Local SEO is a type of online marketing that focuses on increasing the visibility of local businesses in search engine results. It involves optimizing content to target geographic locations and creating business profiles across multiple platforms, such as Google My Business (GMB). Claiming a GMB profile is important for businesses because it allows them to appear in local searches, helping them get noticed by potential customers nearby. This can help drive more foot traffic into the store and increase sales. Additionally, having an established presence on GMB provides helpful insights about how people interact with your business online, allowing you to optimize your strategy for maximum success.
This article discusses local SEO and claiming your Google business profile.
Defining Local SEO
Local SEO is an essential component of any digital marketing strategy. It allows businesses to target consumers in their local areas, giving them a competitive edge over larger competitors who may not be targeting that specific location. Local SEO also helps businesses appear in map searches, making it easier for customers to find them when they’re looking for what they need.
To maximize the effectiveness of local SEO strategies, businesses should ensure their online presence is consistent across all platforms and directories, like Google My Business (GMB). This includes claiming GMB profiles so that information such as business hours, contact details, and product/service offerings are accurate and up-to-date. Doing this will also allow potential customers to quickly leave reviews about your business, providing valuable feedback about how people perceive your brand and helping you make improvements where necessary.
How to Claim a Google Business Profile
Creating a Google My Business profile is the first step to claiming your business on the platform. To do this, you must sign in with your existing Google account or create one if necessary. Once logged in, select “Add new business” from the menu and enter all required information about your company - including its name, address, phone number, and website URL. You should also upload a photo of your store or office building so that customers can easily recognize it when they search for it online.
Once you have completed these steps, you must verify that the information provided is accurate by choosing one of several verification methods offered by Google My Business (GMB). For example, businesses may be asked to provide documents such as utility bills or bank statements that prove the physical location of their business premises. Alternatively, GMB may send an automated call to confirm ownership - but this method can take a few weeks.
Once verified, GMB allows businesses to manage their profiles and add details such as photos, opening hours, etc., giving customers more insight into what they offer before visiting in person or searching elsewhere online.
Managing your business information on GMB is essential for keeping potential customers informed and helping them make decisions quickly while browsing online - providing valuable insights such as pricing options, product/service offerings, or even customer reviews which help increase trustworthiness among searchers looking for what you offer locally. This makes it easier than ever before for local businesses to get noticed above their competition, allowing them to reach out directly to potential customers within proximity who are actively searching for products/services similar to theirs through optimized content tailored specifically toward geographic locations - driving increased foot traffic into stores while simultaneously boosting revenue streams through improved sales conversions from web visitors too.
Keep Your Google Business Profile Updated
Once you have claimed your Google My Business profile and verified its accuracy, it is essential to keep the information up-to-date. This means regularly updating business hours, contact details, and product/service offerings. Doing this will ensure potential customers are always aware of changes in your business operations or services.
Having outdated information (or broken links to sites) about your business can cause potential customers to lose trust in your company and search elsewhere for what they need.
Hire Professional Help
The importance of optimizing and maintaining your local SEO cannot be overstated. It's reported that 83% of U.S. shoppers used online search before visiting a store. Because of this, you may want to hire a professional when setting up your business profile.
IDMI.Net can help.
You can show reviews from Google, Facebook, Amazon and other platforms with this All-in-One Reviews widget for websites. Best yet, it requires no coding and is simple to install. This widget from Elfsight lets you embed comments and reviews to show off your great ratings and boost your sales.
IDMI.Net also offers professionally managed, location-based search engine optimization packages. This service helps you get your business in front of eyes that matter to you. Learn more about our Local SEO Package and get a free quote here.