How many times a day do you find yourself searching the net via Google? It’s not a trick question but we’re guessing it’s too many times to keep track of. And that’s exactly why you need a Google My Business listing.

Any expert web guru will tell you that improving your search rankings isn’t easy or one of those things that happens overnight. The real key to great search engine optimisation (SEO) is having a knack for taking advantage of opportunities to improve your search rankings. From there, you really need to continue doing the work and putting in the time, effort and energy into standing out in relevant searches. We know, that piece of information is about as exciting as the How I Met Your Mother finale (yeah, it was bad!).

Most people understand that maintaining website content and incorporating keywords strategically is an important aspect of quality SEO but we’re going to let you in on a little secret: there are a few other things you can do here and there that help to boost your SEO. And we’re about to spill the beans on one of them.

Let’s talk Google My Business (GMB)

Before we explain why your business needs a GMB listing, it’s important to understand what GMB is. In a nutshell, it’s a Business Directory that allows businesses to build more detailed information directly into Google. In turn, this makes Google’s information about your site and business more accurate, which helps customers to find you while also placing your business more effectively in search results. If we were talking about ice cream, GMB would be the truffle ice cream of search engines (granted, we haven’t had truffle ice cream and probably never will).

GMB allows you to promote your business better - as you can see from our highly biased screenshot, you can include photos of your business, its opening hours, location details and any review ratings completed by customers. Don’t be shy to ask your customers for a review - reviews have the power to have a really positive impact on your search rankings, while building trust and encouraging potential customers to give your business a go. You’ll also see from the above screenshot that you can allow customers to ask a question or get directions to your physical business location. Check out this video to see a GMB listing in action and how it’s helping businesses of all sizes to grow and stand out from their competitors.

But wait, there’s more!

At risk of sounding like a Demtel ad (remember those?), it’s important to point out that GMB has a heap of other additional features including:

Google posts - add additional information within search results such as your business’ latest promotions. If they’re really keen, customers could click straight through to your promotion from the search results.

Q&A feature - add any FAQ answers here so that you can address common questions customers ask straight-up, further encouraging customers to jump from their search results and straight onto your site.

Insights - this is where you’ll benefit from having some simple metrics on-hand. We’re talking about data such as the total number of searches and what portion of traffic was direct (so they typed your business name into the search bar, just like our screenshot) and what was indirect (they typed a term such as “technology led creative business”).

Now if you’re a local business, the news just better with Google stating that approximately one third of searches are conducted by consumers with the intent to find a local business. GMB is vital in helping local businesses to rank in localised results and providing customers with immediate visibility as to what solutions they offer.

The most important question you’re likely to answer today (drum roll)…

Does your business make-up the 44% of companies who have claimed their GMB listing?

If your answer is no, get in touch with our Pronto Woven team so that we can discuss how GMB ties into your Digital and SEO Strategy. We also provide workshop sessions for staff who are keen to be a little more hands-on with everything related to their online presence.

Reach out today to discuss your unique business requirements.