Google My Business is a business directory that allows companies to list their services, opening times and images and link through their Google Maps location, supporting local SEO. Until recently Google allowed a business description to be added within the directory which also allowed hyperlinks which could be used proactively to promote specific products or services within third party locations, such as a website.
At our digital agency in Leeds we help businesses to generate more traffic, and for most of our clients a growth in local traffic is very important. Some 80% of the things we buy are within a 15 mile radius of our location, so for most businesses, local traffic is essential. One of the no-brainer techniques that businesses can use is the Google My Business directory to ensure Google knows the identity of your business, what you do and its location, this helps Google to match searchers local to you with you. With mobile search now more prevalent than desktop search, localisation is vital, delivering the best local results to a searcher is helping Google keep ahead of its competition, so we help clients to push their heads above the parapet so that Google can recommend them.
Google does still allow a business description to be added to a business Google+ page – this presents an opportunity for businesses to provide well written, keyword rich content. The Google+ page works as a social media feed and provides a wall where updates, images and video can be presented. Making the most of this opportunity, combined with having a fully completed Google My Business page and claimed Google Maps location will help your business to show up for local search.
For most businesses local online competition is less aggressive than generic national competition, so completing these Google facilities is the first step in improving your local search results. If you need any help or would like to discuss some of the technical aspects of Google My Business optimisation (geotagging or imagery, working with Google Publisher and the KML file) then please get in touch.
For further information from Google on changes to the Google My Business page you can view their Change Log here.