Your GMB Listing | Reviews and SEO Work Together to Convert

Improve Your GMB Listing

Your Google My Business (GMB) listing is the most valuable space your local business has on the internet. It’s literally your virtual storefront, from contact information to hours you’re open.

Except it’s available to anyone and everyone, all of the time.

If this sounds intimidating, don’t let it be! Your GMB listing can be greatly improved by focusing on gaining positive online reviews and performing some basic optimization.

Check out this blog for Google My Business optimization help.

Why Are GMB Reviews Important?

Google My Business reviews are an important conversion tool.

Getting four- and five-star reviews on Google My Business (GMB) is important for your SEO and for conversions. That’s in part because 84 percent of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation. That’s powerful!

Google My Business reviews also matter to Google. Since Google’s primary goal is to serve the user, it’s going to give businesses with more or better reviews higher spots in the search engine results page (SERP) to better serve their users.

Having good reviews on your GMB listing means ranking better in the local pack, and it gives your business instant credibility with everyone who sees your listing as a local search result.

These small businesses are using Google My Business right.

How to Get GMB Reviews

Asking for reviews is easier than you might think. Here are some ways to ask for reviews from your customers:

1. Ask the customer to give you online feedback when you’ve completed a job for them.
2. Print out instructions with a link to make it easy for customers to leave a review – you can staple it to their receipt, bill or invoice so it stands out.
3. Create a small email campaign around asking for reviews – or even a social media campaign.
4. Add the GMB review link to your website, encouraging anyone who lands there to submit feedback.
5. You know your customers better than anyone, so ask those who you know would be likely to say yes and leave a good review.

Don’t forget to use a link shortener if you’re displaying your review link anywhere, and always respond to reviews, even the negative ones (just keep your cool).

The Bits and Pieces of GMB SEO

Yes, you can optimize your GMB listing!

In addition to customer reviews, here are five other factors that affect your Google My Business SEO:

1. Verification – Follow these steps to verify your GMB listing.
2. Profile Completeness – Fill in as much detail as you can about your business. Upload photos, a logo, add special holiday hours and more.
3. Profile Accuracy – If your hours change, your business moves, or anything else changes, it’s up to you to keep your GMB listing accurate and up to date.
4. NAP Consistency – We don’t talk about this very much anymore, but it’s so important that your name, address and phone number (NAP) are the same across the internet. Google is secretly verifying your address from your GMB listing to the one on your website. Make sure they match!
5. Use Posts – If you haven’t been making Google My Business posts yet, you should. Google likes to reward businesses that are active with their GMB listing.

Your GMB Listing Is Open for Business

With GMB optimization and the right strategy for garnering online reviews, your Google My Business profile will soon be greeting and converting new customers.

Need more help? Don’t miss our list of frequently asked questions about Google My Business.

Now that you have your GMB listing in shape, what’s next? Reach out online or call us at 231.882.1100 to see where PointA can take your business.