Did you know, nearly half of all Google searches are local. They are from your neighbors. If you’re not branding to your local audience, you’re missing half of your opportunities. So how can you capture half of your opportunities? With the use of an often overlooked tool called Google My Business.
In this week’s episode, we answered the question on every entrepreneur’s mind: How to brand to your local audience. And we revealed exactly how you can capitalize on something over 50% of all entrepreneurs, beginners, and experts, are missing out on.
Brand to your local audience.
Think about how we’re using Google these days. Someone felt like sinking those teeth into some fried chicken and they looked up ‘KFC near me’. A friend suggested alternative therapy for that nagging back pain and they looked up ‘best chiropractor in the area’. Someone moved to a new city or wants to know about a good local Chinese takeaway or a bowling alley in the area. Everyone wants the convenience of quickly and accurately accessing information about local businesses. They want the address, contact number, want to see images, and read what others are saying about these businesses.
And yours is the business you want found! You want to be searchable, contactable, easily locatable, and accessible. For this, there is a simple, free tool called Google My Business. It is vital for local businesses to be using this tool; in fact, they cannot afford not to use it. Local results are so important that Google results will include local listings even when one has not searched specifically for local establishments or included the ‘near me’ phrase.
Why Google My Business is a must for your business.
I got asked by a family friend the other day – about how Google My Business could help him. This was a question from an elderly gent who runs a small gag-gift store, who is, frankly, a technophobe. I was able to assure him that Google My Business is simple to set up and takes a matter of minutes requiring no technical know-how at all. Simply by adding his store’s location, contact details, and a few interesting pictures, his business started to show up much more on Google.
This applies to small local businesses or niche businesses, as well as bigger businesses or high-end ones with a wider reach. Not only does a business become findable, but also gets access to analytics: how often your profile was viewed, how many people asked for directions to your location, how many called you, and so on. You can also build up a good local reputation when users and customers leave you good reviews, recommend you, upload pictures, and so on. In short, Google My Business is a simple and highly effective way to brand to your local audience. You give them the convenience of finding products, services, and establishments they are looking for, and you get visibility and can build trust with your online profile. I explain more about why local and larger businesses can benefit from a Google My Business profile. Watch my video or listen to my podcast as I take you through the steps to set up your profile.