Over the last few weeks, I have written many blogs that target and contain helpful tips for any small business based in Cheshire and how they can start to increase web performance by implementing free local SEO strategies.
Inside these blogs I have preached about the introduction of ‘Google My Business’, the essential starting point for any business that wants to increase web performance in Cheshire. For those of you who are perhaps unsure, or just starting out, and looking to optimise your web performance more locally, I will be providing an in-depth review of Google My Business and what this free platform can do for your business on a local scale.
What is Google My Business?
Google My Business is the combination of multiple Google products – Google Places, Google+ and Google Local that was released worldwide on a completely free platform on June 11, 2014.
Using the same interface as Google+, Google My Business presents small, local businesses with the opportunity to submit their business products and services so they have a better chance of being found in the local listings. By signing up, Google stores the information on their local database so when local users submit an enquiry, Google algorithms will calculate and provide local search results for local businesses. Along with using the Google+ interface, the platform includes many more features and insights so businesses can monitor their progress.
Google My Business allows your business to be found by customers across multiple Google products and devices and allows you to list important information for customers including;
- Business information on Search
- NAP (Name, Address & Phone Number)
- Opening Hours
- Customer Reviews
- Directions on Google Maps
- View info on any mobile phone platforms
Create or claim your business listing
It doesn’t matter if you are the local butchers or an online gaming store, each business will be able to manage their business listing with two simple options “Create” or “Claim”.
Search Results for you local business.
If you have previously worked with any Google Platform, if you Google your business name, you will see the skeleton of your business information appear on the right-hand side with the option to click on “Are you the business owner?” Google uses previous information to provide the basic details until you claim and change the information.
If you are a completely new business, you can start from scratch and create a free listing by using the ‘Google My Business website’.
– If your business already appears, this is what you will need to click on.
Build your business profile
After creating or claiming your business listing, you will start to create your Google+ business profile. Remember the more relevant information you add, the more Google’s algorithms can capture in order to help boost your local web performance in Cheshire. It’s a very simple process to follow and allows you as a business to add as much information as possible that will help local customers.
- Introduction containing relevant keywords and phrases on your location and services.
- Maps
- Photos you upload will appear for Search Results
- Hours (Google even tells the user if your business is open or not depending on the time)
- Category
- Contact Information
Example of what information any business can include.
Instant Customer Reviews
Word of mouth is a powerful tool for any business. As much as you love or hate customer reviews, many new customers make key purchasing decisions based on what other customer reviews say alone. I know I have certainly made many a purchase based by this!
For online marketing, customers can now leave reviews directly on your Google+ business page. By searching for services or products locally, users can now instantly see ratings for each business.
Share content across Google+
Content is king. If you have just written a keyword rich blog, or have just provided some industry news or reviews on your website, by having Google For Business you can instantly share with other Google+ users.
When signed into your account, on the dashboard you will see the ‘Share’ function. By simply adding the link to your content from your website, you can instantly send and share your latest content with all your Google+ connections along with users who view your profile.
Access to Insights and Google Analytics
Perhaps the most difficult tool to use, the Insights and Analytics tool is the most important that any Google My Business user will use because it’s a fantastic way to pinpoint web performance.
Available to access on the dashboard, Insights and Analytics goes into great detail across all Google products so you can target information on specific Google+ posts, map searches or even seeing what customers are clicking on when they visit your website. Here is just a small breakdown on how any small Cheshire based business can monitor web performance.
- How many views your website is receiving
- Geographic breakdown of where your views are coming from
- How customers interact with your content
- How they frequently they like to see new content
For any small Cheshire based business that is starting to look how they can increase web performance, in my opinion Google My Business is a great starting point. If you would like to discuss how we can help you setup your Google My Business account or would like to discuss Local SEO strategies in more detail, why not pop in for a coffee and chat thing over with James. Contact untitled™ for web performance strategies on 01565 653616 or alternatively fill out our contact form.