing the wrong category for your business can make you miss out on some of these unique and helpful features. 

Google My Business lets you choose up to 10 of these categories, so you must determine for yourself which of these categories are vital for your services and arrange them by importance. You can add or edit these categories.

• Click on “Info.
• Go to “Add attributes” and select “Edit.” 
• A search bar will appear, and you’ll be able to find or create categories for your business.
• Afterward, click “apply” to save the added attributes. 

Ready to start on expert GMB optimization? Call today at (650) 383-1865 to boost your online presence!