Having a Google Business profile is a key component of building a strong online presence for local search. For pet spas and groomers, local search traffic is the most effective. Yet simply having one may not be enough. You also need to put in some work to optimize it. These Google Business Profile SEO strategies for pet spas will help you optimize that profile so it draws the most positive attention to your business.
Start with Claiming and Verifying
First, you need to claim ownership of your profile. Google makes this fairly easy, but you do need to follow all the steps. After claiming, go through the steps to verify your profile. This builds trust with searchers and also makes it more likely that your page will appear in the local Map Pack listings. This makes it easier for people to find you. Finally, a verified profile has a good impact on your business’s local search results.
Verifying is easy. Simply claim your business page, click the “Get Verified” button, select your preferred method of verification, and follow the instructions. Google will then verify you.
Complete Your Business Information and Check for Accuracy
Next, complete your name, address, and phone number, or NAP. This information needs to be accurate and match your other online listings. For consistency, make sure all spelling, capitalization, and punctuation are consistent. Small changes can mean big differences in your search results.
You may think that keeping your NAP consistent is easy, but small issues can make it inconsistent. For example, if you list your business on your website as Nat’s Pet Grooming Salon, but on Google, you call it Natalie’s Pet Grooming Salon or even Nat Pet Grooming Salon, you are not consistent. Maintaining consistency signals to Google that your business is in your local community and ready to serve local pet owners. Discrepancies, even if they seem small, can significantly hurt your local search rankings.
Create an Engaging Business Description
Now, you are ready to get creative. Your business description gives you a chance to let your personality as a business shine. You can be compelling as you describe the types of pet grooming services you offer. However, keep it concise as well. You can use relevant keywords to increase the SEO of your profile and add local search terms where possible, but avoid the temptation to get too wordy. Your character limit is 750 characters, so use them wisely.
In addition to the profile itself, make sure you select your business categories, touching on all potential categories your customers might need. In addition to “pet grooming,” you may want to choose “pet massage,” “pet salon,” “dog grooming,” “cat grooming,” and anything else that applies to your services and your target market.
Add High-Quality Visual Content
Photos and videos make your business profile stand out. For a pet groomer, before and after photos show your skills. Video of some of your happy pet customers can create a positive vibe for your business. You can also highlight your groomers and other team members, showcase popular pet care products you sell, and highlight the exterior of your building.
To add visual content, first, ensure you have photos in JPG or PNG format between 10 KB and 5 MB. Google recommends a resolution of 720 pixels by 720 pixels, but don’t go lower than 250 pixels by 250 pixels. Choose photos that showcase your work well, with good lighting and clear, uncluttered backgrounds.
If you’re going to use video, know that they need to be 30 seconds or less in length. Google can support up to 75 MB of video content. Try to incorporate both photo and video content to reach the largest number of site visitors.
Manage and Respond to Customer Reviews
Google is a great place to elicit reviews. You can ask your customers to leave reviews when they leave with their pets after a grooming service. You can even incentivize reviews by offering a discount on a future service if someone leaves one. Ask them to use local terminology in their review, as this will help your local search results.
Positive reviews drive up your local reputation. People trust Google reviews when they’re looking for a new company to work with for their pet’s grooming needs, and Google rewards businesses with positive reviews with a higher listing on the Google Map Pack. That said, you may get some negative reviews as well. Use both positive and negative reviews as an opportunity to respond to and engage with your audience.
Implement Local SEO Strategies on Your Profile
Optimize your page for local searchers by integrating local keywords into your business description. This might include location-specific information, such as the intersection where your pet spa sits, or relevant service areas and zip codes. Make sure you have the same keywords on your website so Google sees that they match.
Utilize Google Posts for Updates
Once your profile has as much local relevance as you can create, then use the posts feature to add more. Posting about events and sales can drive interest and allow you to add more local wording. Some ideas of posts that work well for pet groomers include:
- Announcement about grooming service specials
- Posts about upcoming special events, like pet-themed holiday events
- News posts about new staff or service offerings
- Video posts that showcase your skills
- Sales posts outlining monthly or weekly specials
Keep in mind that posts about sales stay in place for a week, while posts about events stay in place until the event is over. Also, posts are limited to 1,500 characters, but you can make them shorter. To ensure they are engaging, always add a visual element.
Consistency is key to making posts effective. If your customers get used to seeing them, they will start looking for them. In addition, consistency gives you more opportunities to draw new traffic to your site.
Implement Attributes and Services
Sometimes, a potential customer may not search for a “dog groomer,” but rather, they might search for a specific service, such as “breed standard grooming.” Using the attributes feature lets you list additional attributes that serve as search terms. These show up in search results and Google Maps listings, telling people about your business and giving you additional SEO touchpoints.
In addition, give as much information as possible about the services your business offers in the services section. Detail all the types of grooming and pet spa services you provide. When someone has a specific search request, this increases the likelihood that your pet spa will show.
Encourage Customer Interaction
Finally, treat your Google Business Profile like another branch of your social media. Use it to encourage interaction. Let customers ask questions and answer them professionally and thoroughly. Respond to comments and reviews. All of this will build a sense of community that makes your business look like the most appealing choice when someone needs pet care services.
Interaction with your customers shows the human side of your business. It also gives signals to the search bots that you are an active, legitimate business. Both of these help you extend your reach within your local market.
Partner with Surefire Local to Manage Your Online Marketing in One Convenient Place
These Google Business Profile SEO strategies for pet spas and groomers only work if you implement them, and it takes time and effort to do so. Partnering with an all-in-one online marketing platform can help you save effort as you work to optimize your profile. Surefire Local can do just that.
Using the Surefire Local platform, you can post updates, manage your business information, upload photos, and request new reviews, all without leaving the platform. Built-in tools let you monitor engagement and customer interactions, and you can use our platform to respond to reviews as they come in. In addition, if a customer asks a question, you can answer it on Surefire Local and it will post automatically to your Google Business Profile.
What makes this platform so helpful to busy pet spa owners is that it provides similar services to other online marketing platforms but combines everything into a single platform. You can manage your Google Business Profile as well as your Facebook, LinkedIn, blog and email campaigns. This all-in-one design helps you save time and effort as you build engagement and excitement about your pet grooming services.
To see how Surefire Local can streamline your online marketing and give you better control over your Google Business Profile, make plans to attend a demo.