What tools are you using to reach the top of local search rankings?
Why online presence matters
Businesses on your streets, neighborhood, county, city and state are very competitive, and it’s important to claim your spot on the local map and get in front of hundreds and thousands of online local searches happening every day.
Business owners from sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, limited liability company (LLC) or other types of businesses understand that they need to have a Google Business Profile (GBP)…or do they?
According to the latest small business website statistics, roughly 27% of small businesses in the United States do not have a dedicated website or online business listing. These are a significant number of businesses without a business page profile online that are missing out on being listed on major online directories like Google, Bing, Yelp and others just to name a few.
Until 2016, over 50% of local retailers had not claimed, completed or fully optimized their GBP listing. With Americans averaging 20+ hours per week online, a business that does not have a strong and optimized online presence is missing out on the ability to reach potential customers, and therefore are hindering the growth of their business.
Set up a Google Business Profile (GBP)
Talon encourages businesses to sign up for a business profile to claim a spot online for their business. Establishing a GBP is one of the many important digital tasks that a business owner should do in addition to setting up their social media presence (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.), which will continue to grow in importance. Now, if you already have a GBP and you’d like to learn how your business is currently showing up online, feel free to ask for a free and no-obligation local listing scan report. Remember, a GBP is a free digital marketing tool that can help your business attract customers, improve search, visibility and trust (reputation) for your business.
About Local Listing Scan
A local listing scan is a good way to check the health of your online business information and instantly see how your most critical location data appears online.
IMPORTANT: If you have a GBP that is active with reviews and a five-star rating, this does not mean your business listing is accurate throughout other web directories outside of GBP. For example, if even your Google business listing is good, your business listing could still be inaccurate across other online directories like Bing or Yelp. This inaccuracy could negatively impact your online reputation, which results in your business not showing up on search results. Worse, your business will likely not rank above competitors in the Google Maps section for “near me” searches because of this inaccuracy.
What’s next?
Congratulations! Your business has a GBP but what else can your business do to improve its chances of being found online where hundreds to thousands of searches are happening daily? There are a few simple things you can do on your own as a business owner.
- Make sure that your GBP and social media profile pages all have the same NAP (name, address and phone) information across the internet. And be sure that it is consistent across online accounts for your business. If your address is 123 Avenue, make sure your business is listed as 123 Avenue and not 123 Ave. on Facebook and other online profiles for your business. Consistency and paying attention to details is very important.
- Make sure that any photos, illustrations, graphics and/or videos used for your business have consistent branding and use relevant keywords (avoid keyword stuffing). Use quality photos while adhering to your business’ branding guidelines. Post frequently to improve the chance of your business showing up favorably on relevant online searches for your type of business. Understandably, if a weekly posting is too much for your business team, try for once a month. Keeping your GBP updated on a regular basis contributes to how your business shows up (ranks) on searches. Your consistent business efforts to update your GBP along with online marketing will determine how your business shows up on search results. These search results are referred to as SERP (search engine results page).
- Encourage customers to leave reviews on platforms like Google and Yelp. Positive reviews can improve your local ranking and drive customer trust.
About SERPs
SERPs are results that show up on electronic screens (cell, tablet or desktop) when a search is done. If you’ve ever searched for a place to eat, you have seen SERP in action. For example, a search for “Mexican food near me” while driving through a town will provide several pages of Mexican restaurants to choose from. If your restaurant serves Mexican food and you’ve done a good job with marketing, maintenance and nurturing your GBP with posts, replies, reviews and promotions, your business has a good chance of showing up at the top of SERP. The goal is to show up on page one (1) of SERP and above the fold. For help on improving your rankings, ask Talon about local SEO.
