TAYLOR CHIYANGWA
Are you aware that 78 % Of LocalMobile Searches Result In Offline Purchases? In other words, the majority of people who search for local goods and services on a mobile device end up buying within 24 hours!
What is the implication?
If you run a local business like a restaurant, salon, bar, hotel, boutique, hardware shop etc you need to be found online. Being visible online means that you can get business from these local people searching on Google. Many of these people are looking for a specific product or service with no particular business in mind and that’s where you need to come in and get the sale.
When you consider that more and more people are turning to Google to search for goods and services you will realise that this is a massive opportunity for growth in sales in your business. Without a strategic Local SEO plan, your business will not be able to take advantage of the local online demand for your products or services. Local Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a branch of SEO that specifically deals with making your local business visible in search engines.
What are local Search Queries?
The following are examples of local search queries
- restaurants near me
- massage parlours near me
- plumbers in [city name]
- dry cleaners in [city name] List your business on Google maps to be found by people searching on mobile devices
These searches tell Google that the search is to be limited within a certain geographical area. Bear in mind that Google has access to your location when you browse the internet (unless you decline access).
If you run a coffee shop then you want your business to show up when someone physically close to your shop searches for the term ‘coffee shops near me’.
If you are behind technology and you are not found then your competitor who will have appeared in the results will have a higher chance of getting the business. You don’t want that now, do you?
How to Massively Boost Your Sales by Listing on Google Maps Having established that being found by local customers searching online is critical, we now need to look at how you can position yourself in front of their eyes at the critical moment.
The tool you use for this is called Google My Business. The best part is that it’s completely FREE!
What is Google My Business?
It’s a free online listing on Google’s search engine which allows business owners like you to manage their local online presence. This listing shows information like your business’ phone number, address, reviews, and a map showing your physical location.
This information is then displayed in the results when a matching search query by a person in the vicinity triggers it. The person can even get directions to your business straight from the search results.
How to Create a Google My Business Listing
- Go to https://www.google. com/business/ and click on start now on the top right corner.
- Enter your Gmail credentials and over the next few steps enter your business name and address
- A map will then appear with a pin that you can drag to your exact location
- Next, you enter the category of your business and the contact number. You will also get an option to get a free onepage website from Google. We will talk about the free website just now.
- After that, you click on ‘Verify this business’. Google will send a physical postcard via post to the address you will have stated.
The card contains a code that you will need to enter to verify your listing. This is Google’s way of knowing that you are indeed located at that physical address.
The card can take between 2-6 weeks to arrive. During this time your business will not be visible online but you can make changes and customisations.
- Click ‘Continue’ to optimise your dashboard
and free website Optimising Your Listing via the Dashboard As stated above, Google can give you a free website based on your information in Google My Business.
Complete Your Google My business Listing
This free website is great for SEO.
If your business does not have a website then this can be a good alternative. If you already have a website you can still claim this free website and enhance your SEO. You will need to enter more information pertaining to your business to optimise your free website.
Optimising The Free Website from Google.
Update your free listing from Google my business
To start optimising your Google My Busines website you will need to click on the website button on the left. Your website will be created and you will be able to edit the contents on the website.
Add your services and make sure you describe them in depth. When describing your business and services make sure you use keywords that customers will use when they search.
For example, don’t just optimize for “air conditioning repair.” Optimize for “air conditioning repair Harare.” This will mean that your listing will be more likely to come up in results when either keyword is typed in by a searcher. You can even upload a photo gallery with pics related to your business.
There is also an ‘About Us’ where you need to describe your business in-depth and tell customers about your qualities that set you apart from the competition
. After putting this information you will need to click on ‘Publish’ on the top right corner and your free website will be live. You can also write posts on the website. These posts can be announcements of deals or simply giving information to customers. I recommend that you post an update at least once a week. Local SEO Benefits of using Google My Business
- Potential customers access your business information easily
This is because the information is shown right in Google results and they do not even have to visit your website. This will make it easy for them to contact you and you will be more likely to get their business.
- It’s a source of feedback from consumers
You can get important feedback from customers through comments, reviews and even questions on your listing. When you respond to the feedback you can also initiate dialogue with your customers.
This dialogue can culminate in a sale. The questions that customers ask on your listing and your responses will be publicly visible and this means that future customers can easily get answers to your FAQs 3. Learn the keywords that are associated with your business Get keywords people are using to find your business on Goggle maps
Connecting your Google listing with Google Analytics shows you what keywords customers are using to trigger your business to show up in SERPs. This information is useful for planning purposes. You can then use these keywords more on your listing and target them so that you can rank higher.
For example, if most people are finding your business via the keyword ‘Hardware shop in Lagos’ you can then create posts that include that keyword. Even on your main website, you can also use that keyword to target more traffic. Knowing the important keywords in your industry is priceless.
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- View visitor behaviour Google Analytics will also show you what visitors are doing on your listing.
For example, it will show you how many called your business from the listing and how many proceeded to visit your website.
- You become aware of your customer’s physical locations Google My Business will show you where your visitors are physically coming from. So for example, if a visitor gets directions from a certain location you will be to see that. This helps with location marketing tactics, for example, if you are running Google adverts you can increase your budget and cover the areas where you will be getting a lot of queries from.
- Helps you rank in local Google results
You can be found on Google when a user searches for the products/services you sell whilst in your vicinity. This increases the likelihood of you getting business. Conclusion Having a Google My Business listing will do wonders for your local business. It’s a free facility that you need to take advantage of today.
I helped one client, a law firm, register on Google My Business and in the first month they appeared in 456 search appearances and had a handful of phone calls coming through from the listing.
Remember to go above the basics and ensure that you have optimised your listing for the best results. A well optimised Google maps listing can massively boost your sales.
Have you used a Google My Business listing to contact a business before? If you have a local business do you think you can benefit from listing on maps? Taylor Chiyangwa can help you with your digital marketing efforts. He is part of the Tech Hub Harare community which meets every Wednesday between 1 and 2pm to network and grow. If you would like to connect him contact hararehub@gmail. com or send a WhatsApp message to 07718924393.
