Optimizing Google My Business PagesShannon Thammasiene, SEO Analyst

Update Profile

First Step after claiming the page is to Make sure the Profile is complete. There is a progress bar to let you know how far along you are. This profile will include things such as: NAP and contact info Hours of operation Categories Images Introduction Reviews

NAP – Name, Address, Phone

*****Check this against the website and other local directories (yp.com, yelp, etc) to make sure that the NAP is consistent. ******

Check to make sure the business name does not have any extra information such as taglines or product information.

No PO boxes are allowed for GMB, it must be a physical location Use local phone numbers instead of 800 numbers whenever possible Do not list phone numbers or URLs that redirect the site or phone number in any way

examples are Callrail numbers and Unbounce pages. Service area businesses

Service Areas

Click on this box when filling out address information. Use this option when the client does not have a physical storefront

Categories

Guidelines One or two categories is best, Google

recommends as few as possible to describe the business.

Do not use categories as keywords. Do not use it to list products and

services

Examples "A1 Check Cashing" should use the

category "Check Cashing Service" (rather than the less specific "Banking and Finance").

"24 Hour Fitness" should choose the category "Health Club" (and not its amenities "Gym" or "Swimming Pool").

“Navy Federal Credit Union" should use the category "Federal Credit Union" (rather than the less specific "Bank").

Images

Optimized GMB pages should have a minimum of five photos. You will usually have to resize photos depending on if they are for profiles, logos or covers.

Business specific photos: https://support.google.com/business/answer/6123536?hl=en&ref_topic=6130059

Size: Between 10KB and 5MB Minimum resolution: 720px tall, 720px wide 360- degree tour : neat feature for the inside of your business but must be done by a

Google approved photographer.

Guidelines

Introduction

DO NOT keyword stuff the introduction. Google checks these for quality. Use normal sentences, do not TYPE IN ALL CAPS to emphasize points List experience, competitive advantages or anything in the “about us” section of the

website. You can provide links to certain pages within the clients site if it will help the user gain

more knowledge by clicking it. These links are not for link building purposes, only add if they can help the user

CTA at the end

*****Reviews******

Reviews are one of the most important parts about GMB. The more you can encourage reviews the better. Encouraging customers with an email reminder to review your business is a great way to get reviews.

Responding to reviews will show that you value the customers feedback. If reviews do not follow Google’s Guidelines, you are able to flag them and have

Google investigate.

Common Snags With GMB

Google requesting a photo of the building Duplicate Listings Transfer of Ownership Google changing suburbs to more major outlying cities (sometimes a blessing in

disguise)

Good Resources

Step by Step Setup and Optimization: http://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/microsites/google-my-business-guide/

GMB Help and Guidelines: https://support.google.com/business/ Local Search Ranking Factors for 2015: https://moz.com/local-search-ranking-factors Review and Photo Policies: https://support.google.com/business/answer/2622994?rd=2