If your business is locally owned and operated, you might wonder how to get better exposure in search results. Maybe you’re using quality keywords on your site or other SEO wizardry. But how can people find you locally in a global sea of competitors?
The answer is to create a Google Business Profile (you might remember when it was called Google My Business) and use Google Local Services. This brief guide will help you realize the importance of utilizing these tools so you can start connecting with new local leads.
Create Your Google Business Profile
Google has given a lot of thought to helping people find your local business. One of their solutions allows companies to set up a free profile. People can use Google local search to find you by category, location, and other descriptors. They can even view your physical site on Google Maps.
Giving your profile the detailed attention it deserves can earn you a significant advantage over competitors that don’t want to be troubled by all that “high-tech” stuff.
The most important thing for you to keep in mind is to be thorough. Follow these pointers to get the most from your free profile listing:
- Use actual, current photos of your location.
- Make a video highlighting your products or demonstrating your company’s personality.
- Be descriptive and accurate regarding services and products.
- Take time to verify your location.
- Use Google’s buttons for appointments, bookings, orders, etc.
- If your company has multiple locations, create a profile for each site with unique text and pictures of each physical location.
The bottom line is to take advantage of every free Google offer because they’ll apply that to superior search results. Meanwhile, many of your competitors are probably too lazy to do the same!
Check out our article about setting up your profile and addressing each important attribute to learn more.
Using Google Local Services
Now that you’ve got your Google Business Profile looking nice and are using all the free Google Local SEO benefits, you can supercharge your online presence with Google Local Services. These are Google’s ad services specifically fine-tuned to help local businesses.
Google designed its Local Services Ads to connect you with highly-targeted leads, and that includes making it easy for prospects to contact you directly via phone or direct message. You only pay for your ads when you get a call, a booking, or a message directly through your ad.
You can get Google notifications via email or Google’s Local Services Ads app. Google will even encourage your customer to leave a review once they’ve experienced what you have to offer.
Get More Leads with Your Google Guaranteed Badge
Google allows you to pass a few background checks to earn a Google badge, instilling greater trust with potential customers.
For businesses in categories like home services, being a Google-backed business can earn you a Google Guaranteed badge. You can earn a Google Screened badge for professional services like lawyers.
Take Your Local SEO to the Next Level
Following the above tips should get you well on your way to establishing a presence on Google that your local prospects can easily find. But we do admit—paying attention to the finer details, implementing the best keywords, and setting up a highly optimized local SEO campaign can take a lot of time.
It doesn’t hurt to partner with a local SEO expert who can maximize all these tools and earn you the leads you deserve. Fortunately, Big Leap is passionate about helping local businesses.
Contact us by phone, email, or—why not?—by swinging in to say hi. Let’s discuss how we can help you reap all those local SEO rewards!
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Here’s the thing about our SEO agency: We prefer long-term partnerships that are deeply rooted in trust. Before we dive right into this, we’d like to get to know you better, get a feel for your current situation, and talk about your marketing goals and expectations.
You can call us now, or we can meet over lunch. Either way, we’re excited to meet you.
