Brick-and-mortar businesses are getting harder to manage — there are so many things to look out for. You might have the best service out there, but word of mouth and referrals won’t be enough to give you the leg traffic you desire. That is why you must invest in inbound marketing strategies like Google Business Profile.
We get it. You want to reduce your operational costs and run lean marketing campaigns. That is exactly the selling point of Google Business Profile: The biggest search engine offering you a chance to be discovered by more people for free.
For small business owners and optometrists looking to attract more walk-in customers and patients, this can change their trajectory for good. Before we discuss the tips and strategies for optimizing your profile, here are a few reasons why you should take your Google Business Profile (GBP) optimization seriously.
5 Reasons Why You Should Optimize Your Google Business Profile
- A well-optimized business profile can improve your local visibility.
- It is typically the first touchpoint for customers when they perform a quick Google search.
- With accurate info, potential customers can find you quicker, thanks to Google Maps.
- Customers often leave reviews under GBPs. Great service delivery can improve your conversion rates, as it affects how 89% of consumers interact with a local business.
- It helps you understand how people are finding you. With this info, you can tweak your inbound marketing strategy better.
Tips and Strategies To Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Claim and Verify Your Google Business Profile
First, you need to claim and verify your Google Business Profile. This step is key as it gives you control over your business information on Google and significantly boosts your chances of getting found via local search.
To create an account, go to google.com/business. Click “Sign in” on the navigation bar to use your business email.
Using your personal email might create problems for you in the future. You need that distinction between your personal and business life. Next, enter your business name and click “Continue.” Follow the steps in this article by Google if you get stuck.
Use Accurate Business Information
Think of GMP as a directory listing. If you don’t use accurate information, how are potential patients supposed to get in touch? Make sure your business info is complete and accurate, especially the trinity of Name, Address and Phone number (NAP). It gives the potential walk-in several options through which to contact you.
Other fields you should take seriously when just getting started are your Hours and Website (if you have one). This helps customers know when to book appointments or come for a service. Providing consistent and accurate info across all platforms makes you rank higher because search engine bots translate consistency to trustworthiness.
Write an Engaging Business Description
People want to know about your story. The backstory — how your optometry practice got started. Not only does it give them a little insight, but it also gives your business a personal touch. Your business description should be compelling and informative to keep them glued.
Use all 750 characters if you have to, with key information in the first 250 characters. Find creative ways to add keywords relevant to your industry and local community to help with local SEO. In this section, write the services you provide, the products you typically sell and specific brands you work with. It sets potential customers’ expectations at an appropriate level you can deliver on.
While trying to do all these, try not to overwhelm the reader. Keep it concise and focus on what sets your business apart. Avoid repeating information that is already visible in other sections of your profile, or you may come off as spammy and untrustworthy.
Utilize High-Quality Visual Content
Photos and videos can make a big difference. Using high-quality images in your GBP is a must for these three reasons:
- Content with great photos attracts 94% more eyeballs than those without.
- Being intentional with your photos can suggest you pay attention to details and one-up the competition.
- Image search is a more potent search method when shopping online. Using great photos makes matching users’ search requests easier for Google search bots.
In all of this, ensure that you add photos regularly. It signals Google that you are active, which, in turn, improves your ranking. Businesses with more than 100 photos get 520 more calls, 2717% more direction requests and 1065% more website clicks compared to those with fewer images. That should be compelling enough!
Ask Customers To Send in their Reviews
Reviews are one of the most important trust signals your brand can have. How new patients interact with your business depends on the reviews you get — over 89% of them share that thought. Google also considers the kind of review you get when ranking your small business in the local search results.
You shouldn’t be shy about asking for praise and feedback. Ask patients to share their experiences. Ask them to be detailed in their reviews if they can, mentioning your location and other local details.
When you receive negative reviews, attend to them promptly. Potential patients also look at how you respond to such remarks. Were you professional, or did you resort to personal attacks? If you were professional, prompt, and attended to the issue as promised, you can turn a negative review into a positive one and even earn a fan in the process.
Implementing Local SEO Strategies
Local SEO is crucial for optometry businesses looking to attract nearby patients. Here are some strategies to help you optimize your local presence:
- Optimize your optometry website for local search: Your website is the online face of your practice. Ensure it’s optimized for local search by including your city and state in key areas like titles, headers and content. This helps search engines understand your location and match you with relevant local searches.
- Use local keywords: Incorporate local keywords into your website content, meta descriptions and blog posts. Think about what new patients might be searching for. Phrases like “best optometrist in [Your City]” or “top-rated optometrist in [Your City]” can help boost your visibility in local searches.
- Create local content: Develop content that speaks directly to your local audience. This could be blog posts about local events and news or even spotlighting local partnerships. The more relevant your content is to your local community, the more likely you are to attract local traffic.
- Get listed in online directories: Ensure your business is listed in online directories like Yelp, TripAdvisor, and local chamber of commerce websites. Be consistent: make sure your name, address, and phone number (NAP) are the same across all platforms. This builds trust with search engines and improves your local SEO.
- Encourage local backlinks: Backlinks from reputable local websites can significantly boost your local SEO. Contact local blogs, news sites and business partners to see if they will link to your site. This helps with SEO and drives local traffic directly to your website.
Use Google Posts for Updates
You can share announcements, offers, events, and product updates directly on your Google Business Profile. These posts appear in the “Updates” section of your business profile. And based on the relevance of the posts, they can find their way to the top of a local search query.
Share updates regularly to get the most out of the posts to your business profile. This gives consumers many options to work with. And if you have implemented all the tips up until now, you can get a paying customer in no time.
Why? When the average person scrolls through Google’s search results, they do so with intent, unlike on social media platforms, where they may be browsing casually. This means they are more likely to engage with your Google posts. Plus, there are the perks of free ads. Imagine your business showing on Google Maps. The impact may not be sudden, but it lingers in the user’s mind.
Use the Right Attributes and Services
Choosing the right attributes for your Google Business Profile can make a big difference in how potential customers perceive your business. Once you select a category for your business, Google provides a list of attributes that help describe your unique offerings. These attributes are special features that patients often look for, such as your health and safety procedures.
Here’s why attributes and services can be game-changing for your Google Business Profile:
- Adding relevant attributes provides new patients with additional information about your business. This helps them decide if your business meets their needs before they even visit.
- Attributes can improve your visibility in search results. When users search for specific features, businesses with matching attributes are more likely to appear in the results.
Use Surefire Local To Enhance Your Google Business Profile SEO Strategies for Optometrists
Local SEO strategy doesn’t end at claiming and verifying your optometrist Google Business Profile. The tools you use to go about it can go a long way. To take your efforts to the next level, use Surefire Local.
At Surefire Local, we offer comprehensive tools and resources to help optometrists and other small business owners optimize their Google Business Profiles. With Surefire Local, you can manage reviews, track performance and implement advanced SEO strategies all in one place. Attend a Surefire Local demo here to learn more!