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Google Business Profile The Best Practices for Business Owners

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Google Business Profile is a free and easy-to-use tool for businesses to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. By verifying and editing business information, owners can help customers find them online, improve their ranking in search results, and get more actionable insights about their business. In addition, Google Business Profile offers several features that can be useful for companies, such as posting updates and photos, responding to reviews, and tracking analytics. Overall, Google Business Profile can be a valuable asset for business owners who want to manage their online presence better and reach potential customers.

How Do I Create A Google Listing For My Business?

Creating a Google listing for your business is a quick and easy way to get your business information in front of potential customers. Google is the most popular search engine, so appearing in search results can help you reach a wider audience. To create a Google listing, go to Google Business Profile and sign up for an account. Then, fill out your business name, address, and contact information. You can also add photos, videos, and other media to your listing to make it more engaging. Once you’ve completed your listing, Google will review it and publish it. After that, your business will appear in Google search results and on Google Maps. Creating a Google listing is a simple and effective way to reach more customers online.

What Information Should Be Included In My Google Listing?

You can include important information about your business on your Google Business Profile listing, such as your business’s hours, website, location, and contact information. Ensure that the information you are giving Google matches what is listed on your website or other places your business may be recorded. While this may sound simple, all of your online business citations must be consistent with the one you include as part of your Google Business Profile. If not, Google web crawlers may otherwise flag it as a warning. 

Your business profile will look best on Google if you add category-specific photos. These images should spotlight your business’s features and help differentiate your business on Google. There should be a mixture of exterior and interior photos to help customers recognize your business as they approach from different directions. Interior photos can help your customers get a feel for the decor and ambiance of your business.

If you sell products, it is essential to have excellent photos representing your most popular products. Try to add at least three photos of the products that you sell. This will give your customers a better understanding of the goods you offer.

Another type of photo that often gets overlooked on Google Business Profile is photos of you at work. These photos can quickly help customers understand the type of work you do. Try to add at least three images that represent the type of services you offer.

If you have a team of employees, team photos can be a great way to add more of a personal side to your establishment.

The Do’s And Don’ts Of Google Business Profile

While it is relatively easy to use, there are a few things to consider to make the most of GMB. As previously mentioned, it is essential to keep your business information up-to-date and accurate. This includes your hours of operation, contact information, and website. Inaccurate information can frustrate customers and lead them to look elsewhere. 

Additionally, encourage customer reviews. Google Business Profile provides a platform for customers to leave reviews about your business. These reviews can help boost your online visibility and give potential customers an insight into your business. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews by providing links or QR codes that make it easy for them to do so. Don’t forget to check and respond to the reviews regularly. Google uses them as a ranking factor, so positive reviews can help improve your visibility.

Be aware of companies that advertise Google Business Profile optimization without customer reviews. They may offer ways to get you listed at the top of Google by altering your GMB profile. However, these businesses often can’t do much for a listing other than use unorthodox techniques, leading to future problems such as a hard suspension (which means you will lose everything, including photos and reviews). 

A tactic that can lead to a hard suspension includes keyword stuffing in your description. Try and focus on your main keyword and keep secondary ones for your website’s pages. Creating fake locations to rank in multiple cities can also earn your GMB a hard suspension. If you only offer online services, do not list numerous cities. You must only list physical locations that you have. 

Adding fake reviews is another tactic that can result in a hard suspension. If you add a fake review, you risk getting dropped down from the results or even banned by Google. Speaking of reviews, some people have been found to be adding negative reviews to their competitors. If you get found out, you will not only ruin your business reputation, but you can get into a lot of trouble. 

A Powerful Tool

Google Business Profile is a powerful tool that business owners can use to manage their online presence and connect with potential customers. By creating and verifying your listing, you can help improve your visibility in Google search results and on Google Maps. Be sure to keep your business information accurate and up-to-date, and regularly check and respond to reviews. Google Business Profile can be a valuable asset in helping you reach more customers and grow your business. 

At Unwired Web Solutions, we understand that having a presence on Google for business in Canada is essential for reaching your target customer. We provide high-impact optimization services for Google Business Profile that can help you rise in rankings. This is your chance to stand out, so contact us today!

Effective Strategies To Improve Your Google Business Profile

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For any business that is trying to increase exposure online, a Google Business Profile is a must. A Google Business Profile is a tool that lets companies directly influence the way local consumers connect with them online. It can also substantially help to improve your local SEO. At Unwired Web Solutions, we specialize in Google for business in Canada, and through Google Business Profile optimization, we can help build your business and help it grow online.

Vital For Local Business

If your business is primarily or exclusively local, it is important to find effective strategies to advance your local SEO. Most people find local businesses through searches, and Google Business Profile can substantially increase these numbers. 97% of consumers learn more about local businesses online compared with any other source, and approximately half of all Google searches are looking for local business information. So, if you want to get your local business found online, Google Business Profile is essential. 

Google Business Profile optimization is one of the best ways to increase your success and influence in the local market. It can offer a wealth of business information to Google Analytics and local customers. The details provided in your Google Business Profile are used in various ways by the search engine. It can use your information for populating Google Maps, a knowledge panel, providing voice search results, and assisting with Google app search results.

Where To Start?

The first place to start when optimizing your Google Business Profile is to make sure your information on the profile is correct. Your name, address, and phone number for your business are crucial to optimizing your profile. While it may sound simple, remember that your business changes over time and may possibly have had a different address or a number in the past. It is essential to make sure all of your online business citations are consistent with the one you include as part of your Google Business Profile. For example, the contact page of your website should have the same information that you have entered into Google Business Profile; otherwise, it could cause a red flag with Google web crawlers. 

Choosing the right category on Google Business Profile is also an important component of local SEO. It is vital to select the category and subcategory that best describes your business. For example, if you sell pizza, the category you may choose is “pizza restaurant” which would allow people looking for “pizza” or “pizza restaurants” to find your business in local searches.

The subcategory is just as important, especially if your business does more than one thing. Selecting the correct category and subcategory can often be the deciding factor for you outranking your competition, so you need to get it right.

The Business Description

Writing your business description on Google is a great way to let your customers know what’s unique about what you do. Google gives you 750 characters to describe your business, so it’s important to make them count. Tell people about your products and services but do not include any promotional talk in your description as Google doesn’t allow that. It’s also a great idea to have something about your business history and mission.

Photos can speak 1000 words, so it is essential to use some in your Google Business Profile profile. You can upload both exterior and interior shots of your business, as well as 360-degree views. Good quality photos are important because 60% of local shoppers say search results with strong images capture their attention. Also, according to Google, businesses that have photos receive, on average, 42% more requests for driving directions to their location and 35% more clicks through to their websites compared to businesses that don’t have any photos.

Reviews

We can’t express enough how critical reviews can be for your Google Business Profile. On average, consumers read at least ten reviews before trusting a business. Unfortunately, customers are slow to give reviews and often forget, so you need to be proactive with a consistent process to request them. You will also need to monitor and respond to those reviews so that your customers and Google know that you care about your consumer.

Even if you are a business that does not sell products, it is vital to use the product section. Because of its visibility, everyone should fill out the product section of Google Business Profile. Products get arranged in a carousel-like design which can help to drive more sales, views, and calls.

You can categorize and add images, descriptions, and calls to action to these product profiles, so be sure to leverage it to your advantage. For those who do not have a product to show, think of the section as a way to advertise your services. Instead of uploading a photo of a product, include an image of an employee providing your service.

Blog Posts

Blog posts are extremely important both on your website and in Google Business Profile. When posted to your Google Business Profile, they essentially become mini-blogs that give consumers important information and updates about your business. Posting regular blogs can help feed the important keywords and phrases vital to your business directly to Google’s algorithm. Regular posting can also help to drive up engagement. Google measures how much you as a business owner engages with your profile so, the more you post blogs, photos, or update your information, the more serious Google takes your business.

The Q&A feature of your Google Business Profile can be enormously helpful to your customers. Google allows you to create a storehouse of questions and answers within your profile. Use customer data you already have to include the right questions and the best solutions. By ensuring this section answers important questions, you can have control over the narrative and the perception of your business online.

At Unwired Web Solutions, we understand how overwhelming it can be when trying to drive potential customers to your website. Our experts are trained in SEO strategies and marketing techniques, including Google Business Profile that can help more customers find you. Contact us today for more information about our services.

Google Business Profile Updates To Make For The Holidays

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The holidays are almost here, and as a businesses owner, we understand you want to do all you can to increase sales this season. By updating your Google Business Profile, your customers can easily find the information they may need. Unwired Web Solutions offers local SEO services that include making sure your company’s profile is up to date on Google. 

This holiday season, chances are your customers are using Google to find information about your business. They may be looking for your website, checking for extended holiday hours, or getting directions to your location. No matter the reason, your customer needs to find the information they are looking for; otherwise, they may go to your competitor. 

The peak holiday season is rapidly approaching, and for many businesses, it has already begun. ECommerce sales for November 2021 to January 2022 are forecasted to increase 11% – 15% this year over last year. With much of the world still locked down to some degree, many consumers are still opting to do their holiday shopping online. 

But it isn’t just online shops that need to worry about their online profile. With in-store shopping anticipated to rebound to a 33% share in 2021 from 28% in 2020, customers may be looking online before visiting a brick-and-mortar location. 

To keep up with sales this Christmas, businesses need to prepare their Google Business Profile (GBP), formerly Google Business Profile. By updating your information online, you can aid shoppers in their searches by presenting the most up-to-date, accurate, detailed information possible. 

Update Hours

If your business is extending hours over the holiday season, we recommend setting “Special Hours” in your Google Business Profile. Setting these special hours enables you to provide shoppers with the information they need to visit your shop. 

Use the “More Hours” section if your business plan to provide specific services at different times during the holiday season. For example, if you plan to be open an hour earlier for seniors this holiday season, you can set it in the “More Hours” rather than the “Special Hours.” 

It can be necessary for a business to close for a number of different reasons temporarily. Google recommends that if your company is closed for 7 or more days in a row or will be closed for an unknown period of time, you should mark your business as “Temporarily Closed.” 

Update Your Images

Businesses with more GBP photos have been shown to get more clicks, phone calls, and driving direction requests. For those with over 100 images, businesses were found to get 520% more calls compared to the average business. 

Providing many high-quality images will not only correlate to more conversions, but they can also provide the visual stimulation needed for a customer to consider your business. By acting as a digital representation of your brand, your images will be a digital storefront, accurately portraying the in-store shopping experience that your customers can expect this holiday season. 

Monitor Reviews

Often time, Google reviews can make or break a business. These reviews can also provide your customers with pertinent information about your business operations. 

Research shows that 50% of consumers feel more confident in a business when they see a brand actively responding to reviews. This gives the customer the feeling that the company cares about their wants and needs. 

This holiday season, have a team in place to respond to both positive and negative reviews to encourage customer loyalty. 

A Few Simple Steps

By taking these few simple steps this holiday season, you can help to ensure a profitable holiday season. Our team at Unwired Web Solutions offers many services to help your local business thrive all year long. From local SEO services to website design, and SEO analysis tools, we can help your business stand out online. Contact us today to learn more about our valuable services. 

Why Google Reviews Are So Important for Your Business

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For local businesses, getting customers to give you a review on Google should be a top priority. Getting reviews from customers has always been a significant exercise for business, but today more than ever, with Google Business Profile, the importance is greater than ever. In Google’s pursuit to deliver the most relevant results for local searches, they not only look at what your business does, but also how it is perceived. They do this by checking how many reviews you have and what your average customer rating is. Any SEO company will be able to tell you that in working with their clients, they will have seen this play out many times over the past few years. 

When a person scans the search results for a local product or service in Google, the business listings that include relevant customer reviews present greater credibility, and naturally receive more clicks. For example, if you have a 4.5 star rating, and 16 reviews and your competitor has less, it is strong social proof that your service or product is trustworthy. This means the quality of the reviews come into play when Google is ranking websites for local SEO.

Google Local Listing

Research shows that a growing percentage of shoppers are no longer visiting websites before making contact. Local consumers are now simply getting the information they need right from the Google Local Listing and calling directly. All of this is done based on the information they found within those local listings on Google. 

This concept is so important to understand and embrace as part of your marketing strategy. If your local listing is not optimized and not being managed on a regular basis, you are not taking advantage of one of the most powerful marketing tools available to local businesses. By regularly adding new photos, creating new posts, and responding to reviews, your business will stand out among the rest. 

Google Reviews

Google Ranking

Need another reason to be actively managing your Google Local Listings and focusing on reviews? Your website will no longer rank at the very top of Google even if you are doing an excellent job with your SEO and achieve a top ranking for your local area. This is because Google has positioned its Google Local Listings above organic results, just underneath Google ads. 

This means that even if your business is ranked #1 organically, it may not show up until the 8th or 9th position down the page. The top 3 to 4 positions are now reserved for Google ads and the next three go to local listings. This is why keeping your Google Local Listings up to date with relevant reviews is so important. 

Paying for Reviews

Never, under any circumstance pay for reviews. Although it may be tempting to offer incentives in exchange for reviews, it goes against Google’s terms of service. So, never advertise a free drink for showing a completed review, or a discounted service for a review. If you are caught offering these incentives, it may greatly harm your Google ranking.

Overall, the quality and quantity of reviews on Google is one of the most important ranking factors for local SEO. Remind customers that they can leave a review on Google and mention that it will help your local business grow. You may be surprised at how many people want to voice their opinion about your business. 

Here at Unwired Web Solutions, we are an SEO company that wants to see our customers thrive. Contact us today for information on our services and how we can help your business reach the top of Google search results.