Have you ever searched online for the opening hours of a restaurant in your area and found out that of all days the restaurant is closed? That's how you got in touch with Google's My Business program. In this article you will learn how to optimize your company's profile on Google My Business. This will increase your visibility in local search queries.
Google My Business is a free platform from Google for businesses. The function is coupled with Google Maps and the location of a company. But beyond the simple location search, the profile has other important functions.
It enables businesses to improve their online presence on Google and encourages interaction with customers. Meanwhile, Google Maps has become a comprehensive directory for businesses.
Law firms can also put the most important information about the company there. For example: a short description, an address, phone number, the link to your website, photos / videos of your products or your services, etc.
The ratings of your company also play a particularly important role. Every Google user can visibly submit a review. As a company, you can respond to these reviews individually.
Here you have the possibility to add address, directions, website, opening hours, services, reviews and other details in your profile.
When someone searches for products or services offered by your business, Google has been offering relevant listings from Google My Business profiles at the top for some time.
Your business entry can appear at the top of the search results if it matches the search query. This requires that Google has enough information from you to be able to judge this.
An up-to-date Google MyBusiness profile helps you to reach and address a wide audience. Clients can find you more easily through the profile or become aware of you when they search for certain keywords.
They can call you directly, visit your website, read frequently asked questions or request a quote.
In certain consulting fields, feedback comes very spontaneously and directly. The Google My Business profile offers you the possibility to record the feedback transparently and to clarify misunderstandings directly. This strengthens the trust of your clients in your office.
In addition, clients today are looking for law firms that are quick and easy to reach. Visible Google profiles with directly available contact details allow them to contact you directly. This also improves customer loyalty.
It's no secret that local searches often lead to purchasing decisions. With the widespread acceptance of digitized communication, the boundaries have indeed been reduced somewhat.
Nevertheless, many people in the legal industry are still looking for a lawyer nearby: e.g. "Lawyer Basel".
If your company or your business entry appears in the search results, this increases your chances of attracting new clients.
To get your business listed in local search results, the first thing you need to do is create a Google My Business account. Provide all relevant information to Google to improve your business visibility in local search.
Google prefers local results. Entries with current and precise details facilitate this.
Google uses three factors for ranking: location, relevance and awareness.
To improve your ranking, you should fill in all sections, including name, address, phone, website, opening hours, category, attributes, products and services, and description. It is also useful to include appropriate keywords to increase the relevance of your business to the search queries.
Make sure that all the information is correct and carefully filled in. For example, make sure the name of your business is spelled as it appears on your store's signage.
No additional keywords or the location of your business should be entered in the business name field. Google will consider this as spam. The business name and address should match other entries on the Internet.
Also store the exact working hours and holidays. This way, customers know when you are available. This can help avoid bad reviews.
Choose the categories carefully. Why is this so important? It helps you to be found in discovery searches.
In fact, a total of 84% of business listing views come from discovery searches, where users search for a product, service or category and the business listings appear.
This compares to only 16% for direct searches, where users enter the exact company name or location.
Once you have selected a category, Google offers you category-specific features to make your listing more attractive and efficient. For example, a menu or booking icon can be displayed in your business listing. Note that Google offers a fixed number of categories, so choosing the right category is crucial. If your exact category is not available, choose the closest one. Be as specific as possible and only choose secondary/additional categories that match what your business offers.
You cannot edit or control the short editorial overview under your company name. Google automatically compiles this overview to ensure consistency. But don't worry: You can edit the description of your business.
The "From Company" section is displayed under the "Reviews" section of your profile.
Use the full 750 characters to describe your business in detail and include important information in the first 250 characters.
Avoid repeating details that have already been mentioned in other sections of your entry. Use this section to set yourself apart from your competitors and emphasize the things that make your business unique. Note that no links should be included in the description.
The attributes / characteristics describe your company and help potential clients to find suitable law firms. The attribute list of Google is very extensive and detailed. By the specific selection of attributes you can distinguish your company from others.
For example, hotels can display class ratings and services, while restaurants and bars can upload menus and highlight popular dishes. Service-oriented businesses can display a service menu and include a booking button.
Even small and medium businesses can add product catalogs. If you are missing certain attributes, you may have chosen the wrong category.
Clients trust other clients more than the self-description of a company. Positive reviews are the digital equivalent of a classic recommendation. They can therefore have a great influence and improve the Google ranking.
About the importance of referrals in legal marketing.
Google recognizes the importance of reviews and takes them into account in its algorithm. Law firms should therefore take care to respond to reviews and offer support to clients who submit a negative review.
Google uses keywords in reviews to confirm the relevance of companies.
Actively pursuing evaluations is incredibly difficult – especially in the legal profession.
Even though attorney-client privilege applies, we are seeing more and more clients willing to provide feedback. If you want to optimize your Google business profile with reviews, there are some tips you can follow.
As is common in social media, you can also create your own posts on your My Business profile. These posts will appear in the Updates section of your profile and may also appear at the top of your profile, depending on the search query. By posting regularly, you can increase the number of actions users take on your listing.
Use event and offer posts for limited-time promotional campaigns, and add links and calls to action to increase interaction with your posts.
Photos and videos in the Google My Business listing are important.
Why? Anyone can add photos and videos to your listing, but adding your own media ensures quality and branding.
Regularly adding photos and videos signals to Google that your entry is active and up-to-date. This also has a positive effect on your ranking.
Thanks to advances in image recognition, Google now displays images in search results. Users are 42% more likely to ask for directions and 35% more likely to visit the website when a company profile includes images.
This feature allows users to send messages directly from your Google business profile. Since most users use their smartphones for local searches, this is one way to get in touch with clients.
Go to the Messaging tab in your Google My Business dashboard and install the app.
In today's digital world, it is crucial to be present online and attract the attention of potential clients. An easy and cost-effective way to achieve this is to optimize your Google My Business listing.
By regularly maintaining your data, sharing news, and responding to questions and reviews, you'll increase the visibility of your business on a local level. Although maintaining a Google My Business listing can be time-consuming, it pays off in increased reach.
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