Adding your business profile to online directories can both help your website search engine rank and add additional ways for prospects to find you when searching. The most important directory is Google Maps, aka “Google Business Profile”. In past, known as “Google Places” and “Google My Business.”
Your business listing is one of the most valuable and least expensive items on your SEO checklist. Webmaster Ray can guide you thru the process of creating, claiming and verifying the listing which will be visible on desktop and mobile.
1. Claim or Create Page
Start by checking if your business is already listed. If so, go thru process to “claim” it.
Google Business Profile Guidelines
- NAP: 3 critical items must be exactly the same across all directories: Name (of business), Address, Phone — this is important for earning “Citations” from the directories.
- Categories: important to select your primary business category + up to 9 others.
- Description, Hours, etc: add as many details as you can
- Business Info: date established, minority owned, etc —add as many as appropriate, to potentially get listed in the maps 3-pack (top 3 in category)
2. Add Photos
Profile image, logo, cover image, add other photos (more is better).
3. Request Reviews
To make your listing stand out, request customer reviews and stars will appear – to highlight your listing. For example, see my reviews at: Attraction Web Design reviews
To encourage your clients to add testimonials, place a link on your website “Reviews” page so they don’t have to search for your Google listing.
Download Google My Business Instructions
Contact Webmaster Ray for help to attract more business through your profile.
Google Maps for Local Results
It’s critical to rank on the first page of Google search results if you want to generate traffic to your website. Less than 10% of people advance to Page 2. Combine that with the fact that Organic Listings receive 90% of clicks and you see how vital it is to be on that page.
Since videos are 41% more likely to be clicked that plain text, having a video appear will help you dominate the search results for your important keywords.
But our Results go WAY Beyond That! What good is a video unless it ultimately gets the viewer (YOUR NEXT CUSTOMER) to take action? We can have your new customer join your text list, email list, like your facebook page etc. while receiving an offer that we design together that compels the viewer to contact you and do business.
Drive TARGETED traffic to your website, using keywords your prospects are searching for!
Google Maps
Your Google Business Profile can appear on page one if you can get yourself into the top 3 spots on the map (which displays above actual organic results). Just claim your listing, add details and photos, and above all, request reviews from happy customers. This can boost you into one of those coveted top 3 spots and generate free traffic.