Consumers want a moving company that’s close by to help them plan and execute their move from one area to the next. As a moving company, you need to be present so they can find you online. Your Google Business Profile is one of the most important – and free – tools to use to get in front of the customers who need and want your services.
Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is a core component for local search engine optimization (SEO). That means that it helps you rank in the search engines, too. Here’s how to create and maintain a strong GBP for movers.
What Is a Google Business Profile for Movers?
A Google Business Profile is a listing tool that displays on the search engine result page when someone located near your location looks for the service you offer.
Do a quick search now, and you’ll see a grouping of 3 businesses that show up. These are companies that set up their profile, and now Google recognizes them as being the solution to the searcher’s query. For that reason, Google positions them right near the top of the page, providing easy and direct access to contacting those individuals.
Yet, there’s more.
A Google Business Profile also helps you create a listing, much like a directory, that provides a way to connect with, educate, and engage with prospective and existing customers. By using this tool wisely, you benefit in several ways.
- Your profile displays when someone located close to you needs your service.
- It aids in SEO for movers, helping you organically rank in the search engines.
- It provides a direct way for a customer to contact you – even without actually going to your site.
Because this is a free tool, you should use it and keep it up to date. It could help you gain the traction you need to increase the number of customers visiting your website and booking your services.
Using Your Google Business Profile for Local SEO
Once you sign up for your profile, complete it and keep the following in mind as you do.
1. Incorporate Up-to-Date Information
Keep your Google Business Profile up to date. This includes your contact information, website data, photos, and operating hours. Use it to communicate with your customers that you’re available to help them plan their move.
2. Optimize Your Moving Company’s Core Details
As a moving company, focus specifically on these areas:
- Be sure your name, address, and phone number are accurate and exactly the same from one site to the next. It should match your website, social media, and other directory listings.
- Use keywords within your profile related to your business, such as “moving company in Seattle” or “Detroit movers,” and focus on the specific cities you service.
- Be sure your business description is concise but includes keywords related to your business, such as “moving service” and “long-distance moving service,” for example.
- Incorporate terms like “moving company near me” which helps Google associate with those customers looking for a local moving company.
- Don’t use so many keywords that it’s hard to know what you offer. Ultimately, a human needs to click on your profile to connect with you.
Optimization is a big part of local SEO for moving companies. You want to ensure the search engines know what you have to offer to your customers, where you service, and what they need to do to connect with you.
3. Add Photos About Your Moving Company
A person looking for a moving company is entrusting their assets to your company. They want to know who they are working with and that the service is safe. Photos and visuals, in general, can offer an excellent level of support for your prospective clients. Your profile should include some type of imaging that helps to make your brand stand out. If you don’t have a physical office location to share, consider a photo of your moving truck logo or your team of movers.
To optimize your Google Business Profile for movers using photos, focus on these key areas:
- Provide photos of the type of work you do, such as packing services and moving large items.
- Offer a few photos of a recent moving project showing your team’s care in lifting and packaging belongings.
- Provide a video that demonstrates how you do your job or what goes into the process of planning a customer’s move.
- Include photos of your movers and your team in general. They are the face of your company.
- Ensure the company owner or main person with the company is recognizable. You want them to be friendly and smiling.
Photos add trust to your profile. That encourages more people to connect with your business when they see your listing pop up in their search. Your profile’s photos can also offer a bit of help with local SEO efforts when you use city names and descriptions that help showcase where you work.
4. Build Reviews
When it comes to local SEO for moving companies, reviews are one of the most critical components of building a successful business. Reviews encourage consumers to trust your business and communicate with you. Note that reviews are a component of your Google Business Profile and one that you need to carefully focus on when it comes to building a strong relationship.
For your Google Business Profile, reviews of any type are beneficial. While 5 stars are always fantastic, even those without as many stars can help consumers learn about your business. Interact with those reviews, too, and provide an opportunity for that unhappy customer to reach out to you for more help.
Client reviews build trust, something that is critically important to small businesses like moving companies. There are several ways to get more reviews on your Google Business Profile for movers that can help:
- Send a text message to the people you’ve recently helped to move. Provide a direct link to your profile and ask them to leave a review.
- If you have an email newsletter or contact information for your clients (who have agreed to receive messages), send an email to them asking for reviews. Always provide the direct link to your Google Business Profile.
- Have your moving team encourage reviews as they complete their service. Ask your clients if they are satisfied with the work, and ask them to provide a review.
These steps enable your business to become more visible on Google and they can prove to be one of the most efficient ways for you to create a positive stream of leads for your business as you build your profile and local SEO for movers.
Reply to Your Customers!
Do not overlook this critical component in your reviews. When you get reviews, reply to them. Leave a note of thanks and congratulations to the customer leaving a 5-star review after you helped them.
When a client may not have had the best experience, use language that shows you are sorry they had a poor experience. Encourage them to reach out to you to find a way to make the experience better.
Always leave the drama out. You do not want to expose specific problems or poorly handled situations on your public page, and you should also avoid engaging in such experiences.
5. Incorporate Tools Consumers Need
You can develop your GBP to include the features important to your business. For example, it is nearly always critical to have a way for your prospective clients to know if you have available service time. You could add an online booking or scheduling tool to your profile through a simple link.
Another option is to incorporate a quote request. Ask a few questions, such as the types of services needed as well as the amount of square footage of items to move. That allows your prospective client to send you a message directly to get a quote for the services they need.
Use Google posts to help you keep your customers up to date. You can use these to create some excellent connections for your prospective clients:
- Include an update on moving specials when you have them.
- Sell boxes? Be sure to provide that information on your profile so customers can buy from you.
- Answer the questions that consumers leave for you on your profile in a quick post. That helps build trust and authority with your site.
- Always discuss the ease of engaging with your business and how the customer can get a quote.
- Provide information about what you want the customer to do – call you, fill out a form, or schedule an appointment.
Sounds Like a Lot of Work?
While a Google Business Profile for your moving company is a critical marketing tool, you don’t have to spend too much time navigating it yourself. We can help you.
Schedule a Surefire Local demo now. Find out how you can have the best GBP for moving companies and local SEO without frustration.