The world of search engine optimization, or SEO, there are a plethora of tools and strategies to keep up with in order to ensure that your business remains at the top of Google’s search results page. One of those tools is a free one from Google themselves called a Google My Business listing, and it is a crucial piece of solving the puzzle of local SEO. How does local SEO work though, and what purpose does your Google My Business listing play in it? That’s what we’re taking a look at today, so let’s dive in!
Understanding Local SEO
Local SEO is the strategy of optimizing your business’ online presence in order to take advantage of searches in and around your area of operation. While the practice of general SEO is often used to target a broader audience, local SEO is geared more towards users and potential customers searching for something in your general area. For example, if someone searches “ Wedding photographers in ___”, photographers that have a grasp on and use local SEO have a better chance of showing up in the search results for the location that the user is searching for.
The Importance of Local SEO
Increased Visibility and Traffic
“I’m on top of my stuff when it comes to SEO, do I really need to focus on it at the local level?” While having a strong presence with general SEO can certainly boost your rankings at the local search level, ignoring a tool that’s entire purpose is to improve those numbers is just handicapping your business’ growth! Local SEO exists to give a search engine’s users a more streamlined and simple experience. By using this tool, and in turn helping Google find the information its users are searching for more quickly, you’ll be bringing more users and views to your site, and if done correctly this will lead to more conversions.
Targeted Reach
Local SEO is an incredibly powerful tool for photographers that are looking to book sessions in a primary area. If you don’t want to travel for your weddings or sessions, local SEO is a key tool in making sure that you’re getting in front of more searches that are related to your target area. This can be hugely impactful for smaller businesses that are just starting out, especially in less saturated markets.
Competitive Advantage
While local SEO and Google My Business listings are certainly more impactful for businesses with an actual location and storefront, they still offer a competitive advantage to businesses without that designated space. Any company that is willingly not taking advantage of local SEO is putting themselves at a serious disadvantage in comparison to their competitors. Many users on Google want to view as few options as possible. Their time is valuable, and they want to find the answer to their query quickly. You should be doing everything in your power to get your page to the top of the search engine results page (SERP), and local SEO is a great way to work towards that!
What is Google My Business
Google My Business, sometimes referred to as GMB, is a free tool offered by Google that gives business owners more freedom with how their business is represented on Google. When you search for a business in a specific area Google will then present a separate ‘Business’ section with 3 businesses listed along with their location on Google Maps. This is called the ‘Local Pack’ and is the coveted location businesses targeting local SEO want to reach. Clicking on one of these pages will bring you to Google maps and in turn the respective companies Google My Business listing with the other 2 businesses and more listed below.
For a more specific search this can take the form of a popup on the right hand side of the SERP with a single business listed, this also is displaying their GMB listing. Either way, these Google My Business listings are some of the first things users see when searching for a business, which is why local SEO is SO important.
Key Components of a GMB Profile
- Business Information: This includes your business name, address, phone number, email, hours, and services provided.
- Images: Having high quality images that showcase your work as a photographer are a great way at catching the eye of a potential client.
- Description: A brief but thorough description to give users an idea of what it is like to work with you and where your expertise lies. This is also a great space to target local keywords and key phrases!
- Reviews: Your reviews are SUCH an important part of your GMB profile, something we’re going to talk about more in depth later.
Google’s Measurements for Local SEO
Google determines where pages end up on its local SERP using 3 separate measurements. Relevance, Distance, and Prominence.
- Relevance: How relevant your business and services are in regards to the user’s search query. This is where the importance of including your business details and description into your Google My Business listing comes into play to boost your local SEO ranking.
- Distance: How close your business is to the location the user is searching for. When setting up your GMB profile you’ll either set a business location or an area that you service which is what Google uses to determine this.
- Prominence: To put it simply this is how popular and well known a business is. Google tends to trust larger and more established businesses and put them ahead in this category. There’s no way to pay to rank higher here.
Best Practices for Optimizing GMB for Local SEO
Complete Your Profile
Fill in all relevant information accurately and comprehensively. When you do this you’ll want to do an audit of your website as well as all of your different forms of social media to ensure that all of the information you’re displaying is accurate and consistent. Clients notice discrepancies and will be less inclined to continue using your site/pages and in turn Google will notice this and promote your page less.
Add High Quality Photos
Businesses with a physical storefront will use this section to showcase photos of their location and their products, but even if you don’t have a physical storefront (as in the case of photography), the principle remains the same for using this section. Use high quality images of some of your favorite work that represents your brand to catch the eye of users and potential clients. Showcase work that you truly feel represents your brand and your work as a photographer to catch the attention of your ideal client.
Encourage Customer Reviews
Studies have shown that most users on Google trust Google reviews similarly to how much they trust a recommendation from a friend. As such, having multiple positive reviews on your Google My Business profile is a surefire way to boost your credibility in the world of local SEO. Encourage your clients to leave reviews on your business page citing the things they love most about their experience. A key part of this too is to respond to reviews as well, both positive and negative. This shows Google that you’re engaged with its users, and you can use these responses to target certain keywords to boost your SEO further!
Regularly Update Information
Last but not least in making sure your Google My Business listing is performing its best in terms of local SEO is to make sure you update your information regularly. This can be something simple like a change in the hours you work each day, or something huge like transitioning from photographing weddings to only boudoir photography. No matter what it is, updating your information on your GMB listing helps to let potential clients know accurate information about you, and shows Google that you are actively trying to give its users the best experience possible!
As you can see, your Google My Business listing is a vital element in growing your business’ presence in local SEO! It’s such a powerful tool that gives you so much control over what Google’s users see when they first stumble across your website that it HAS to be a priority of yours in order to excel in the world of SEO. For more tips on running your business effectively in this online world be sure to check out the other posts on our blog, and if this is all sounding like too much to handle on your own consider hiring us for our SEO services to take the stress off your plate!
View comments
+ Leave a comment