Looking to improve your online visibility and attract more customers to your sublimation printing business?
One of the most effective ways to drive local business to your door is by setting up a Google My Business (GMB) listing. In this post, I'll walk you through the step-by-step process of creating and verifying a Google My Business listing, as well as provide tips for optimizing your listing and making it stand out to potential customers.
One of the most important searches for a brick and mortar sublimation print shop is 'custom product printing near me' or 'custom printing near me'. These searches indicate that the user is looking to buy something and Google's algorithm will prioritize businesses that can provide the best answer and display them at the top of the search results page.
Now, let's look at the key to getting to the top of Google for those searches.
Steps for Creating a Google My Business Listing
- Go to https://google.com/business and sign in with your Google account. If you don't have a Google account, you can create one for free.
- Click on the "Manage now" button to begin the process of setting up your Google My Business listing.
- Enter your business name and address. You can also choose to add a category for your business and a description of what you do. Do it. Make it match your website.
- Verify your business by choosing one of the verification options provided by Google. This may include receiving a postcard in the mail with a verification code, or verifying your business over the phone. This is important - follow through.
- Add photos of your business and its products or services. These photos will be displayed on your Google My Business listing and can help customers learn more about your business. Google loves a business with plenty of photos.
- Set up your business hours and add any additional information about your business, such as your website and contact information.
Once you have completed all of the necessary steps, you can review and publish your Google My Business listing. This will make it visible to potential customers searching for your business on Google.
Monitor and update your listing. It's important to regularly monitor and update your Google My Business listing to ensure that it is accurate and up-to-date. This can include adding new photos, updating your business hours, or adding information about new products or services.
Why is a Google My Business listing important?
GMB helps improve the visibility of your business on Google Search and Maps. When people search for businesses in your area, your GMB listing can appear in the search results, making it easier for customers to find you.
It also allows you to provide important information about your business, such as your hours of operation, contact details, and services or products offered. This helps customers understand what you offer and how to get in touch with you.
Customers leave reviews and ratings of your business. Positive reviews can help improve the credibility and reputation of your business, and can influence potential customers' decision to visit your business.
Finally, it provides insights about how customers are interacting with your business online, such as how many people have searched for your business or clicked on your listing. This can help you understand the effectiveness of your online presence and make informed decisions about how to improve it.
I created a Google My Business listing, now what?
As your GMB listing begins to mature, you will begin noticing results as your business listing begins to get traffic from local search users. You'll even find a good bit of traffic will come from out-of-towners visiting your area. These are very warm prospects - treat them well. Ask questions and get to know them. They probably have family in the area and if you wow the prospect you'll probably get a chance to wow the locals through a referral.
Ideally, in a short time your listing will show at the top and your website will fall right below it. Make sure your listing and website info matches up. Keep both of them updated. If you follow these steps you'll get results - sooner than later. Keep on pressing!