If you want new customers, you’ve got to show up for them – in their homes when you’re scheduled for a service call, but just as importantly in their search results when they’re looking for help. For marketers, local search is a critical component of a successful digital strategy for reaching prospects in your service area.
So, you’ve got search engine optimization (SEO), which every known business in the world uses to get higher on the search results page. You’ve got search engine marketing (SEM), which is when you buy ads that appear alongside organic (non-paid) search results. Then you bring in Google My Business, which focuses on local results – so that your business can appear in Maps and other ways in Search.
Google My Business is the free Google tool that’s designed to help you improve results in local searches in the search engine giant. It can display a shortcut for essential information, such as phone number, website address and hours of operation. (Bing has Bing Places for Business.) Also, remember to include a photo with your listing, which can help your results.
The local tool also allows you to collect and respond to reviews – a big deal because reviews are increasingly important to local page success. People tend to trust the comments of actual customers, although they unnerve companies who fear a negative post. Remember, that’s your opportunity to respond, apologize for any problem and offer a solution.
A newer feature, Google Posts, allows you to promote a special offer or free report or tell about a new product or service. Like an ad, you can use a photo, description and URL to click for more info. With Posts, you publish updates directly to Google Search and Maps.
So claim your Google My Business listing, which (fortunately for you) is where most people stop. Then do something with it. We’ll help with this to improve your local search.