At this point, though, you’re not likely to be wondering if , but how to go about Google My Business optimization for B2B brands. Here are some of the key details you need to know about optimizing your listing.
How to Optimize Your Google My Business Listing
The most important factor in optimizing your GMB profile is simple enough — fill out everything. How do you get started, though, and which fields are necessary for your business?
Presuming that you have already claimed your business, as outlined in Part 1, you’ll begin by signing in, selecting “Info,” and then selecting “Edit.” From here, you’ll want to make sure you fill out certain fields correctly and appropriately. For instance, your hours should be as accurate as possible: Customers will call you during the hours you list, so if your hours are different on a given day, you need to update your GMB – continually – to always reflect this, to avoid customer frustration. Also note that, according to BrightLocal, the time when the most customers will call you is probably from 10am to noon.
Make sure to fill out a “Description” for your business. This should not be done casually. Consider that the goal of GMB, in general, is to make things as easy and accessible as possible for the customer, so ideally, they should not have to go digging through a website to get a brief sense of what services your company provides. At the same time, brevity is also important, because you don’t want to have so much copy that they don’t read it. One useful thing to do, here, is to look up similar businesses in the area, and see which boxes they tick off: for example, if you were running a restaurant, you would look up other restaurants nearby, notice that they mark their no-contact delivery option, and then make sure you have this noted on your GMB profile, as well.
Make sure to categorize your business accurately, particularly if you find that it has already been categorized with something that doesn’t quite fit.
This brings us to media. While it can be tempting not to bother with photos (particularly because photos should be high quality, interesting, and specifically tied to your business goals) the value that photos bring to a listing should never be underestimated. Returning to the BrightLocal study, it was found that businesses with photos – the average is 11 – earned 35 percent more clicks, which is definitely a number to pay attention to. Perhaps it’s not surprising, then, that businesses with photo listings, according to Synup, are 2 times as likely to be considered reputable.
As for what photos to use? A high-quality business logo, particularly as your preferred photo, would be a good choice. Also consider using exterior photos – this will help customers locate you on Google Maps – as well as product photos, and if applicable, photos of the processes that occur within the business. A team photo is also recommended, as it helps put faces to the name.
Google My Business Optimization is the Future
Understand that learning about Google My Business is not something you “should” consider—it’s something you have to do. If you want to keep your foothold in the market, as more and more businesses go online, understanding and thriving with GMB will become a necessity.
At some point, if not today, the difference between a customer selecting your company or a competitor will likely come down to which one presents better on a quick Google search. By getting an early head start, you’ll be ahead.
If you’d like to learn more about Google My Business can help your B2B digital marketing efforts, then contact us today and let’s talk.