Do you visit a local restaurant based on their number of stars on their Google Reviews? Same! These trusty reviews are almost like a modern-day Guardian Angel that provides us with a delectable meal and not an experience you’d rather forget in a hurry.
These reviews are not a stand-alone feature on Google, they are part of a Google My Business listing, a free tool, which is crucial for any business, let me tell you why.
So People Can Find You
Google My Business is an incredibly important tool, especially for small local businesses as it helps those in your local area find you and allows them to compare you to your competitors. This is potentially also the first touch-point a potential customer will have with your business, so you better make a good impression! The listing should include important information about your business so people don’t have to work hard to find that they’re looking for. How to make your listing shine:
List your address and phone number.
Add photos of the exterior and if appropriate, the interior of your business.
List up-to-date opening hours.
Write up your business biography (not a long one!) so people can learn more about you at a glance.
So People Can Give You Great Reviews
Review generation is one of the most sought-after marketing initiatives of local business. Boosting your credibility amongst your immediate audience is so important to help you keep getting business and, of course, growing your business. This will also lead to more clicks on your listing or through to your website.
Importantly, the quality and quantity of your Google Reviews play a big role in your ranking on google and local SEO factors.
You can also reply to reviews to further strengthen your relationship with existing customers, or resolve any complaints which is just as important.
So You Can Get A Better Google Ranking
In the digital age we live in, one thing that we all strive for is to be at the top of the first SERP (search engine result page) on Google. If someone types in your industry and area you bet you want to be right at the top of the organic listing. Without a Google Business listing, you reduce the visibility of your business in search results dramatically which will impact your ability to reach new customers.
Your First Local Marketing Initiative
Creating a Google Business listing should be your first digital marketing initiative for your business. Like I mentioned earlier, this is the first time a new consumer may be coming in contact with your business so your listing should capture the identity of your business as much as possible.
If you have not yet got a website up and running you should prioritise your Google Business listing to increase your online presence.
Need help with your local marketing initiatives? Drop us a line!