How Do I Optimize My Google My Business Listing For COVID-19?

We at Neovora understand the difficulty facing every small business in America. COVID-19 (coronavirus) is the biggest shock to our livelihood and health in most of our lives so far.

This blog seeks to arm you with simple steps you can take right today to communicate with your customers, acquire new ones, and come back to normalcy stronger than your competitors. We’ll show how you can optimize your GMB listing to capitalize on this disaster.

1. Where we are now

2. What to do to retain clients while you are closed

3. How to reopen stronger than ever

Where We Stand Currently

Take a look at this timeline. As of this writing, we are past the demand crash, and are in the midst of hibernation. Unsure of when the hibernation (shutdown ends), we are eagerly waiting for the quarantine to be lifted.

Once the hibernation period ends, next comes client rush and then a surge of demand, and eventually normalcy. BUT not all medical professionals, local businesses, or other organizations will weather the hibernation.

So this guide is here to help you strategically maneuver through these difficult and unknown waters and make it through to some form of normalcy in the future.

How To Retain Your Existing Client-base in Uncertain Times

Your Website

Your website is still the first place that existing clients and prospects will visit to see your current operating status.

Ensure you have a clear message on your website homepage, that includes:

• Your opening hours. If you are closed, include a statement saying so.
• Provide contact information for emergencies.
• Display a process to show you are aware of the COVID-19 hygiene recommendations and how you are addressing them.

A nice way to make sure that everyone sees your message is to add a popup such as the example below:

Update and Optimize Your Google My Business Listing

Prospects searching for you or your market products are likely to come across your Google My Business Listing, like the example here:

Make sure that yours is up to date. These listings are crucial on mobile devices and most will use this information instead of visiting your site..

Also, you can add longer messages or descriptions that show below the reviews section. Make sure that you update this with the same information as your website:

• Your opening hours. If you are closed, include a statement saying so.
• Provide contact information for emergencies.
• Display a process to show you are aware of the Covid-19 hygiene recommendations and how you are addressing them.

IMPORTANT: If you haven’t claimed your google maps business listing – then you absolutely need to set up your google business page! Check this blog post on how to claim and optimize your listing.

Facebook Notices

All the same points for GMB apply to your Facebook page. Communicate with clients in the same way. Update your status.

Email Newsletter

Don’t forget you can email your clients if you have their emails. Send out the same notifications, updates, and policies you have on your website and Facebook page during the shutdown to inform those who have purchased with you or were once interested that you are still here for them and have their best interests at heart.

A simple image with some dialogue can go a long way:

Google Ads – Increase Your Reach

If you are open during the pandemic, you should be running Google Ads to increase your presence. This is especially true if you are performing  any emergency services: dental, HVAC, etc.

To reach these clients, implement a small Google Ads campaign. The key to making sure the campaign is inexpensive is to only show ads for those emergency or urgent terms that generate immediate inquiries.

When It’s Time To Reopen

Sometime here in the future, the economy will reopen, so before that time comes, have a plan.

1. Contact your clients who were in the middle of buying.

Contact all stalled business, those who had cancelled appointments, those who had to hold. Use their direct contact or any available channels. Cell, email, SMS, anything. Get them back into your door, explain your hygiene understanding for safety.

2. Contact all your prospects and existing clients.

There will most likely be higher than usual demand for your market and products, as things have been stalled. Contact them directly on phone, email and SMS to let them know you are open and operating for them.

3. Tell your audience and community members.

• • Update your website and all messaging
  • Add a “We’re opening back up!” message before you open.
  • Include messaging on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, in addition to your most important asset, your Google My Business listing.

Finally – How To Get Back on Track

• Update your website with your current status (hours, status, policy).
• Ensure your Google Business Listing is 100% current and up to date.
• Use email and social posts to communicate to patients and prospects.  Let them know you are around, when you’ll open, how you are handling the situation.
• Prepare your re-opening statements onto all media channels.

Learn more about the critical role Google My Business plays in your foundational marketing structure with our FREE actionable checklist. This checklist walks you though all the important elements you must have in place to reach the maximum number of new prospects and keep your sales pipeline full. It’s a 10-minute read, and walks you step by step on how you can leverage your GMB listing to increase your bottom line. Get INSTANT access by simply entering in your name and email in the form below.  Learn this information before your competitors do!

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Here’s How To Get Your Business To Show Up First on Google Maps

Google Maps is where the gold is. You want leads to come from the internet? Impossible without Google My Business. How to get your business to show up on Google first can be a confusing thing for businesses, but once you know how, it’s smooth sailing.

What To Do After You List Your Business on Google Maps?

Read our how to optimize your GMB profile post to see if you’ve completed the essentials. Only then can you move onto more complex strategies regarding on-page optimization of your website.

A lot of what is involved in your maps ranking depends on your website strategy. It’s all cohesive to their algorithm, so don’t think you can get a top maps ranking in a competitive market with only a verified listing.

More Tips To Get Listed On Google Maps

Post Frequently Using Google Posts

After you’ve made your GMB Listing, you want to post to your profile often. Use Google Posts to post specials, updates, tips, information, and images. These get engagement, and are overall a new strategy, but Google will be rewarding those who use the feature in an effort to increase use and eventually engagement.

See our full course on GMB optimization for a better understanding of the GMB Listing.

Keep your listing updated with new and improved images. Photos help prospects learn more about you, and Google monitors image views. They are rewarding businesses that keep their profiles active with media, which users are engaging with.

Add New Videos Frequently

Keep your listing updated with videos. Sales videos, informational, anything you have will help prospects learn about you. It’s recommended that you have high-quality professional videos, a brief introduction or summary into your business is a great idea.

How to Get more Photos and Media Content?

Post your own resources.

It’s logical to post your photos and videos. But the original GMB Insights Study shows that a small percentage of businesses don’t have a lot of photos in their GMB profile. Some 6% of businesses just have one photo while a shocking 24% only have 2 to 5 photos posted in the profiles!

Posting more of your own seems to be a logical action but do remember that the photos need to reflect the customer experience for it to qualify as a legitimate GMB business photo. So the photos cannot be just about your staff in the store front.

To remedy this, think of events that will attract more customers to visit your store. This is the best opportunity to take legitimate business photos, but of course have your customers’ consent first. Another workaround is to take a few shots of the shop interior or your office so you’ll have a good amount of variation.

Encourage customers to post them.

There is a great chance that any Google-using customer will receive a review request from Google after leaving your business. Or as part of your existing marketing effort, you have probably asked a few customers to leave a review.

Another way of taking advantage of the opportunity is to try to encourage your customers to take real-time photos of their experience like a selfie or a groufie or at anywhere within your store.

Car dealers are exceptionally doing well in GMB. Go check out what photo-generation strategies are working for them. For example, if a customer buys a priced item, have your sales person ask the customer if they want a photo of them taken with it. You’re doing the customer a favor by going the extra mile while you’re putting a “brand-building bullet in the chamber of their smartphone”.

If your business is focused on providing service but without a physical location like plumbing, building contractor, or interior design, ask the customer to take photos of the completed work with them in it!

Or consider a selfie wall if you want to level up your game.

After You Optimize a Google Business Page, Work on Your Website Next

Website optimization and SEO strategies primarily were for targeting organic search results… but not anymore. They are now tied to Google Maps strategy. How to make your business show up on Google search is the same as showing up in Maps listings. Read more on website optimization.

Do everything you can to fully optimize your website and make it Google-friendly. Here’s how to optimize your site.

1. Title Tags

Are Title Tags important? Yes, they are! Title tags provide users what information to expect when they click on the page. They are also valuable for the search engines for the very same reason and they help determine the relevancy of a page in SERPs when a search is made.

2. Meta Descriptions

The meta description is a snippet of a maximum of 155 characters which provides a summary of the page content to the users. In simpler terms, it’s a tag in HTML. Optimizing the meta description is a crucial on-page SEO strategy. This short description is shown in the search results when the searched-for term or phrase is within the description.

3. URLs

Although URLs aren’t as important as they used to be, consider adding the target keywords for a new post or page whenever possible. Keep them neat, descriptive of the content topic, and keyword-focused, just like this post’s URL.

4. H1 Tags

Pay extra attention to the H1 tag. It’s the most important tag in any page or post. Make it the first heating tag and be sure to add the target keyword with a modifier wherever appropriate.

5. Optimize Photos

There are a few things to consider when it comes to adding images in your posts and pages. Use target and focus keywords when naming the images, as well as the title within the post, and the Alt-Tags.

6. At the Beginning of the Post

Don’t forget to use the target keyword in the first paragraph of every post. Google and other search engines look at this as a ranking factor for any page.

Tip: For WordPress users, install WordPress SEO by Yoast. This application provides clear instruction on page optimization in a very easy to follow steps.

7. H2 and H3 Tags

H2 and H3 headings give your content structure. They help readers find a pattern in your content that is easy to read and understand and follow. They also help search engines determine which headings should have more weight by providing a structured hierarchy. Don’t forget to use variations of the focus keywords in the headings to boost your on-page SEO.

8. Keyword Variations

Keywords must be found throughout the post or page. They further support the relevance of your target keyword. Add the target keyword and its variations in the content body, headings, and images. Any similar word or alternative phrases to the target keywords are also important additions to the content.

Boost On-Page SEO for Better Ranking

Google seriously views your GMB listing. It serves as a badge for your business to be considered legit in the online community. In the same manner, pamper your website with the best On-Page SEO strategies and practices. You can never go wrong with a mindful and carefully outlined post!

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How To: Branding Your Business On Social Media

Anyone can post anything online. Anyone can create content and make gains in the social world. Yet, not everyone can be successful in growing their brand online, and the main factor is whether or not you develop a social media strategy. How are you branding your business on social media?

Developing a Social Media Strategy

The competition is tough. New content gets posted every day, more eye-catching and more entertaining, it gets more difficult for smaller brands to attract the same attention as the larger players who have bigger budgets and desks dedicated to social media.

You have to be strategic in posting content. You have to know your audience, what will interest them, what they possibly want to buy from you. To put it simply, what will make them want to patronize your brand?

Focus on Your Brand to Stay Relevant

Establishing an online presence on different social media platforms is a good start. But to keep reeling in new audiences to your product or service, you have you come up with a content plan and branding strategy that will stand out.

Start with the basics.

First, show them what is the face of your business. The logo, color palette, bio, and handle name; all these must be consistent across all your social profiles. Consistency is the key to acquaint the audience with your brand, with what your business is offering. With consistency, it will be easier for the audience to recognize your brand anywhere.

Once you are done with the basics, you can start planning the next stage of promoting your online presence. Whenever there are changes in how you represent your brand – theme photos, seasonal posts, or announcements of product updates – put up these changes on all business profiles, not just the website. This is to ensure that the difference in audience reach per social platform will not matter because everyone will see the update whichever platform they are using to follow your brand.

Work some more on brand visuals.

Don’t just stop with a unified logo, cover photos, and company biography. Work some more on your overall visuals. “How do you do that?” you might ask.

The key to this is still consistency. Identify the colors and fonts you want to be associated with your brand and use the same choices in your media outputs: images, videos, PDFs, infographics, graphs, etc. Use the same or a similar font style you’ve used on your blogs and inner pages when adding texts to your videos. When editing images, use background colors with the closest shades to the colors your brand is known for.

The continuous use of the same font and color shades will leave a lasting impression on your audience. Over time, they will be able to recognize your content even without seeing the logo or business name. When you master this art, your brand won’t have difficulty getting recognition from a bigger target audience.

Set the personality of your brand.

Setting the tone and voice of your company with it is ‘personality’. You can be an information-based brand or one that enjoys a good laugh from here and there. Or maybe your brand is more on awareness and self-enhancement. Whatever it may be, create a personality that is relevant to your audience, one that they can connect with right away.

Watch out for the smallest details like the use of clients versus customers or company versus brand. The term you use when addressing your audience and how you want them to see you as (an actual brand or some company) matters. By being specific with your references and terms, the content that you post will look and sound more credible. The audience will immediately know what you are talking about with the terms you have instilled in them.

Smart Businesses Use Social Networking To Build Their Brand

Boosting your online presence by establishing your brand and what it is about is a good measure in establishing familiarity and relatability. When you give the audience a simple way to understand what your company is about through consistency in visuals and content post, you are already selling your brand.

Read about the best branding example in history: Coca-Cola.

Get more branding and marketing strategy tips or our other blogs.

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The Algorithm: 6 Steps To Optimize Your Google My Business Listing

Get more prospects and leads from Google Maps than your competitors!

Use this 6 step checklist to go from invisible to owning a dominant position on the most valuable place on Google search results will ensure you work smarter than your local competition and beat them to the punch.

Savvy business owners that know Google Maps generates 82% of all local traffic should be investing a small amount of time to optimize and manage their Google Business profile.

In this video and the checklist download, you will be able to: implement the sequential steps to optimize your GMB profile, effectively learn a strategic approach to rank for dozens of keywords in Google Maps, and follow a proven framework to maintain and improve your Maps rankings long-term.

If this video was helpful give a like, download the checklist, and check out our other materials. We are advocates for small local business!

Want to crush the competition? Our video on the 6 steps to optimize your GMB profile will improve your lead generation strategy. Go from invisible to dominant on the most valuable place for leads- the Google search results. Work smarter than your local competition and beat them to the punch.

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The Algorithm: 6 Steps To Optimize Your Google My Business Listing

Watch on YouTube here: The Algorithm: 6 Steps To Optimize Your Google My Business Listing
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