Are you running a business with a physical and fixed location? Are you a local business owner, for instance, plumber, hairdresser, restaurant owner, florist, or doctor?
Have you registered and claim your Google My Business Page?
If you’re not, then you are definitely losing from massive opportunities to grow your business.
Do you know why?
Studies suggest that 70% of all internet searches are local searches. Meaning these are searches that are specifically targeted on local services.
So, imagine if your business does not show up in these searches. That’s one great opportunity loss.
And Google My Business gives you an unfair advantage to show up in local search result.
What is Google My Business?
According to Google:
“Google My Business is a free and easy-to-use tool for businesses and organizations to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. If you verify and edit your business information, you can both help customers find your business and tell them your story.”
If you are searching for local products & services, you will notice there is a large section of map result as below.
Most people will click on the map result to find out their needs. First, the images pop up and catch their attention. Next, the star rating will give them more confidence and would click on the map result to find out more.
For some businesses like plumber or locksmith, the user will click the call button to contact the local company immediately without visiting their website.
Here is a screenshot from Google My Business of the number of calls and website visitors for a local locksmith.
Without setting up Google My Business page, they might potentially lose 200 leads every month.
The differences between Organic Result and Map result
Now, Let’s take a look at what is the differences between Organic Result and Map result?
Product Name | Organic Search Result | Map Result |
|---|---|---|
No. of results in Page 1 | 10 Listing | 3 Listing (which is also linked to their website) |
Search Terms | The result shows based on all type of search keywords, including non-local queries. | Results only show based on Search Keyword, which is related to local businesses. |
Competition | Very competitive to get into the top 10 as a result is categorized based on the entire country or worldwide. | Less competitive because the result is categorized base on city or state. |
Ranking Complexity | More than 200 factors to rank on page 1. | Ranking algorithm is simple compared to an organic result. |
Click-Through Rate | Click-Through Rate (CTR) is slightly lower compared to map result. | Click-Through Rate (CTR) is higher because it is on top of organic result plus the review star icon & images increase the CTR. |
Number of keywords | Can target a huge variance of keywords | Only limits to local search terms and fewer number of keywords. |
The Key Takeaways
If you have a local business, we highly recommend to register a Google My Business Page (GMB).
If you are using Google Ads, your GMB page can be added as location extension, which means your GMB page can place on top of the map result instantly.
And, you can implement local SEO strategies to push the GMB page in your target location without complex technical SEO knowledge. I will share it as another separate post.
Remember, the competition is lower compared to the organic result, but the ROI is tremendous when implemented correctly.
So, are you ready to start your Google My Business Page?