What are the Benefits of Using Google My Business for Your Local SEO?

Updated on Nov 23, 2023

The landscape for local businesses has undergone a profound transformation. The Internet has become the go-to resource for consumers seeking information about nearby services and products. Local SEO is a game-changer that no local business should overlook. Picture this: 98% of consumers turned to the internet to find information about local businesses in 2022, with 76% making online reviews a regular part of their decision-making process. These statistics underscore the critical role of Local SEO in the success of your business.

When it comes to online search engines, Google reigns supreme, commanding a staggering 92% global search engine market share. In our ever-connected world, where "near me" searches have become second nature, it's no exaggeration to say that Google is the primary gateway through which consumers discover local businesses. With its seismic shift towards online interactions, the pandemic has only amplified the importance of establishing a robust online presence. Enter Google My Business, a tool that can be your golden ticket to maximum visibility on the world's most popular search engine for good local rankings.

In this article, we'll delve into the six compelling reasons why setting up a Google My Business account is an absolute necessity in 2022. We'll also provide you with a treasure trove of practical tips to optimize your account effectively. So, if you're a local business owner still pondering the significance of Google My Business, and local business directories, it's time to pay attention. Your journey to harnessing the power of this invaluable platform begins here by getting listed in most important local business directories.

What is Local SEO?

Local SEO, or Local Search Engine Optimization, is a digital marketing strategy focused on enhancing the online visibility of businesses that serve specific geographical areas or physical locations. The primary goal of local SEO is to optimize a company's online presence so that it ranks prominently in local search results with local rankings when people search for products or services in a particular location. This strategy is particularly crucial for businesses that rely on local customers and foot traffic. So follow us here to know some workable local SEO tips.

Ensuring sure your Google My Business profile is optimized to make it a successful local SEO strategy with great local SEO tips. Be active on social media by posting pertinent content on your Google My Business profile. You need to have a  a consistency in your online persona is important, especially when it comes to your name, address, and phone number. For added local search visibility, concentrate on boosting citations and web directories. All of these actions add up to a thorough plan that will improve your local SEO results.

The Crucial Significance of Local Search for Businesses

• High Conversion Rates: 76% of smartphone users visited a company within 24 hours of conducting a local search, indicating a substantial conversion rate.
• Location-Centric Searches: Local queries are popular, accounting for 30% of all Google searches.
• Daily Local Search Habits: 61% of customers conduct local searches on a daily basis, highlighting the habitual aspect of finding nearby companies.
• Review Influence: 82% of consumers read online reviews during local searches, devoting over 14 minutes to this critical decision-making process.
• Google Maps Dominance: 86% of people use Google Maps to identify business locations, indicating its importance in local search.
• Yelp's Visibility: Yelp ranks in the top five search results for SMB queries 92% of the time, demonstrating that it is consistently relevant to small and medium-sized companies.
• Pre-Store Arrival Searches: 74% of in-store customers globally do searches before physically arriving, looking for hyperlocal information such as the nearest location and in-stock inventory.
• Mobile-First Approach: More than half of worldwide internet users prefer to use mobile devices for local searches, indicating a move towards mobile-centric local exploration.
• Google's Search Dominance: 83% of searchers use Google Search to get information about nearby companies, demonstrating Google's search engine dominance in the local context.

What is Local SEO ranking factors?

Local SEO ranking factors are crucial for businesses aiming to secure prime positions in local search results. Optimize your Google My Business listing, ensuring accuracy and relevance. Positive online reviews enhance credibility, and engagement contributes to local rankings. Craft a user-friendly, mobile-optimized website and incorporate local keywords for a seamless online-to-offline experience. Consistent local citations, high-quality backlinks, and a robust social media presence strengthen local authority. Valuable content with location-specific keywords and consistent NAP information further solidify your local presence. Prioritize a positive user experience, attracting local customers and establishing your business as a leader in the competitive local search arena.

What is Google My Business?

A Google Business Profile, formerly recognized as Google My Business or GMB, serves as a robust tool for promoting your business on search engines like Google platform. This profile, which can be established quickly and at no cost, provides an avenue through which you can impart essential information about your business to prospective customers.

Through your Google Business Profile, you can convey a wealth of pertinent details, ranging from your precise location and operating hours to contact information and compelling interior images of your physical storefront. This profile becomes a potent instrument, offering potential customers a compelling glimpse into your enterprise even before they have the opportunity to visit your establishment in person.

What’s noteworthy is that a Google Business Profile boasts visibility across the entirety of Google's expansive ecosystem. This encompasses integration with Google search engines results, placement on Google Maps, and presence within the Google Shopping interface. This extensive reach ensures that your business garners optimal exposure to a broad and diverse audience, effectively increasing its online prominence and accessibility to potential clientele.

Benefits of Google My Business and Local SEO

A Google My Business (GMB) profile serves as a powerful tool meticulously designed for businesses, both physical establishments like hospitality venues, pharmacies, and retail stores, and even online enterprises with physical office space to direct clients. This free online listing is instrumental in simplifying the process for local customers to discover your business and seamlessly access your brick-and-mortar shopfront.

The manifold advantages of having a Google My Business Listing in your marketing arsenal are nothing short of remarkable. Here, we enumerate six compelling reasons why integrating this online profile into your overall marketing strategy is not just worthwhile but imperative.

• Free Visibility in Google Results

  While content marketing strategies like SEO blogging and website copy optimization contribute to enhanced search visibility, a GMB profile stands as a notably potent tactic. Irrespective of whether your objective is to drive sales, augment brand recognition, or increase bookings, a Google Business Profile guarantees heightened visibility before high-value local customers on search engines.

  According to one of the study's panelists, "Customers' level of trust is indicated by reviews and an owner's response, and trust is a fundamental element in determining rankings." This emphasizes how crucial it is to interact with reviews—positive and negative—as this will help your local SEO efforts. It's important to remember that traditional SEO techniques still apply in a localized setting. As Google has said clearly, "Your position in web results is also a factor, meaning SEO best practices are equally applicable to local search results." This means that how well you perform in organic search results has a direct impact on your positioning in local rankings.

  With adept profile configuration with precise address details, strategic keywords, and the appropriate business category, you position your business prominently in local search results, effectively amplifying the likelihood of prospective customers discovering your enterprise. Unlike paid social advertising or Google ads, a GMB listing is entirely cost-free, affording your business name a priority position in search results, ultimately elevating interest, inquiries, and even sales.

• Enhanced Local SEO via Google Maps Integration

  If your business offers products or services within a specific local area, it is imperative that your business information be readily available to potential customers. A Google My Business listing is an invaluable means to connect with warm leads precisely when they are poised to convert. Consider this scenario: You urgently require a new pair of running shoes and lack the patience for an online order's delivery time. You turn to search engines and enter queries like 'sneaker stores near me' or 'sportswear stores near me'.

  Given that search engines like Google recognizes your search intent for a local physical store, it promptly furnishes you with a tailored selection of Google Maps results. This enables you to effortlessly locate a store with positive reviews, accommodating operating hours, and convenient proximity to your location. Optimizing your GMB listing helps to ensure your business emerges prominently when interested customers search for products or services in your local vicinity. Whether a customer performs a direct Google search or relies on Google Maps for guidance, your business invariably claims the top spot in search results.

  Check out the "Local SEO Guide" to learn more about important subjects including the importance of key signals that affect local results. Learn how to create a successful local SEO plan and get pointers on how to assess the competition for local mobile searches. Recognize how user experience and NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information affect local SEO. Learn useful techniques for spotting the best local link-building chances. Discover the significance of reviews and star ratings and get useful advice on making the most of them. Furthermore, become an expert at completely optimizing your Google Business Profile.

• Establishing Social Proof with Customer Reviews

  Research underscores that 68% of consumers consult online reviews when making trust-based business decisions, with a staggering 93% swayed by these reviews in their purchase choices. Consequently, a pivotal benefit of a GMB profile lies in the capacity for your business to amass and exhibit reviews on a substantial scale. The accumulation of positive reviews from satisfied customers serves as a potent means to gain the trust of potential shoppers and facilitate their progression through the sales funnel.

  The efficacy of online reviews lies in their ability to permit contented customers to vouch for your expertise, service quality, and overall brand experience in their own words. While your marketing materials certainly play a role in expanding your reach, nothing surpasses the persuasive impact of authentic, external customer endorsements.

  Prospective customers, above all else, seek assurance that others have had positive interactions with your brand before committing. Consequently, by prominently showcasing Google reviews within your GMB listing, you expedite the path to purchase.

• Streamlined Accessibility to Your Physical Shopfront

  As previously mentioned, a GMB listing seamlessly integrates with Google Maps. Beyond bolstering your business's organic visibility on Google, this integration facilitates customer navigation to your physical storefront. Through Google Maps directions, users can effortlessly access precise directions to your physical store with a single tap.

  Furthermore, they gain access to vital contact information, including your business hours, website, email address, and phone number, streamlining the process of getting in touch with you. The easier it becomes for new customers to reach your shopfront and establish contact, the more likely they are to forge a positive association with your brand. It all culminates in the provision of a seamless online-to-offline experience, a vital catalyst in converting users into paying customers.

• Unparalleled Control Over Your Online Presence on Google

  On many marketing platforms, particularly social media, businesses find themselves subject to the algorithms of major tech entities, which dictate how their business is discovered and the impression it leaves on users. In stark contrast, a Google My Business profile empowers you to meticulously curate the type of experience prospective shoppers have with your business.

  From prominently displaying your contact information to updating operating hours to align with special events or holidays, you can deliver an optimal experience to every potential customer engaging with your brand. By mastering the art of profile optimization, you can significantly enhance the likelihood of your business information securing a top-ranking position in organic search results. This positions you for the greatest impact on the purchasing decisions of individuals who chance upon your brand.

• Harnessing Valuable Insights on Customer Behavior

  A little-known gem within the GMB arsenal is the robust analytics and insights it offers. Within your Google account, you can delve into a trove of invaluable statistics that provide a deeper understanding of your listing's performance in organic search results. These key metrics include:
  
  1. Views: Offering insight into how frequently your profile, photos, and posts are viewed by searchers.
  2. Search Queries: Illuminating the keywords searchers employ to discover your brand is invaluable for refining your SEO strategy.
  3. Engagement: Revealing which posts generate the most interaction from searchers.
  4. Audience Demographics: Providing insights into the age, gender, and location of searchers discovering your GMB listing.
  5. Website Clicks: Offering a glimpse into the number of users undertaking high-value actions, such as visiting your website directly from your Google business listing.

  Incorporating a Google My Business profile into your marketing repertoire, therefore, equips you with enhanced visibility and the capacity to make data-informed decisions that can refine and strengthen your marketing strategy.

How to Optimise Your Google My Business for Local Businesses

If you are ready to harness the full potential of your Google business profile listing, we present a comprehensive guide with actionable steps you can implement today to supercharge your performance on Google.

• Complete Your Entire GMB Listing

  Enhance the effectiveness of your listing by providing comprehensive information. Businesses with complete profiles are 70% more likely to attract visits from local searches.

  Key sections to prioritize for maximum impact:
  1. Business Category: Choose the most suitable category for your industry.
  2.Location: Ensure your physical address is accurate to guide customers correctly.
  3. Contact Information: Keep your phone number and website address up-to-date.
  4. Business Hours: Maintain current hours and promptly update for special occasions or seasonal changes.
  
  
• Verify Your Business Location

  Verification is a critical step for publication of your GMB listing. Google will send you a letter by mail containing a unique code for activation. It's imperative not to overlook this crucial step. Upon receipt of your letter with the five-digit code, promptly enter it to verify your business.

• Add Up-to-Date Images of Your Business Location

  Offer potential customers a captivating glimpse into your in-store experience through professional, high-resolution images of your establishme.

  Showcase your premises' exterior and interior within your GMB listing to instill confidence in prospective shoppers. Keep these visuals current and well-lit to present your business in the best possible light.

• Leverage Keywords Throughout Your Profile

  Given that Google is fundamentally a search engine, optimizing your GMB listing with relevant keywords is imperative. Strategically incorporate high-volume search terms pertaining to your products, services, or industry throughout your business listing. This strategic integration enhances your visibility in Google organic search results when high-value searchers are actively seeking what your business excels at.

• Encourage Positive Customer Reviews

  Reviews wield substantial influence in building trust with potential customers. Distinguish your business from competitors in your local arena by actively encouraging satisfied customers and clients to leave reviews on Google. Employ straightforward methods like sharing a review form with past customers via email to augment the number of favorable reviews associated with your brand. This straightforward yet potent approach significantly elevates the likelihood of new customers choosing your business over competitors.

In Conclusion

As "near me" mobile search become second nature, Google has become the gateway through which consumers discover local businesses, a trend further accentuated by the pandemic. Google My Business is a game-changing tool that offers maximum visibility on the world's most popular search engine.

To fully harness the potential of Google My Business and local SEO, follow the practical steps outlined in this article to optimize your business listing. From completing your entire GMB profile to verifying your business location, adding up-to-date images, leveraging keywords strategically, and encouraging positive customer reviews, these actions will help you maximize your online presence and attract more local customers.

If you're seeking expert assistance in optimizing your local SEO or Google My Business profile, look no further than Saffron Edge. As SEO experts and leaders in SEO lead gen services, we specialize in local SEO for the healthcare industry, along with others. Our team of experienced professionals can serve as your trusted Google My Business manager, ensuring that your business thrives in the competitive digital landscape. Don't miss out on the opportunity to elevate your online presence - contact Saffron Edge today and take your local business to new heights through local business listings. Your success in the digital world awaits.