
Having a strong online presence is the key to success for small businesses in O’Fallon, IL. One of the most important aspects of that presence is optimizing your business listings. Of the many platforms, Google Business Profile is the most crucial one to have access to. Your Google Business Profiles are what Google will show when your business comes up in local searches about your products or services. Not only that, it is also a big way to drive conversions and bring in new or repeat customers. Without having one your business is operating at a disadvantage online. In this blog post we would like to go into detail on why it is so important to have your listing claimed and optimized.
Improving Visibility in Local Searches
One of the greatest advantages to having an optimized Google Business Profile is the improved SEO in your service areas. You can add your service areas to your listing to help Google understand to place your business in related searches in that area. This added visibility in searches means that people looking for the products or services online will be more likely to see your business pop up if it is in your service areas. That visibility comes from ranking higher in search results. When you rank higher, people are more likely to visit your website or hire you compared to your competitors.
Providing Accurate Information
You want to make sure that you are providing potential customers accurate information about your business. When you get access to your Google Business Profile listing you want to make sure you take time to update your business hours, phone number, address, services, description, and more to better reflect your business. With your updated information, potential customers will have an easier time reaching your business if that have any questions or would like to hire you for your services. With your information consistent on your online profiles and websites you can be sure that potential customers will know everything they need to know about your business.
Showcasing Photos
A great feature Google Business Profile has is the ability to upload photos. You can use this as a way to showcase the type of work your business dose. For example, if you’re in construction, you could use your listing to showcase recent work. Having a good amount of photos on your profile will actually help it rank better as well. These photos serve as a way for people to understand the type of work you do and help the determine if they should go with your business for the products or services they are looking for.
Engagement Through Reviews
Another great feature that the platform allows for is reviews. Having positive reviews show up when people are looking at your business listing is a great way to drive a conversion. Your reviews also serve as a way to build engagement between your business and its customers. Replying to the reviews you receive is important for helping you make the most out of the reviews you get, both positive and negative. When you get positive reviews, you can simply thank them for leaving a review. If you receive negative feedback, remember to stay professional and work to get to a resolution. Having those kinds of interactions show up on your listing as well helps out even more as it shows your business cares a lot about the feedback it receives.
Building Credibility
When people go online and search for businesses, they want to make sure they go with a business that they can trust. Having a Google Business Profile listing for your O’Fallon, IL business is a powerful way to lead people know that your business is professional enough to maintain an online presence. Adding everything else we discussed in this blog post from giving accurate information, showcasing your work, and giving the opportunity for engagement with your customers, you will build a sizable amount of credibility online from just your listing.
It can be challenging for business owners to manage their Google Business Profile listing while operating their business at the same time. If you are looking for a nearby business who can help manage your listing for you, contact Hometown Marketing Group. We provide listing management services for businesses in O’Fallon, IL and the surrounding communities. Additionally, we also provide website development and other digital marketing services to help build up your business’ online presence. If any of these services sound interesting to you, give us a call today.