How Many Google Reviews Should I Aim for My Business?
This guide will respond questions almost Google My Business, and provide answers to many common questions people have most utilizing the platform.
Achieving great visibility on Google as a local business has never been more important for sustained growth and success. In fact, it has been reported that 46% of all Google searches are looking for local data and that 4 in five consumers employ search engines to find local data, significant that if it is non your concern that is showing, it is one of your competitors. And for this reason, it is critical that you lot put in place a solid local SEO strategy.
Local search results aren't just the organic search results we are all used to seeing. They besides include a local pack that is powered by Google My Business (GMB).
To run into success through SEO equally a local business, you lot demand to take great visibility on Google My Business concern, and I am going to teach you everything you always wanted to know nearly information technology but were afraid to ask — this includes answering a whole host of commonly asked questions on the topic.
I am going to start with these Google My Business organisation topics:
- What is Google My Business organisation?
- What Are the Benefits of Google My Business?
- Is Google My Business Costless?
- How to Set Upwardly Your GMB Folio
- How to Merits a Google Maps Listing
- How to Claim a Google My Concern Page
Then, I will answer these common GMB questions:
- Practice You Need to Have a Physical Address to Use GMB?
- What Practise I If I Work From Dwelling and Don't Want My Address Visible on GMB?
- How Practise I List More than Ane Location on Google My Business?
- What to Do When Your Business' Category Isn't Available on GMB?
- What is the Curt Name on GMB?
- How to Add together Questions and Answers to GMB?
- What Are Labels in GMB, and Why Are They Important?
- How to Add Highlights / Attributes to GMB?
- How to Use Phone call Tracking Numbers and Maintain NAP Consistency?
- How to Optimize Your GMB Listing?
- How to Alter An Address on GMB?
What is Google My Business organisation?
Google My Business (which used to be known equally Google Local and Google Places) is the platform that powers Google's business listings and that gives your business the opportunity to show on the local pack, equally well as appear in a number of different results and manage how their information is displayed on each.
It is a platform that every local business organisation owner should exist enlightened of and using given that the information which you submit to your list can appear in a number of different ways on the search engine, including the knowledge console, the local pack, and maps. Permit's review each of these.
Google Knowledge Panel
This is the information box that appears to the top-right of search results (desktop) or near the top of the page on mobile when someone runs a search specifically for your business.
It is known equally the noesis console considering information technology displays key information, including your address, hours of operation, phone number, website, link to directions, and other important information depending on your manufacture.
Google Local Pack
These are the iii business concern listing results that announced under the map when a user runs a localized search.
Google Maps
Google Maps (both the app and desktop and mobile spider web versions) is intended to help those looking for directions likewise as to discover businesses and locations.
What Are the Benefits of Google My Business?
Google My Business brings with information technology a whole host of benefits that local businesses need to be aware of, helping them to reach new customers, increment their overall visibility and ensure that their customers can notice information as hands and as quickly every bit possible.
Merely remember, local searches get beyond the uncomplicated discovery of new businesses. Often people are searching for directions, contact information, the busyness of locations, reviews, and more.
Allow'south await at the benefits Google My Business organisation offers to local businesses.
An Opportunity to Appear on Listings That Yous Otherwise Couldn't
Without a Google My Business listing, you won't appear on Google Maps or the local pack, and you run the risk of the knowledge panel being incorrect or sparsely populated.
These are highly prominent listings that stand out to users when displayed, and these are eye-catching listings you don't desire to exist missing out on.
The Ability to Collect and Display Reviews
Using Google My Business means that you tin collect reviews from customers and demonstrate the quality of your products or services to potential customers.
Searchers are increasingly on the spotter for social proof that a business organisation deserves their custom, and online reviews are one of the chief methods of influence in 2021. A v-star review stands out, and rolling out a strategy to persuade your customers to rate your service or product goes a long way to driving new business.
Merely aside from that, it has been reported that reviews are a key ranking gene for local pack results, meaning that nigh businesses simply cannot afford to be the ane without stiff trust signals showing alongside their list.
Gain Insights Into Your Business concern
Google My Business can assistance you gain insights into your business that you cannot get through other platforms — they can help you make strategic decisions. These insights include:
- The number of views your profile, photos, and posts receives.
- The search queries which people are using to find your concern.
- The engagement.
- A profile of your audience (historic period groups, gender, and countries).
- The number of website clicks, phone calls, and direction queries.
To go the almost benefit from your Google My Business organization profile, you need to make sure it is fix up correctly and optimized; and we volition look to answer the most commonly asked questions beneath.
SEMrush Tip:You can unify your business listings on Google My Business and dozens of other online directories to improve local SEO with the Listing Management tool.
This tool is the product of our collaboration with Yext and is available to anyone with a SEMrush account - paid or free. Just pay a monthly fee and we will align all of your business concern info to exist consistent and correct beyond the web.
And so, you can report on your site'south Google My Business organization growth and clicks with the Google My Business widgets in the SEMrush My Reports PDF builder tool. Connect your GMB account to SEMrush and then you'll exist able to build a PDF report with stats on your GMB listing's touch on on website visits, phone calls, photo view and more.
Is Google My Business Free?
Google My Concern is completely gratuitous to utilise, and it won't price you anything to fix your business on the platform. In that location is no premium option, and you take full access to the tool simply by setting up your page. GMB is accessible to all businesses; you lot tin become started straight away.
In comparing to many tools, which have multiple tiers of subscription (often including free versions), this tool will give you access to exactly the same features your competitors take — whether they are modest local businesses or global chains.
How to Set Upward Your Google My Business Page
Setting upwardly your business on Google My Business concern is a elementary task that shouldn't take you long to do, and it is the first footstep to increasing your business' online visibility in your surface area of service.
Here is a step-past-step guide on how to gear up up your page.
Pace 1: Head to Google My Concern' Create Page
Visit the Google My Business' 'create' page and search for your business name; this footstep will aid y'all quickly run across whether you accept already set upwards a GMB folio in the past if you are unsure.
Assuming y'all don't find a listing for your business, you lot tin either click onto the pop-up, which should now have appeared or use the 'add together your business to Google' link.
Footstep 2: Fill Out Your Business concern Proper name
Here is where you need to fill out the proper noun of your business.
You lot should exist using your business's real-globe name here, and it is important to be enlightened that unnecessarily using keywords inside the name could get your listing suspended (don't do it).
Step 3: Choose the Category That Best Fits Your Business
You now need to cull the main category that all-time represents your business. In most cases, you will see a number of options, and then choose the ane that describes you lot the all-time.
Don't worry if yous experience that there is more than one that could be used interchangeably; you will be able to add more later on.
Step 4: Choose Whether or Non to Add together a Location
Hither is where you will choose whether or non y'all want to list a physical storefront that the public can visit (and have it bear witness on Google Maps).
Stride five: Add Your Address
Be certain to fill out your accost in full — adding in new lines as required to make information technology as easy as possible for customers to find your location.
Step six: Review Possible Listings
At this stage, you may be asked to confirm whether one of a number of existing locations is your concern in the issue that a potential close lucifer is found.
If none of these are your business, simply choose the choice and proceed.
Stride 7: Choose Whether or Not You Serve Users Outside of This Location
In this example, we are going through the process of setting up a fictional Pizza shop, and in this department, we have chosen 'yes' to both choice-up and delivery options.
Hairdressers, on the other hand, that serve customers only at their salon would choose 'no.'
Step 8: Select the Areas That You Serve
If you selected 'aye' in the previous step, yous will exist able to choose the areas that you lot serve (yous can add more than one).
Step nine: Add together Your Contact Information
Adjacent upward, you will be able to add your phone number and website'south URL (or choose not to link to a website and prepare up a complimentary Google site based on your listing).
Step x: Opt-in to Updates and Recommendations
Nearly in that location! You just demand to cull whether or not you want to opt-in to updates and recommendations from Google on your GMB page. We recommend that you exercise opt-in; however, it is your call.
Step 11: Finish and Manage Your Listing.
You are all washed adding things; you just demand to click 'finish', and your GMB page is gear up up. All that is left is verifying the listing.
Step 12: Verify Your Listing
You have to options to verify your listing — y'all can either verify instantly by an automated telephone call (the recommended method) or by a postcard to your address, which can take up to four days.
If y'all desire to, y'all can choose to verify it later, but that means you tin't fully manage information technology.
Stride 13: Say Hullo to Your GMB Dashboard
Once you lot have verified your listing, you will now encounter your GMB dashboard and be able to complete your listing, including adding opening hours, photos, your logo, description, and more.
Here are 9 mutual Google My Concern mistakes to avert.
How to Claim a Google Maps List
If you find that your business is already listed on Google Maps, just you don't take a GMB set, you will exist able to claim your folio in but a few quick steps.
Here is how to do it.
Step 1: Go to Google Maps and Search for Your Business
Head over to Google Maps, run a search for your business proper noun, and click on the correct listing.
Pace 2: Merits this Concern
You lot volition see an choice to 'claim this business', which you will need to click.
Y'all will then be given the option to manage the business.
Step 3: Verify the List
You will demand to verify a claimed listing by a postcard beingness sent out to the premises' address, which should make it inside four days.
How to Merits a Google My Business Folio
In some instances, you volition notice that you already have a page set upward that cannot be claimed by the method outlined higher up, and that is considering there is already a verified GMB page in place. Unremarkably, this means you accept either ready and verified in the past, or someone else did.
If you need to claim a verified GMB page from someone else, here is how to do it.
Step 1: Head to Google My Business organization' Create Folio
Visit the Google My Concern' 'create' page and search for your business concern' name. You should be able to observe your business quite easily if a page already exists.
Step 2: Request Admission to the Page
After the concluding step, you will now be served a bulletin to inform yous that the listing has already been verified, as well as a hint to the electronic mail address which was used to do this.
This can be useful if it is 1 of your old accounts. In fact, it is not uncommon for GMB to exist set up using someone'due south personal account in the early days of a business. It might simply requite you the hint you demand to effigy out who owns the list.
Afterwards being served a message to inform you that the list has already been claimed, you need to 'asking access.'
Step 3: Share Your Details
You volition need to fill out a few details, including your name, contact number, the level of access you lot crave, and your relationship to the business organisation; these will exist sent to the current business relationship holder.
Pace four: Wait for a Response
The asking will then be sent to the current page manager, and you should await to receive a response within 7 days.
If, at that phase, you accept not been granted access or are denied, you volition be able to verify your affiliation with the business to gain access.
Exercise You Need to Take a Concrete Address to Use GMB?
To claim your Google My Business page, y'all must have a business that has either a concrete storefront or that travels to customers at their locations.
Allow's say you are a plumber, for example. There is a good take chances yous don't have a physical brick and mortar location, but you service customers at their own address.
In short, you must engage with customers in-person while conducting your business concern.
Or, in other words, you can't gear up up a Google My Concern page if you are an online-only or virtual concern with no premises. You will need to use an address when setting up and verifying your account, nonetheless, y'all can choose not to display this publicly.
What to Do When You Work From Habitation & Don't Want Your Address Visible on GMB
Choosing not to display your business address publicly is perfect for those who work from abode and provide services for customers at their location merely do not want the address to be shown aslope their listing.
To do this, make sure y'all are logged in to Google My Concern and head to the 'info' tab.
Find your address and click the pencil icon next to it, which volition take you to the edit screen.
You volition see a 'clear address' button towards the lesser of the popular-up (in image below). Go ahead and click it.
Once you click "apply" and y'all have successfully removed your accost from displaying on your listing.
Be sure to double-check that the locations listed as your service areas (the department below on the principal 'info' screen) are right and add together any others you serve that are not there.
That is all you need to do. You will take subconscious your address just ensure you are still able to exist constitute by searchers looking in your service areas.
How To List More Than One Location on Google My Business
The bang-up news is that if yous run and manage multiple businesses that run across the criteria for beingness listed on Google My Business, you will be able to list more than one location from inside a unmarried account.
You tin utilise location groups as an easy way to manage multiple locations within a single group or folder within GMB itself, but I am certain you are wondering if you lot tin list in bulk. The answer is yeah!
When you 'add location' on the 'manage locations' tab in Google My Business, you will see an choice to add either a unmarried location or import locations.
If you are only looking to list a handful of locations, it may make sense to practise then individually as divide locations, just if yous manage more than this, you will desire to import in bulk.
Yous will be able to import multiple locations and list these here, but beginning, you lot will need to download the template that yous will demand to utilize, alongside a sample spreadsheet to assist you complete it successfully. You can also use this feature to edit existing GMB listings.
Once you have entered all the locations you want to list, 'select file' and import, review the changes and employ. Any new listings will now be created, as well equally any updates to existing listings applied.
What to Do When Your Business' Category Isn't Available on GMB
It'due south recommended that you exist as specific as possible when choosing how to categorize your business on GMB. That said, it's not uncommon to detect that there isn't a category available within Google My Business that perfectly represents your business. Knowing that the primary category that you cull is given the most importance, y'all want to get it right.
Currently, there are over iii,000 different options available, and you tin find a full list of bachelor categories hither.
If you're struggling to find a suitable way to categorize your business organization, it is recommended that yous choose 1 that is broader than your current classification.
As an example, allow's say you lot run a package forwarding company.
You won't find that as a category within GMB, just you lot would find 'Shipping and Mailing Service' which is a little less specific, even so still relevant, so choose this one.
What is the Short Name on Google My Business?
All verified GMB listings are able to choose a 'curt name' that makes it easier for customers to detect and follow their business on Maps and Search.
In one case yous have got a short proper name for your business concern, customers will be able to enter this as the URL in their browser'southward accost bar and be taken straight to the GMB page, every bit an example provided by Google: 'g.folio/[yourcustomname]'.
Yous will likely be promoting this short proper name, and so be sure to keep information technology brusque and relevant — with Google recommending y'all to include your location to make it more than distinct.
Try to go along your short proper name as short as possible to make it as easy as possible to share with customers.
How to Add Questions & Answers in Google My Business
It is only natural that customers have questions, and smart businesses leverage the opportunity inside GMB to pre-populate questions and answers to heighten their listing to ensure that answers are every bit like shooting fish in a barrel to find as possible.
These display as part of your concern list on the knowledge panel.
Customers are able to inquire questions straight from the SERPs, and clicking the 'enquire a question' button pops up a box:
This makes it quick and easy for customers to enquire questions, but the caveat hither is that anyone can answer these, not just yourself. That can mean that wrong answers terminate upwardly on a page.
It is critical to regularly review questions that take been asked by customers and provide answers in a timely manner earlier anyone else has the take chances to do and so.
Keep in mind, equally a business owner, it makes sense to pre-populate your most ordinarily asked questions in a bid to help customers every bit much equally possible and make it easy for them to go answers to their queries. This helps create trust.
Go alee and figure out your most unremarkably asked questions and add together these in. It frequently makes sense to sit downwardly with someone on the shop flooring or a client service representative to ensure y'all are answering as many questions equally possible to help potential customers.
What Are Labels in GMB, and Why Are They Important?
While they are not something that will directly affect the operation of your GMB list, labels are a useful characteristic for many marketers and concern owners.
Quite simply, they allow you to organize your listings within your account; this is aa handy tool when y'all are managing multiple locations within one dashboard. And using them ways you will exist able to search for a specific location within GMB hands.
Mutual uses include grouping listings by region (or maybe country if you are working with a global business that has stores in multiple territories). A great example would exist adding 'E Coast' and 'West Coast' labels to group your listings.
You lot can assign upwards to ten labels per location of up to fifty characters. You will find the option to add labels in the 'advanced information' section of the 'info' screen.
How To Add Highlights / Attributes to GMB
Using attributes (highlights) is an effective way to set your listing autonomously from the contest by showcasing the unique characteristics of your business. It is those things that truly make your concern great and that customers love you for.
From free WiFi to family-friendliness, you have got total control over the attributes and highlights which y'all choose to showcase on your listing. Go on in mind that your business category determines the attributes available for your business organisation profile.
You will find the bachelor highlights and attributes that you can choose from on the 'info' tab of your GMB list:
Go ahead and click the pencil icon, and you volition see the options that are available for you to employ.
Below is an example that has been taken from the GMB listing of a counselors do, then you tin can see the options bachelor:
Be sure to choose all of those that use to your business, ensuring that you showcase everything that you have to offer to customers.
How To Use Call Tracking Numbers and Maintain NAP Consistency
Call tracking allows you lot to gain more than insights into metrics relating to the source of calls to assistance you lot make informed business concern decisions. And, information technology is likely that you lot will want to utilize tracking numbers inside your GMB listing, but may accept concerns about maintaining NAP consistency.
If you are non familiar with the concept of NAP and its importance within local SEO, yous can go ahead and learn more hither, also as other bully tactics for local businesses. In short, it is important that you are able to maintain a consequent NAP profile across your various business organization listings, GMB included. And then, what exercise you do?
The simple answer is that you can use phone call tracking numbers with GMB, without seeing a negative bear on on your local visibility, you just need to make sure that information technology is set up in the right way.
Within the 'info' section of your GMB list, you will encounter a phone number department, with options for both primary and boosted phone numbers.
Notation: Make sure you lot add your telephone call tracking number equally the 'principal telephone' option and your standard business organisation phone number every bit an 'additional telephone' number.
Equally simple as it sounds, by adding your main phone line as an additional number, you ensure that this remains connected to your business and remains consistent across your NAP contour.
How To Optimize Your Google My Business Listing
In one case you have gear up and completed equally much of your GMB listing as possible, you can go further to optimize and raise it. There are and then many smashing guides available to help you lot improve your local SEO, many of which include dandy insights into how to optimize your GMB listing.
In fact, our ' Google My Business organization Tips from Greg Gifford' guide is a slap-up place to start to go alee of your competitors.
Below, nosotros have rounded up some of the GMB optimization basics that we think y'all need to know to take your visibility to the side by side level, including answers to some commonly asked questions.
Merely as a really quick recommendation, be sure to fill up out every bit much information on your listing equally you can. Don't leave anything blank unless you absolutely have to.
Should I add as many keywords as possible into my GMB description?
When SEOs think about adding keywords, they often think back to the days of keyword stuffing inside the meta keywords tag or using equally many repetitions of each as possible inside a page's re-create.
When writing your GMB description, it is important to understand that it is widely regarded that keywords practice not impact your local rankings.
It is quite simple in that you practice not demand to keyword stuff your clarification. However, information technology does pay to take the time to read Google's guidelines to help you avert mistakes that could see your list suspended.
How Practice I Optimize a Google Post?
Google posts are a great manner to enhance your GMB list and allow you to share content direct onto your page, which also shows on the noesis panel, therefore giving you a great opportunity to stand out.
From your GMB dashboard, yous will be able to select 'posts' from the left-hand menu and jump straight into creating content.
The question that is most ordinarily asked is,what type of content should you publish as a Google Post?
Quite merely, your opportunities are endless; simply be sure to showcase content that makes sense and helps your audience. Some great ideas include:
- Event posts around an upcoming event you are hosting.
- Sales posts to announce a auction that yous are currently running.
- Share a snippet from your latest blog post and link information technology through the main content from the Google Mail service.
- Share a seasonal message to your customers.
How Do I Feature Products on GMB?
Did you know that you tin can highlight products direct on the GMB listing that shows on your noesis console? In many means, it is very like to being able to highlight your services, something you have been able to do for quite some fourth dimension.
In Google's own words,"The Product Editor allows merchants to build a presence on mobile and the estimator to showcase their products and drive consumer interactions. Consumers will see a more curated showcase of a store's products on the Business Contour Products tab on mobile, or the Product Overview module on the figurer. Items added through the Production Editor appear in Business organisation profiles on the calculator and mobile version of Google Search."
It is as unproblematic equally creating collections that contain at least iii products each and completing the mandatory fields, including the product image.
Your customers will and so be able to view your collections and click through to view more details:
In our opinion, information technology is well worth spending the time it takes to build out collections and product listings. Information technology is a feature which many businesses however haven't utilized properly, and at that place is a good risk your competitors likewise oasis't used it.
How Do I Encourage Users to Leave Reviews?
We take already highlighted the importance of reviews as office of your GMB presence. BrightLocal found that v-star ratings increase clicks by effectually 25%, only 1 of the questions that is often asked is how businesses tin can encourage users to leave reviews.
Starting time things first, don't exist tempted to either leave fake reviews yourself or purchase reviews from others (or employ unscrupulous services that offer this).
Google can, and will, remove reviews that are deemed unnatural.
To encourage users to go out reviews, you need to build the request into role of your internal processes, then that request customers to review your concern becomes natural and something that simply happens.
Here are a few ideas:
- Utilise the available features within Google's Marketing Kit to create social posts, stickers, and posters to encourage customers to get out reviews.
- Send an email to customers after they purchase (or use your service) and politely ask them to go out a review on your GMB page, sharing your short link.
- Enquire long-continuing customers personally. You will be surprised at how effective this is when you reach out to them on a personal level and make the request.
What Are the Dimensions for Google My Business Images?
You want to brand sure your logo and cover images on your GMB listing wait precipitous and stand up out in front end of your potential customers. The primary thing y'all need to exist aware of is the correct dimensions so that you are able to effectively design for the size available.
Every bit of April 2020, the current dimensions and specs that you need to know are:
Profile Photo:250 10 250px
Cover Photo: 1080 ten 608px
Post Images: 1200 x 900px
Format: JPEG / PNG
Size: 10kb to 5mb
Make sure your designer knows the dimensions they need to work to; or use a unproblematic platform such as Canva to help y'all create images that really stand out.
How to Change An Address on Google My Business
- Sign in to your Google My Business account.
- If you have multiple locations, choose the location you would like to change.
- From the menu, click 'Info'.
- Click on the address field.
- Enter your address following the guidelines we have explained in a higher place, then click 'Apply'.
- If Google can't find the address, look for the red 'Gear up marker location' push that appears over the map of your city on the right side, so click 'Prepare marker location'.
- A map volition appear with a red pin, and you can drag this pin and place the pin at the center of your location. If you are a eating place in the middle of a shopping mall, you tin drag this pin to help users locate your business.
- When you are done, click 'Employ'. Please note, the changes may not be immediate. GMB may review the alter before it is published.
You Tin Drive Local SEO Success with Google My Concern
If yous are a local business, you simply cannot ignore the benefits that Google My Business tin can bring to your local visibility.
Become the basics right and use as many of the features as possible, and you will already be ane footstep ahead of the competition, given that many simply make full out the basics and leave it standing nevertheless.
Be the business who has an active and busy list, that earns the v-star reviews and whose profile leaves competitors wishing theirs looked equally great!
Source: https://www.semrush.com/blog/google-my-business/
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