A large portion of the clients we work with regularly show up in Google’s Local search results. With nearly 3 billion searches returning results that access Google+ Local, it is important to make sure your Local pages are in great shape. Google local optimization gets your site found sooner and helps convert visitors into paying customers.
Below are a few tips for optimizing your Google Local page:
Claim and Complete Your Page:
Make sure you fill out all of the relevant information on your page. Google likes profiles that are completed, and the more information you put into the page, the more information is available for the search engines to access. Don’t leave items blank.
Be Consistent:
Make sure that your address, phone numbers, e-mails, and any other company data are consistent across the web. Nothing confuses search engines more than having similar listings with entirely different addresses and phone numbers. Make sure all contact information is identical across the sites. This helps tell Google that you are indeed one company and not separate entities. Establishing yourself as one company builds your online credibility in the eyes of the search engines.
Tell Us What You’re Best At:
We recently looked into a Google+ Local listing for a company in Indianapolis. From their Google listing, we could not tell what kind of work the company actually did. Since we work in SEO, we’re pretty good at finding things online, but we couldn’t figure out what specific types of services the company offered. In fact, some listings said they offered one service while another specifically said they did not offer the exact same service…talk about confusing!
Most companies are clear about what they do, but if you work in a niche industry or serve several industries, make sure you explain exactly what you do on your Google Local listing. Search engines see these services and index them. Customers know whether or not you offer a particular service. For these reasons, it’s beneficial to be crystal clear in the services you offer to customers.
Encourage Reviews and Interactions:
Data routinely shows that the most frustrated customers are far more likely to leave reviews. This means that you’re much more likely to have negative reviews than positive reviews. Even if you serve dozens of happy clients, just a few grumpy clients can damage your reputation online. Figure out how to encourage customers to leave positive reviews. Perhaps you can find some small incentive to encourage them to leave feedback. Also, respond politely and genuinely to negative feedback. Perhaps offering a refund or a coupon may be a great way to minimize negative feedback. Your willingness to help make amends with unhappy customers shows that you actually care about your customers and your business. This openness and interaction will help your online reputation significantly.
Create Google+ Page:
Since Google owns the majority of search traffic, they continually seek to integrate social into their search results. Although they are limited on their ability to incorporate Facebook and Twitter posts, the Google+ network can be searched by Google. Create a page that highlights your company and add it to your social media strategy.
In Closing: Get Your Google Local Page in Order!
Google Local Optimization can be incredibly time consuming, but it is only going to be more important as we move forward in search. If you are a business that primarily sells locally, but haven’t bothered to get your Google Local page in shape, you’re missing great sales leads. It will help drive traffic and phone calls without a huge investment in ads. We’ve worked with numerous companies to refine their Google Local listings, and all of them have seen a significant rise in traffic as a result. So don’t miss those leads any longer! Find out how Google Local Optimization can work for your business.
About the Author:
Tyler Brooks is a SEO and video production specialist at Proof SEO.
