Google My Business is a free platform from Google on which business owners can manage their online profiles across Google Search and Maps. It is a great tool, and if your goal is to reach local clients, plumbers in particular, you must attend GMB to boost the business’s visibility in local listings. This informative blog explains how plumbers can use GMB to build their regional presence and improve SEO.
The most important thing you can do is claim and verify your Free Google My Business listing. Your first step is to go to Google My Business and create a GMB account. You’ll add your business information, and then Google will send you a code by phone or mail, which you’ll have to type into the system. Once this step is complete, you’re in the local search market, you’ll show up in Google Maps, and you’ll have a Knowledge Panel (that box on the right side of Google search results) that shows your info. This is invaluable in local markets because it displays your plumbing services in front of the people searching.
These golden nuggets (or breadcrumbs) of essential business information are the foundational building blocks to any successful GMB listing. We recommend that you do your homework right and understand how and why it’s crucial to:
- provide accurate and complete basic information about your business – your business name, address (maintaining NAP consistency), phone number, and URL matches;
- keep all your data (i.e., business name, address, phone number, website URL) as consistent as possible between all your listings across the internet. Mixed and mingled data not only confuses potential customers but, more importantly, cripples your chances of ranking in Google, therefore discouraging your prospects from learning about your business or visiting your physical location.
The customer review feature is a helpful Google My Business tool. Positive reviews can make your business look more trustworthy and attract more customers. When you complete a job well, ask satisfied customers to write a review for you and your business. End each job on a note that you appreciate the opportunity to serve and, more importantly, that you’d love to hear if they received quality service. Replies to reviews, both good and bad, send a message that you are open to feedback and willing to serve your customers better by doing more than expected. Handling bad reviews might prevent further damage to your reputation and convey that you are willing to do anything to satisfy your customers.
- Upload new photos periodically for customers to browse through. Videos can be particularly engaging:
- Share a customer testimonial.
- Walk through a step-by-step project photo montage.
- Create informationally rich video content about how to fix a leaky faucet.
Google Posts is another feature of Google My Business that lets you share information such as promotions, events, and offers along with your GMB listing. This can help you attract more customers to your business for the deals or services you promote. You can do anything from driving business around a particular season to promoting new company business or spotlighting a star employee. Posts stick around your GMB listing for seven days, so make sure you’re keeping an eye on them and updating your posts regularly.
For plumbers, local SEO is the most crucial way to use Google My Business. Put the phrases in your business description, services, and posts, such as ‘Looking for emergency plumbing services in [city]? …’. Add location to your business description, such as ‘Licensed plumber in [city] …’, to boost the local SEO of your listing. When giving your basic details, ensure your business is within the right category and has appropriate attributes, like ‘24/7 service’ or ‘Free estimates.’
Citations – or third-party mentions of your business on another website – also play an essential role in local SEO and can raise your search rankings and send users to your GMB listing if you list your business details accurately and consistently with your NAP. Another beneficial way to boost your SEO locally is to earn local backlinks from authoritative websites in your local area, including local newspapers, blogs, or industry associations.
Optimizing your Google My Business listing: Google’s Smart Reply feature If your business offers appointments, classes, or bookings, linking to GMB’s booking feature shows customers where they can set an appointment; this can end up making it faster and easier for customers to book an appointment as they don’t need to ring your business or go through your website, booking page or search for your correct phone number.
Finally, investing in professional SEO services can help plumbers get the most out of Google My Business and optimize their business online. SEO experts have the technical knowledge, insights, and SEO tools to look at what’s currently happening with your GMB and aid in making data-informed decisions on improving your listing and gaining more traffic for your business. With an SEO provider, you can be sure your GMB business profile works effectively so potential customers can see and act on your business.
In summary, Ensure all the business details are up-to-date, complete, and as accurate as possible. A good GMB profile will encourage your customers to leave you GMB reviews. Upload as many photos and videos as you can. If you have someone in your team who is confident with photo and video shooting and taking, ask them to do so. Ensure your profile allows new customers to contact you quickly and provide all the main contact points, such as website links, email addresses, and phone numbers.
Consider local SEO, citations, and backlinks to complement Google My Business efforts. Make sure your public-facing website is mobile-friendly, which will help your SEO. Overall, as Google My Business continues to be updated to retain its popularity for years, it is clear that Leveraging GMB is undoubtedly one of the most essential and effective yet economical SEO strategies for plumbers in the online marketplace.
Published by: Khy Talara
