Google My Business has been releasing features nonstop since they announced the closure of Google+. With so many features, it can be overwhelming to figure out your Google My Business strategy. Using these new features will increase your business’s online presence!
- Questions and Answers
As a business owner, you probably spend a lot of time answering the same ten questions from new and potential clients. The questions and answer feature on Google My Business allows you to post commonly asked questions with answers on your Google listing, so that people can easily see some of your most frequently asked questions. When potential customers have a question, they can ask it on your knowledge graph in search results, and you can respond on behalf of your company. It’s important to note that other people can also respond, so monitoring your listing is important to make sure that incorrect answers or spam are flagged appropriately, and that you answer questions in a timely matter.
- Google Posts
Google posts allow GMB users to share upcoming sales, events, specials, and more. The posts can be up to three hundred words long, staying active for 7 days in Google Search knowledge graph results. Google may help listings that take advantage of Google-owned features and products (such as posts!) and this will improve your rankings over time. The higher your rankings, the more likely customers are to click on your website, call your phone, or get in contact with your team.
- Cohesive Business Information
Many third-party apps pull their business data from Google, so having a complete listing will help ensure that your information stays accurate across platforms. Have you ever found your business listed on a third-party website that had inaccurate hours, locations, or details? Google has more than 73% of all internet searches, so making sure the number one search engine has your information up-to-date will help your overall internet presence. It’s not a cure-all, as not every third-party website pulls their information from Google, but it’s a huge step in the right direction as you develop your company’s online presence.
- Review Management
Google My Business is essentially a free marketing tool. When used properly, it can be one of the biggest assets to your online portfolio. People can leave reviews on your listing, similar to Yelp or other review platforms, and company owners can respond to reviews. There are two key ways that you can, and should, be using Google My Business review management tools. Our Reputation Management System allows you to conveniently and quickly respond to reviews on a variety of platforms, including Google My Business. First, you can respond to great reviews by thanking them for supporting your business. It’s important to make prior customers feel like they play an important role in your company’s success. Second, bad reviews can be devastating to a growing company and being able to take responsibility for mistakes and fix the situation is a proven tactic.
- Listing Descriptions
Google now allows a 750-character description of your company on your Google My Business profile. You should take great care to make sure that your listing is, of course, clean, grammatically correct, and optimized for SEO. If you’re not sure what that means, our team at Fusion Tech media can help set up and manage your Google My Business page, including writing your description, to ensure that it’s set up to best increase your organic SEO rankings.
It’s estimated that 56% of businesses have not been claimed by their owners. By claiming your business page and taking advantage of the constantly improving features that Google releases, you can help your company increase its online rankings which helps drive conversions and increase revenue.
