{"id":16580,"date":"2019-08-22T09:34:52","date_gmt":"2019-08-22T14:34:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/?p=16580"},"modified":"2019-08-26T16:21:06","modified_gmt":"2019-08-26T21:21:06","slug":"optimize-google-my-business-listing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/optimize-google-my-business-listing\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Optimize Your Google My Business Listing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SEO is expensive, competitive, and hard. But there are many free tools you can use to do optimize your search rankings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Google My Business is a free tool offered by Google for business owners to manage how their information is listed in search. With Google My Business, you can manage your location on Google maps, the knowledge graph, and online reviews. If you have a local business, you will definitely want to set up your business location on Google My Business so people can find you when they search in Google Maps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Half of consumers<\/a> that do a local search on their smartphone end up visiting a store they found there that same day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When people do a search in Google, they\u2019ll see a map and a list of the top three local listings that are nearby, before they see any other results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In local searches like this one, users get plenty of information on those top three choices right away – they can see both how other customers have rated each of them and exactly how far away they are. For most consumers, that\u2019s enough information to make a decision and head out, without ever bothering to scroll further down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For local businesses, it’s equally important make sure that your Google My Business Listing is optimized. Here’s how to optimize your Google My Business listing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. Set up your Google Business Listing (if you haven\u2019t yet).<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first step is to set up (or claim) your Google My Business Listing. Go to Google\u2019s My Business page<\/a> and click 'Start Now'\u009d in the upper left corner. Then fill in every relevant field that Google offers. You want to make sure the profile is as complete as possible and that every piece of information is accurate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Don’t have a store front or physical location? <\/strong>You should still have a Google My Business listing! When you first create your Google My Business account, the set up wizard will ask if you want to add a location that customers can visit. If you answer no, you can list your business as a “service area business”<\/a> to indicate which cities or postal codes you cover. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Choose a relevant, specific category.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The category you choose will help Google decide which searches your local listing belongs in. You have to choose from the list of available categories, you can\u2019t create your own. If there\u2019s not a specific category that describes what your business is, settle on a more general one that still describes it accurately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If possible though, you want to go for the most specific category available. 'Grocery Store'\u009d is a more competitive term than 'Gourmet Grocery Store'\u009d or 'Indian Grocery Store.'\u009d The latter categories are more likely to land you in the top three for relevant searches, especially if you\u2019re in a city with a lot of grocery stores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3. Load quality, high-resolution images.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Photos help your listing to stand out and give potential customers a glimpse of what to expect.  Make sure you use high-quality images that make your business look good and show off your products (if you sell physical products).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider hiring a Google approved photographer<\/a> to create a 360-view virtual tour of your business for customers. According to Google, listings that have a virtual tour and photos generate twice as much interest as those without.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4. Make sure your information matches everywhere else.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One thing Google\u2019s algorithm looks at to verify the legitimacy of a listing is a consistency in how it\u2019s listed across different websites. While that seems simple enough your address is the same each time you enter it somewhere it\u2019s easy for little differences to slip in. Maybe you wrote out the Road part of the street name one time, and shortened it to Rd another time, for instance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pick a standard way to write out your address, a consistent phone number to use, and make sure all your listings match both each other and the information you provide on your website. And work on getting your website listed in as many relevant directories<\/a> as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Use a local number.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In addition to keeping your phone number consistent between your different listings, it\u2019s also important to use a phone number with a local area code. That\u2019s one extra signal to Google that you are actually local. Make sure the number you use for your Google My Business listing is also displayed somewhere on your home page or whatever landing page you link to from your Google listing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Avoid penalty-inducing offenses.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Any work you do to optimize your website or local listing will be for naught if you incur a penalty. Google suspends business listings<\/a> for a range of offenses. Getting suspended is stressful, confusing, and bad for business, so it\u2019s best to avoid doing anything that puts you at risk of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read through Google\u2019s guidelines for Google My Business listings<\/a> so you have a full understanding of what not to do. Some of the main things to avoid are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n