In the digital world, it is imperative to be online. However, there are so many platforms to work on. You can use social media channels to drive traffic. You can also choose organic traffic. Issue with both of these techniques is time and cost.
Social Media channels take time. You can buy yourself likes and followers but the channels know the level of quality content and interaction ratings. You seldom drive traffic long term. Fake followers do not have sustainable footprints.
Being in the social media industry for over 10 years, we are learning new ways to create brand awareness. This blog focuses on using google business as a medium for opportunity and growth.
And the best part is that Google unfolds the traffic as you build your online presence on the google business. Let us show you the magic! We also have a case study to highlight the steps. Keep reading.
What is google business?
Google has introduced a free and effective tool to assist businesses to create an online presence and provide end users useful information.
Let us look at the online search market through the eyes of google. Basically there are many companies in the world with local presence. A pizza shop. Or a barber shop. You can also own a bakery shop. All these shops have a physical presence. And timing. Now google understands that people search local businesses. For example “best social media company in Lahore” or “top education counsellors in Karachi”. These are deemed as local searches.
Local searches implies that google needs to know more about the business. What are the hours? How many people work there? What is the services?
Google business tool solves this and provides the businesses to tell google about their businesses. And that too for free! You can add your hours, services and other products.
Best part is that you do not need a website or any social media channels. You can still survive by enabling and activating your online google business page!
Why do you need a google business page?
Google allows you to create a local google business page. The page enables you to communicate all the services and posts of your business. It is a free service. Remember it is from google. Hence they are going to present it anytime someone searches for a local listing.
Use the google business page if you do not have any other presence online. It is a great way to boost traffic.
Google business page is an engagement center. This implies that you need to be active and be communicative. Google wants to monitor the transactions. How many visitors come to your site? What kind of business services do you provide? Is your content engaging?
Figure 1 – Google display
Figure 1 shows the details of the local business. It provides the address and hours. It provides contact details. Additionally you can do much more! See how large the snippet appears. This is the milestone you need to achieve.
List of top 10 practical steps to enable your Google business Page to drive brand awareness
1. Free Publicity
Google starts using this data to show the entire credentials. This is a big win if you can get your snippet to the general public. Why not get this snippet? We recommend all small startup companies to sign up for Google Business. It is free and gives extensive traffic if done correctly.
2. Reviews
Reviews play a pivotal part in terms of showing ratings. Imagine you are searching for best trainers in Lahore. There are more than 50 companies. However, only 30% are on google business. And among them, there is a particular company that has maximum reviews. Google tends to show the results of companies that are getting reviews from the community.
Figure 2 shows the top companies. As you can see the reviews and the quality scores of the review matters. Ensure you start adding reviews. Request your community and customers to add reviews.
3. Postings
Ensure you add postings. This shows google that you are an active company that wants to communicate with its current and potential customers. Like SEO, your title and descriptions need to be optimized. Additionally you have a choice to add the link for customers to read more.
4. Diversify your portfolio
If you are a construction company or a dentist then the photos section is the best place to show your skills and portfolio. This gives a great opportunity to drive new opportunities. Show your portfolio.
5. Messaging
Google business allows you to message and communicate with your potential customers. This is a great free service. You can immediately connect and provide updates.
6. Your website on google business
This is one of the most important features. You get to have your own site. Yes. You do not need a wordpress site. And pay for any of the additional hosting costs. This allows you to have your own business site. It is completely free.
7. Service Portfolio
You can add your specific portfolio services. So suppose you are a food service. You can add your food items as a services. This enables you to sell individual items.
8. Information
Add all the information you can to your google business. Location is mandatory. You want the customers to visit you online and physically.
9. Insights
You get to see key insights on your website.
Case Study of a Local Bakery
We have a local bakery that came to us for our services. Without going forward with extensive onpage and off page SEO, we immediately created their google business page. And started posting daily. Here are the steps we took:
- Understand the top items and created separate service posts
- Worked with the baker to understand the type of taste they wanted their customers to experience. And we started creating different posts for that particular experience.
- Created different photos that showed the entire experience. The pictures show the baker making the cakes. It also shows how customers order and the delight that comes while opening the cupcakes.
- Create reviews. Requested the customers to add reviews.
Within weeks we started rating for key words like best cakes in Johar Town.
However this is not a strategy that can be implemented in a day. You need to have a proper project plan for this. You should never post on a daily basis. Work on creating value through time.
Conclusion
Google business page is all about creating a free presence online. Since it is powered by google, you immediately increase your chances of showing our site online for the keywords you want to work for.
Crate your business today and see the results. You will start be showing on local keywords. Ensure your posts and pictures are tagged with the right keywords. Ensure you keep on writing about your portfolio and create it interactive.
Use this page to show your ideas, thoughts, services and products. This goes a long way in terms of building online local brand presence.
This even works if you have multiple locations.
By Zyma Arsalan – Director Marketing – ThinkFaculty Company – business consultancy firm providing Social Media Marketing Services for Small Businesses in Pakistan
