Google is much more than a search engine. With an ecosystem of tools and capabilities, the tech giant offers businesses a wide array of effective marketing tools. Google My Business is one such tool that you can leverage for increased conversions and brand awareness.
What is Google My Business?
Google My Business is a service that allows companies to create listings that appear on the top search engine’s results. This free platform uses Google Maps in order to create an interactive, location-based directory entry. Other than basic information regarding operations, a business’s Google My Business listing can include a host of other elements. Posts by the business owner, customer reviews and payment options the establishment accepts are a few of the things that are communicated to users.
The listing targets searchers based on their queries and location. This maximizes effectiveness as you are guaranteed to appear before the eyes of prequalified prospective customers. The listing also appears prominently in search results, offering the opportunity for immediate interaction with those searching for a solution to a specific problem.
What are the Benefits of a Google My Business Listing?
Every ambitious business functioning in today’s globally interconnected digital environment tries to leverage the tools at its disposal. Search engine optimization is important for having a website rank high and social media is necessary for reputation management. Online ads provide a way to get leads as directly as possible and email marketing is helpful for maintaining communication with an audience.
Google My Business connects to all the aforementioned online marketing methods by providing a way to amplify them. A properly created listing can offer a synergistic effect with Google Ads, helping give off positive social signals through the positive reviews your business receives while also helping you grow your email list.
Statistics show that between the fourth quarter of 2017 and 2018, direct searches for businesses grew by approximately 40 percent and website clicks increased by almost 30 percent as a result of Google My Business listings.
Early Adoption
Despite Google launching its free listing service in June 2014, Local Search Insider reports that only 56 percent of retailers can boast ownership of a listing. This presents a unique opportunity as a large part of your competition remains without the use of their listing.
Boost Local Marketing
For companies that rely on local leads for making sales, the ability to target audiences in a geographical location is a conversion-generating mechanism. Just try searching on Google for any product or service in your locale. You will likely find that a Google My Business listing will appear.
Google reports that 49 percent of business listings on their platform receive over 1000 searches per month. This can be a game-changer for any business if you consider that the views your website will get are from local prospects.
Increase Conversions
Another eye-opening set of statistics shows that 91 percent of consumers read online reviews while 84 percent of searchers place as much, if not more, trust in reviews that are in friends’ recommendations. Having an optimized Google My Business listing with great reviews can only skyrocket conversion rates while you position your business as an authority in your niche.
Actionable Insights
A dashboard within your Google My Business listing provides helpful engagement data and statistics about how users found you. This can help shape your overall marketing strategy and make changes that adapt your sales funnel to peoples’ needs.
Making the Most of Your Google My Business Listing
As with any digital marketing strategy, there is a learning curve associated with acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills for using Google My Business. Passing up on creating your listing shouldn’t be the only alternative. You can gain the benefits of a properly created and maintained Google My Business listing by consulting a knowledgeable expert.
Focusing your efforts on your core business tasks should be your main goal. If you are a business owner that wants to capitalize on the benefits a Google My Business listing offers, contact Nova Advertising today. Our portfolio speaks to our results-driven focus.
