Verify and claim your business listing(s)
Continuing from the previous step, you should ensure you verify your business listing. Google usually requests verification during account creation as well as when any critical information updates are added.
Verifying your business will automatically make it more authentic among its competitors and help boost its appearance on SERPs (search engine result pages).
Add high-quality photos to your business listing(s)
Business listings that have photos are considered doubly more reputable and can drive 35% more clicks than those that don’t.
The average GMB listing has 11 photos. This can significantly help local businesses or home-service businesses appear more legitimate and trustworthy to local searchers. By fostering authenticity, you can motivate more potential customers to engage with your business. After all, every picture is worth a thousand words.
Regularly post on your business profile (announcements, offers, events, etc.)
As with social media, you can provide updates to your customers through your Google My Business profile. This can be anything from a general announcement, seasonal offers or discounts, blog posts, and more!
To make the best of your posts, make sure you:
- Post consistently (certain post types expire every week, so regular engagement is vital)
- Align your marketing campaigns with your posts for better traction
- Include links and calls to action (CTAs) to drive more customers to your business
Posts appear as “Updates” at the bottom of your Business Profile panel. They can also appear on Maps-based results.