Millions of brands across the world are using GMB to stand out from competitors and attract more leads. Brands use the platform to engage with customers and learn more about them.
They can know the kind of crowd that shows the most interest in their business, where they come from, and what appeals to them. Brands can also gauge their overall business performance with GMB.
The search engine has easily maintained its top spot as the most popular search engine in the world, holding over 75% of the search market share, and it’s only increasing. As a matter of fact, Google is said to be receiving about 5.6 billion searches in a day, and a large percentage of these queries have local intent. This means a lot of the searches are done by individuals who are looking for places within their vicinity.
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1. It increases your visibility on the web
One of the biggest benefits of creating a Google My Business listing for marketing is that it improves your business’s visibility on the web. When you search for a product or service on Google, the first three listings are usually Google Adwords advertisements, followed by a map with the Local 3-pack, then the organic results appear.
Now, what’s the Local 3-pack? It consists of the top 3 local businesses based on the searcher’s location. The best part is customers end up at your shop’s front without even visiting your business website. The once inclusive 7-pack is now limited to only three local listings hence the title 3-pack.
2. It shares appropriate information with your potential customers
However, before posting anything, it’s always important to consider what you want to achieve. Do you intend to raise awareness about a new product or service? Or do you want to drive customers to visit your location? This will enable you to customize your post with the goal. Also, always ensure that your posts have a Call to Action that compels potential customers to take action, such as “Call,” “Visit,” “Buy,” or “Learn more.”
3. It helps you reply to the queries of your potential customers in real-time
Say a potential lead comes across your business in search results. But he has to give a customized order. How will he reach out to you directly from the search list? Remember, a business only thrives better when it removes multiple friction points by reducing steps to reach out.
Google gives you the option to either activate or turn off the messaging feature. When you activate it, users visiting your page will see a clickable Message icon, where they can initiate a chat. You will be able to respond to the messages through SMS or Google’s messaging app. However, be careful not to ask or give sensitive information such as credit card or login credentials. That might seem like a red flag warning, so avoid it.
Conclusion
Local marketing is about targeting people in a small geographical location, and Google My Business’s features help you do just that. However, in order to rank in the local 3-pack, you need regular engagement, and you must keep optimizing your Google My Business listing.