When using any tool, you want to employ the best practices to get the optimal use out of it. GMB is no different, there are several things you can do to rank higher in local search results and get more attention from potential customers.

‍

Be Thorough

It’s important to fill out every section when you’re creating your profile. This includes basic things like your business’s name, address, contact information, website, and hours of operation. These pieces of information are absolutely necessary and should be easy to fill out. There are also sections in which you select your categories and attributes, outline your products and services, fill out a “from the business” description, and are able to ask and answer questions about your business. 

Two sections that you should consistently check on are reviews and consumer-generated questions. These are the areas in which you can interact and engage with customers, and they both go a long way towards increasing your ranking and making you seem reputable and appealing to people that view your Google listing.

‍

Add Photos and Other Media

According to Google, “businesses with photos are more likely to receive requests for driving directions to their location, as well as clicks through to their websites,” meaning that you should definitely upload some images to your profile to improve your online presence. 

You should include everything you can, including a logo, a cover photo, a profile photo, and images of your store and products. This step should not be taken lightly, as images make your profile more engaging and make it easier for people to get a sense of who you are and what you offer.

‍

Take Advantage of the Reviews Section

Reviews can make or break your business, and good reviews can drastically improve your online presence, not to mention push people through your doors. A good way of encouraging positive reviews is by responding to them. You can show your appreciation for good reviews by thanking people for their business and asking them to come again, which makes that review more visible and also prompts others to make positive reviews.

If you get negative reviews, you should respond to those too. The way you handle criticism and negativity can have a big effect on the people that read through your listing. Genuinely apologizing for a negative experience and trying to solve an unsatisfied customer’s problem is a good course of action, as it shows that you take people’s opinions seriously and are committed to making customers happy.

‍

How Google My Business Can Help Your Online Presence

Thanks to zero-click searches, your GMB profile might be the only thing that people see when they make a search related to your business, so making it as high-quality as possible is in your best interest. In fact, it is reported that a whopping 50% of searches end without a click on a search result. Putting your most important information out where it can be seen by consumers with little effort on their part is a great marketing tactic that should be taken advantage of to the full extent.

‍

The Bottom Line..

With a great GMB profile, you can also rank higher in local results. For example, if you own an Italian restaurant and have three local competitors, you can become more visible online with a higher ranking, which can be achieved with a thoroughly filled-out profile, photos, and positive customer reviews. A higher ranking means more engagement and more business!