Create and optimize your Google My Business account

In reality, your business does not need to have a website to be visible on the first page of Google. The latter offers you a totally free and quite powerful solution to help you acquire customers on the web. It is Google My Business.

You have not yet created your profile? We will guide you step by step. If you have a Google My Business account and you think you are not visible enough, we will show you how to optimize your profile to improve your chances of ranking.

1. Creating a Google My Business account

Google My Business is a service offered by Google that allows businesses to create online storefronts to indicate the positioning of businesses on Google Maps and its opening hours.

In addition, by adding your phone number, you allow Internet users interested in your services to contact you directly.

Another advantage is that your customers have the possibility to publish their opinion about your services or products directly on your page.

A tracking service is also integrated to allow you to follow the number of clicks and phone calls generated by your Google My Business listing.

To start creating your account, go to https://business.google.com/create while logged into your Google account (using your Gmail address).

2. Optimize your Google My Business account to reach the first page

If you already have a Google My Business account, you should know that its optimization allows you to reach higher positions in the search results.

Here are some tips to help you reach the first page:

2.1. The geographical location

Indeed, Google My Business allows you to reference your business/shop/office in Google Maps. In addition, Google's algorithms favor the businesses that are closest to the Internet user who types a local query.

Thus, the geographical proximity of your business is decisive for its appearance in the first page of search results.

Here's a tip: before you set up shop, do a little research on the geographic areas that generate a considerable volume of local searches. Even if you are already established elsewhere, consider listing a second location in the ideal area by opening a second office or store.

2.2. Importance of your business to customers

The term importance here refers to the length of time your business has been in business and its experience. This parameter is expressed by the number of reviews published by Internet users on your Google My Business profile as well as by the overall rating given.

In fact, Google favors the most and best rated businesses. Seeking to offer its users the most relevant results, the search giant evaluates the importance of the businesses listed in Google My Business and ranks them according to the rating given in the reviews.

It would therefore be relevant to ask your customers to post reviews describing their experiences with your business. Of course, it must be a satisfied customer. So do everything you can to satisfy your customer and encourage them to post reviews on your Google My Business page.

Finally, don't forget to write adequate answers to the reviews published on your listing. Even if a dissatisfied customer gives you an unfavorable review, you need to know how to respond.

2.3. Posts to give more information about your business

Google My Business offers you a powerful feature to do free digital marketing for your business. In fact, posts on Google My Business allow you to enrich your profile and inform users about the news of your business.

The posts on Google My Business disappear after 7 days, so you need to set up a publishing strategy on GMB to ensure continuity and freshness of the published content. In addition, make sure to publish only quality content to optimize SEO and move up in the search engine results.

In addition, it is possible to add calls to action at the end of your posts to attract potential customers to your site and integrate them into a conversion tunnel.

Google My Business posts can improve your local referencing by positioning you in the first page of local search results.

2.4. Images to reach the first page of Google My Business

We all know the power of images in marketing. Your Google My Business profile is no exception to this rule. It offers you the possibility to insert images to enrich the user experience and attract more visitors.

In fact, photos increase the click-through rate, and the more your Google My Business listing is clicked, the better it will rank. In addition, by posting photos of your business or store, you begin to connect with users. You encourage them to discover your business and to visit it.

Don't forget to start with the cover image, which will be more visible and will have a great impact on Internet users.

2.5. Track and analyze your data to reach the first page

Google offers you powerful tools to collect and centralize your GMB profile usage data and to have a complete visibility on how users interact with your profile.

Extremely interesting, the tracking and analysis of this data as well as the Google positioning tracking allow you to make the necessary changes to move up in the Google My Business results and reach the first page or even the first position.

In fact, you can track how people found your profile, what kind of search they did, what actions they took on your profile, visits to your website pages, requests for directions on Maps, phone calls, photo performance, etc. In short, you have the ability to track and analyze any interaction with your Google My Business profile.

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