At the peak of the holiday season, many shoppers are crunching their way to find the perfect item that will complete their festive vibe. This means getting things done amidst a jam-packed schedule, more social distractions, and even busier market streets.
The quickest solution to this tough shopping season is typing a couple of words on the web and clicking on the most relevant result. The most experienced holiday shoppers know that the easiest way to find assistance online and search for the nearest service within their area.
According to Google, “where to buy” searches has grown over 85% in two years. This number and the amount of people searching for prospective brands double during the holiday season. Hence, the best time of the year to expand your audience is during this season, where consumers are more demanding and there’s more urgency to get what they need.
Local marketers are now using a simple yet effective tool – Google My Business Listing or GMB listing to stand out from the crowd during this shopping season.
Understanding Google My Business Listing
One popular platform retailers use to front their products and services is through an online dashboard where they control their business information and manage their online presence. This user-friendly and widely accessible tool is known as Google My Business Listing.
The tool allows businesses to maximize Google Display, Google Search results, and Google Maps to help their customers find their business among all the companies listed in Google.
If you want to secure web traffic during this hyper-competitive shopping season, log in to Google My Business and update your information for this holiday.
Why Update My Google Business Listing
Consider this: 50% of people searches on Google stays on Google, meaning about half do not want to invest time clicking on each website to find the best holiday deals they need.
Many consumers are choosing fast and frictionless shopping assistance. They want to find and read “everything” they need to know in just one page.
Updating your My Google Business Listing profile positions your business at an advantage. If you still need a little push, here are few reasons why you should update My Google Business Listing profile:
- As Google is populated by listing from Google My Business, the initial first page saves consumers time searching for the information they need. Updating your profile in a way that will rank higher on Google search results will help you win more shoppers this holiday.
- Google also has an SEO feature called Local Pack or Snack Pack. Being listed in this section can give your business more exposure online.
- Your business name creates an organic listing known as Knowledge Graph. Through the information this Knowledge Graph pulled from your GMB listing, consumers will instantly find you when they google the name of your business.
- Part of the information used in returning results from Voice Search comes from Google My Business Listing. It is important to update and maintain your profile to ensure that your potential customers only get relevant and accurate information.
How to Optimize Your Google My Business Listing
Setting up your Google My Business Listing is not the end-line if you want to improve your ranking and overall visibility during this season when users are more active online. Managing and optimizing your GMB listing will gear you up for the the coming festive season.
You may now be thinking, “So, how to edit my Google Business listing profile?” Don’t sweat it. Advanced Digital Media Services is a long-standing digital marketing company with strategic search engine and web traffic optimization knowledge.
We are here to give you directions on how to optimize your Google My Business Listing. Here are some easy steps to help you get started:
1. Adding Special Holiday Hours
Last-minute shopping is almost a tradition during the holiday season and for shoppers in a hurry will first ask whether a business is closed right up to Christmas Day.
A study by Google reported that uploading complete details in your GMB listing including your business hours leads to 13% more requests for driving directions and 42% more website visits. Google allows business owners to add Special Hours on their profile without overwriting their current weekly hours.
2. Taking Advantage of the Latest GMB Updates
Making your listing as compelling as possible can get your customers’ attention and engage them to check your special holiday deals. A strong visual storytelling through images and videos will increase your web traffic and gain frequent visitors.
You can update your cover photo with photos of your location and your staff ready to welcome your customers. You can also re-purpose contents from other social media platforms. Take time to personalize your GMB listing and make it look relevant for the holidays.
3. Encouraging Customers to Leave Positive Reviews
Positive reviews are an effective all-season method to increase your ranking in Google search results. One way to encourage your customers to leave feedback is by providing a venue where they can openly share their experience with your brand.
Google Map search results will also display your rating. More positive reviews for your business will get you on top of search results thus, improving your click-through rates.
This holiday, there will be a spike of consumers asking questions and giving feedback. Always be on guard to answer their queries. Let them know that you are always available to respond to their needs.
ADMS will Help Your Business Rank Higher in Google
Advanced Digital Media Services is committed to transforming your online presence. We help businesses create compelling content that equates to increased web traffic, engagement, and revenues.
Contact our team today to access effective strategies to unlock your business’ growth potential.
