Small Business Success Online Is Dependent on Google My Business

_Mind Your Mountain Business

Google is a household word and for good reason. Every day, billions of users carry out their searches on Google to find anything from nearby coffee shops, the best local automotive repair, to even news about their favorite brands and celebrities!

92% of all searches are made on Google
&
46% of those searches have a local search intent.

They are looking for local services like yours and Google My Business is a very important tool for potential new customers to find you.

What is Google My Business and how does it affect your small business?

Here’s YOUR assignment:
Open your phone or laptop and conduct a Google search for “Roofers Near Me”. The results will depend on where you are located but here is a screenshot of mine showing the Google My Business Section.

When people conduct searches for local services and businesses, Google will often return three categories of results – paid, Google My Business Profiles, and organic results.

Ads – Sponsored
Paid are simply the returns at the very top where you see the Ad and Sponsored results. These are controlled by pay-per-click advertising through Google Ads. The more a business is willing to pay-per-click for a keyword phrase, the more likely they pop up in this section.
Google My Business (GMB) Profiles
The next area is the Google My Business (GMB) Profile section. It includes the top three listings from Google My Business Profile which have been deemed sufficiently relevant and prominent for your area by Google – so you can see what other great places are around! You will see the top three GMB results but there is a More Businesses button that will show you even more listings around your area. You cannot pay for GMB placements. But it does take work to get your business to the top of the 3-pack.
Organic Results
In the lower section are the organic results. Organic results on Google search are the naturally occurring results that are not paid for and typically appear below the paid ads. Organic results are determined by many factors including website content, page optimization, backlinks, social media engagement, and organic search engine optimization (SEO).

I could go on and on about how you can improve your website’s organic search results but this conversation is about Google My Business.

GMB By The Numbers

• 64% of Google searchers use Google My Business (GMB) to find contact details for a local business
• 90% of people read reviews found on GMB before purchasing or even visiting a business
• There was a 61% increase in calls from Google My Business from January 2020 to July 2020
• Businesses included in Google Local 3-Pack receive from 40% to 60% of their total traffic and half of all website clicks from the listing.
• After searching on a mobile phone for services or products nearby, 76% of searchers end up visiting the business within 24 hours.

Google My Business is a great way for you to capture customer information, manage your listing, and improve your ranking with Google. To put yourself in the best possible position for success, you should create a GMB account. This will allow customers to find your business while searching on Google and it can help you rank higher when they do so!

GMB can mean more phone calls and website visits. Also, an increase in foot traffic, new customers, and greater bottom-line results

Establish A Successful GMB
You must take steps with your GMB page too – like adding accurate information about what services or products you offer, accurate contact information, and hours of operation. You should add interior/exterior/work-related images, company logos, and updates about your business.
You can book appointments and take phone calls directly from your GMB listing.

You can build your positive reviews on Google My Business, which as I mentioned before, is very important.
Answering the reviews is a great start toward promoting your small business. When the review is positive you don’t have to answer all of them but you could begin with a simple “Thank You”.

Here are some examples from Google to get you started:

• “Thank you! We hope to see you again soon.”
• “Thanks for sharing your experience.”
• “We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed your experience.”

Positive reviews are great and simple to address. But there will be negative reviews also. The secret to the negative ones is to respond. They may hurt. They may sting. But the payoff to listening and responding can make a huge difference to your online success.

Check these negative response pointers from Google:

• Respond in a timely manner. Customers will appreciate prompt responses.
• Stay professional and courteous. Never lash out and avoid taking the review personally.
• Understand your customer’s experience with your business before responding. If someone mentions a problem with a product or service, investigate to see what may have gone wrong. Be honest about mistakes made and steps you’ve taken (or will take) to remedy the situation.
• Apologize when appropriate but don’t take responsibility for things that weren’t your fault. Show compassion and empathy for the customer.
• Offer to talk it over. If this is the first you’re hearing of the complaint, invite the customer to email or call so that you can try to sort out the matter with them.
• Show that you’re authentic and genuine. Sign off with your name or initials to show you’re taking the matter seriously and that a real person is listening.

If you haven’t already, you should set up your Google My Business account, or claim yours if it already exists. Once you demonstrate to Google (they send a card with a code to you in 3-5 business days) that you are authorized to edit the listing, you can begin one of the most important online tools for your small business.

Putting Google Small Business to work for you does take some work but the payoff can be great for your Mountain Small Business.

If you need help with your Google My Business, contact Digital Marketing Expert, Lee Cloer at https://LeeCloer.com Websites | Online Marketing | Logos | Digital Graphics