How much business could you get if you were at the top of the search engines for your targeted keyword phrase? How much more money would you have if you were able to gain an extra 10 customers a month? How about 20 customers? Would that have a positive impact on your business?
Unfortunately, many business owners are far too busy running their business, they don’t really have the time or resources to dedicate to growing or expanding their business.
That’s why I’ve decided to write this brief post where we’ll give you three very simple tips that you can start using today to grow your local business.
#1. Claim & Verify Your Google Business Profile
Did you know that Google offers a free profile for your business? Your Google Business Profile will list your business name, address, and phone number.
Google allows business owners to claim their own local pages, and add enhanced information to that listing. You can add your business hours, payment methods, photos, a description, and more.
It is also a well-known fact that Google tends to show Google Business Profiles that are fully filled out with enhanced information. If you have a Google page that is not claimed or verified, chances are your business will not show up in the search results when people are looking for your product or service.
Claiming and verifying your Google Business Profile for your business is very simple. To get started, just head over to http://www.google.com/business/.
#2. Get Listed on Other Local Directory Websites
Once you’ve claimed and verified your Google My Business page, it’s time to submit your business to other local directories. Some popular ones that you may already know: Yelp, MerchantCircle, YellowPages, Kudzu, Angie’s List, etc.
Submitting your business to these local directories is free and easy. It will also help boost your Google My Business page. The more local directories you are listed in, the more exposure you will receive.
#3. Get More Reviews from Previous Customers
Customer reviews are another great way to get an extra “boost” from Google. All you have to do is contact your customers and provide them with a link to your Google Business Profile listing. The reviews become even more impactful when the customer mentions the product or service provided, the location where the product or service was provided, and/or a photo is attached to the review.
If your Google Business Profile has very few reviews, we suggest contacting old and new customers to get an immediate increase. While we find that SMS/text message is the most successful route to obtain more reviews, you can also send a short and sweet email. If you’re having trouble finding the email addresses of old customers, you can try an email finder tool such as ContactOut.