The Small Business's Guide to Google
What if we told you that you could stamp out the local competition, be recognized on google, and find your business on the first page?
Sounds pretty great, right? Just wait…it’s about to get better.
What if we told you there was a tool to do this… and it’s free. Not like, free for the first month and you pay kind of free - we mean totally, 100% FREE.
Hang tight as we deep dive into the internet’s most trusted platform and how you can use its free service tools to your advantage! We hope you come out on the other side of this article with the insight and knowledge you need to succeed on Google search.
Building Trust with Google
How do you build trust with something that isn’t a living, breathing thing? Well, you start by doing what it tells you!
Google Business Profile encourages you to fill out every single section, with every single service, the hours of your business, descriptions, photos, and more. All of these items are vital to the health of your Google Business Profile, so make sure you’re up to date and you don’t skip a thing.
If you haven’t noticed, Google is a little emotionally fragile. Google needs to know that not only is your business legit, but that you trust Google’s platform to help them send potential customers your way through the power of search. Talk about trust issues!
Another way to build trust with Google and potential customers is by replying to all of your Google reviews. While this stands for any platform (Facebook, Yelp, etc), it’s especially important on Google. Customer reviews can actually help SEO and help you show up when someone searches for a keyword. Make sure you are nurturing client’s reviews and responding with appreciation.
Speaking of SEO, what’s that all about anyway? Keep reading to find out!
Google’s Social Platform
We aren’t saying Google is the next Instagram. What we are saying is that Google likes a little bit of attention. Google wants to know what you’re up to so they can share it with your potential customers. Frequent posts help your business show up before competitors in search because, like we said, Google wants your attention, and posting frequently reminds Google just how loved they are.
Like we mentioned above, reviews can show up when someone is looking for a certain keyword. This goes for Google posts as well. When you post frequently, and use keywords, you are nurturing Google and your potential clients by showing you are active, involved, and offering opportunities to connect.
So… we mentioned SEO. Let’s get into it.
Utilize Google’s Free SEO Tool
Okay so we aren’t going to get into the weeds of SEO (that’s an article for another time), but to put it simply, SEO, or search engine optimization, is how Google reads your website pages and other online publications. If your business isn’t showing up on the first page of a search result, Google either doesn’t trust your business enough to serve it to someone, or the search is not relevant.
SEO is typically a long game of adding the right keywords into your website strategically, and cleaning up the backend of your website so that it’s healthy. But Google has a FREE SEO tool that not all businesses are using, can you guess what it is?
If you guessed Google Business Profile, formerly Google My Business, then you’re right!
Google Business Profile is a totally free tool that all businesses should have, regardless of their physical location. (AKA remote businesses should use this too!)
So, how does it work?
If Google was a neighborhood then your Google Business Profile would be a house on the street. It’s a little bit of real estate in Google’s network. If you have a Google Business Profile, you know that it doesn’t show up in the search with all the other website links. It has a very special spot above the fold (where the links to websites begin) where you can explore all local businesses that are relevant to your search.
“But what if I have multiple services? How do I let people know I do it all?”
Say your business offers multiple types of services, but you really want to focus on growing one service in particular. Instead of changing your whole marketing strategy, simply tweak your SEO strategy to include consistent Google posts about the service you are trying to grow. This shows Google you offer this service and are excited to talk about it, offering you more opportunity to show up in a related search.
Something to remember: Almost every single word on your Google Profile is searchable. Write wisely!
The truth is, you can’t escape Google. It isn’t going anywhere, and if you utilize the free tools it gives your business, Google will reward you with more eyes on your digital real estate. Make sure you are keeping it green with frequent care and a little TLC!
Book a call with us to setup your Google Profile strategy!
