Google My Business

What Is Google My Business & Why Do I Need it Local SEO ?

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What is Google My Business?

As mentioned, Google My Business is a tool that enables you to manage and optimize your Business Profile on Google—which is one of many important business directory listings. So to explain what Google My Business is and how it works, let’s first make sure we’re clear on what a Business Profile is.

Your Business Profile is Google’s term for your Google business listing. Business Profiles appear in Google Maps and in the local results of Google Search.

Business Profiles on Google Search look like this:

Google My Business

And Business Profiles on mobile look like this:

Creating a Business Profile is the same thing as adding a place to Google Maps—which is something that anyone (including a random stranger or an automated listing generator) can do. All that Google requires is the business name, location, and category. Once Google confirms it is not a duplicate, they will create the Business Profile for that location. The Business Profile is then open to consumers to leave reviews, add photos, ask questions, and even answer questions. The Business Profile may also get populated with information that Google pulls in from across the web.

What this means is, a Business Profile can exist on its own, apart from a Google My Business account. And whether you created your own Business Profile or not, you don’t have the ability to manage the information it displays or the reviews it collects.

That is where Google My Business comes in. By creating a Google My Business account, you can access, customize, manage, and enhance your Business Profile on Google, all still for free, which we’ll get into next.

How to use Google My Business for local marketing

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So we’ve established that Google My Business is not your Business Profile, but rather a tool by which you enhance your Business Profile to boost its visibility and effectiveness. Let’s cover the four core ways you can use this Google My Business to make your profile on Google listing a better local marketing tool.

1. Engage with consumers

There are a lot of ways consumers can interact with your Business Profile, and you use your Google My Business account to engage back with them. You can respond to reviews, answer questions, enable direct messaging, and set up associated alerts. You can even use Google My Business to publish posts to your Business Profile, much like you would with Facebook and other social media platforms.

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Your Google My Business dashboard is where you can respond to reviews, publish posts, and answer questions asked on your Business Profile.

2. Highlight your business

A Business Profile alone contains limited information about your business. But through your Google My Business account dashboard, you can provide hours, a link to your website, products and pricing, attributes, and other details that make your business unique. You will also use your Google My Business to make edits and updates as needed.

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A complete Business Profile offers a complete snapshot of your business, including its best features, right in the SERP.

3. Gain insights

You can use the Google My Business dashboard to gain key insights on your audience and local search performance. In the analytics tab of the platform, you can see the queries customers are using to find your Business Profile, whether they found you on Google Maps or Google Search, a breakdown of actions taken on your listing, and how your photos are performing compared to other profiles in your category. Note also that there are ways to track clicks from a Business Profile via UTM parameters and Google Analytics.

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4. Perform local SEO

Just as Google has algorithms for ranking its ads and websites, it also has one for ranking Business Profiles. Through your Google My Business dashboard, you can incorporate keywords into your Business Profile and perform other optimizations to help it rank in local results, which we’re going to cover next.

Google My Business can help you optimize your Business Profile to show up in the coveted 3-Pack.

How to use Google My Business for SEO

Google Business Profiles are dynamic. Not only do they change form based on platform, but Google will also prioritize sections of your profile according to the term that was searched as well as the type of information most important to consumers in your category. Even better, Google will embolden keywords in the content of your profile that it thinks are relevant.

But there needs to be information to prioritize and keywords to embolden in your profile in the first place. Just as you (or your agency) would use a content management system like WordPress to optimize your website for search engines, Google My Business is used to optimize your profile and expand your reach. How do you use Google My Business for local SEO? Well, since optimizing for Google is essentially optimizing for searchers, it all comes down to the same three things: targeting, quality of information, and trust.

Target your information

To use Google My Business for SEO, make sure to incorporate relevant keywords into your Business Profile so you can tell Google what you’re trying to rank for. Use them in your “from the business” description, your responses to reviews, your answers to questions, and in the posts you publish. Make sure to incorporate them naturally just as you would with any other SEO strategy.

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Include keywords in your description, editable through your Google My Business dashboard.

Maintain quality of information

The completeness and accuracy of your Business Profile impacts its rank, so make sure to provide the requested information in every section of your Google My Business dashboard. Especially important here is your contact information, special hours, and attributes.

Build trust

The final approach to using Google My Business for SEO appeals to the trust component of Google’s algorithm. Keep your information updated and accurate as your business evolves. Keep a steady stream of reviews coming in and respond to them. Also, signal to Google that you are active by regularly uploading photos and publishing posts to your Business Profile through Google My Business.

Reviews and responses appear on your Business Profile. Be sure to manage them through your Google My Business dashboard.

SEO is important for any business, but particularly for small businesses that can use local targeting to compete against large competitors on the SERP. Google is making local SEO even easier with its robust Business Profiles, so a Google My Business

 Accounting is essential for any business trying to maximize visibility in their local market.

Speaking of online visibility, how strong is yours? Find out in 90 seconds with the free LOCALiQ Website Grader!

How to sign up for Google My Business

A free tool that turns my Business Profile into a power marketer for my business? Where do I sign up?

To get a Google My Business account, go to google.com/business and click “Manage now,” which will take you through the steps of creating an account. Remember, a Google My Business Account does not automatically create a Business Profile—it gives you access to it and the ability to add more to it. So you’ll want to make sure you have an existing Business Profile to access.

Also remember that creating Google My Business account does not give you automatic access to your Business Profile. Once you create and are logged into your Google My Business account, you will then need to locate your separate Business Profile on Google Maps and then select the “Claim this business” or “Own this business?” link seen right on the profile. Once you complete that process, your Google My Business account will then be connected with your Business Profile and under your management.

Get started with Google My Business today

With a clear understanding of exactly what Google My Business is, how it works, and how to use it, you can now see that using this free tool isn’t just a good idea for local marketing but a must. Get your Google My Business account up and running now so your Business Profile can outshine your competitors and attract more customers on the world’s most popular search engine.

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Digital Marketing Blog

by with No Comment Digital Marketing

What Is The Difference Between A Traditional Entrepreneur And A Serial Entrepreneur?

The very first and most important difference between the two types of entrepreneurs is their passion.

A traditional entrepreneur does not have the same passion as a serial entrepreneur about starting up multiple business projects at the same time.

Here are a few characteristics of a serial entrepreneur that makes them different from a traditional entrepreneur:

They Are Enthusiastic

Serial entrepreneurs are very enthusiastic about their business ideas and, therefore, make the efforts to make their idea successful.

For instance, when they get a new venture idea, they start working on the business strategies to make it happen. They utilize their resources, including their capital, to start the new venture.

They are very enthusiastic about their new business idea, which drives them to work hard in the same direction.

Once their new venture starts to show progress, they tend to move on to another idea, while having a team handling the current venture.

They Are Not Only Driven By Money

A serial entrepreneur is not only driven by money goals. 

This does not mean that they do not want to earn profits, but they don’t just focus on monetary gain.

Because they have so many ideas and have strategized their business plans, the only thing that they have on their mind is how to make their business idea a successful hit.

That is what drives them. They want to make their startup a success story. And once they have achieved this, they move on to their next business idea.

They Are Super Connectors

Serial entrepreneurs are great at networking and connecting with people, as well as connecting other people together.

As a good networker, they believe we have two ears and one mouth and should use them each proportionately. They listen to people’s needs and concerns and find opportunities to help them.

To really build an empire you have to be able to build authentic relationships with powerful people and be able to bring value to each one of those people. 

They Fail, But Try Again

Playing with new business ideas is a big deal. A traditional entrepreneur might not be very sure about investing their money and time in a new business idea as they might fear the downfall.

A serial entrepreneur, however, is courageous and takes the challenge of starting a new venture and giving it a try in the business market.

They strongly believe in their idea and their own ability to make their multiple ventures work. And, therefore, this helps them analyze the market conditions and take business decisions accordingly.

They Are Good Team Players

Being a serial entrepreneur does not mean that you have to be the only person leading the business idea.

It is good to be a team player and take help from people or partners that can, in turn, help you achieve your goal of turning your new business idea into something successful.

For instance, if you have an idea which is related to an industry about which you don’t have enough knowledge or don’t have the expertise to practically exhibit it, then the best way would be to team up with someone who knows that industry in and out.

Here, you will not only benefit from their expertise in that area, but you will also learn so much from them, which will help you in your business future.

They Utilize Every Resource Efficiently

A lot of people running small scale businesses want to be the only ones running their own business.

They don’t want to involve other people as they would have to pay them. But serial entrepreneurs take the chance and utilize all the resources available to them.

There are so many freelancers in the market who are willing to carry out major jobs for your business. You can hire them at a very minimal fee rate, and they can actually help you make your work a lot easier. And this is exactly what a serial entrepreneur uses to the fullest.

For instance, they might hire a freelance social media manager who will manage their Facebook or Instagram handles, making your social media presence active and up to the mark.

They Are Innovators

A new business idea doesn’t always turn out to be a unique idea.

However, you can make innovations and turn something ordinary into unique. And that is exactly what serial entrepreneurs do if they have an idea and see that this idea already exists in the market.

Serial entrepreneurs try to bring about some innovation that would make their idea more unique or to help build something that doesn’t yet exist. That is the reason why they are called innovators.

They Are Strategists

To run multiple businesses at the same time requires strategies to manage all of them. You cannot start a new business and expect it to run on its own.

You need a strategy, a business plan that would help your new venture grow.

Serial entrepreneurs, after experience, of course, understand the importance of strategizing their business ideas in a way by hiring the relevant staff that would help them cope up with their different business ventures.

If They Can do it, You Can Too

Some entrepreneurs feel that they won’t be able to achieve the success that they aim for. But if you look at all the success stories around you, you would be motivated to be like them, or even better than them.

Such an example is of Oprah Winfrey, who is one of the living legends of Serial Entrepreneurship. She appeared as a TV anchor and eventually set up ‘Harpo Productions, Inc.

She is famously known for her talk show, ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’, and has been a source of inspiration for many serial entrepreneurs. She is not only the co-founder of a famous cable station by the name ‘Oxygen’, but has also set in motion her ‘OWN’ Oprah Winfrey Network in 2011.

Wrap Up

Setting up a successful business does not come easy for anyone. It requires a lot of hard work and team effort to make it reach its full capacity.

If you have a new business idea and want to experiment with it, you need to be confident about your abilities to make it happen. You cannot start something when you are unsure about it.

So be confident about your business idea and believe in yourself. You can do it!

If you would like to have more conversations like this, check out The Entrepreneur Cooperative.  It’s our group of inspiring entrepreneurs helping other amazing entrepreneurs connect with each other and get through the difficult times life throws at us!

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Creative Google Advertising Ideas

by with No Comment Digital MarketingSocial Media Marketing

Creative Google Advertising Ideas are challenging. However, it’s well worth it to have a solid strategy.

With around 3.5 billion searches per day, Google gives you an incredible opportunity to get in front of the right audience. Of course, you first need to know what you’re doing. 

If you’ve been looking for ways to get the most out of your Google ad campaigns, this article is just for you. 

Before we get to strategy, let’s first understand what Google ads are. Google Ads (previously known as Google AdWords) is an advertising platform for PPC ads. With the right strategy, you can drive qualified traffic, connect with your target customers, and drive sales.

One of the platform’s best aspects is that it allows you to stick within your ad budget by setting your ads to stay within a certain daily, weekly, or monthly cap. You can also pause or completely stop the ads at any time. 

Sometimes in marketing, keeping a close eye on the budget can be a challenge. This flexibility allows you complete control over your budget.

If you’re not yet convinced about how effective the platform is, perhaps these numbers can give you more clarit.

It’s clear that Google ads can do wonders for your business and your bottom line.

The only questions now are: With so many marketers using the platform, how do you stand out in this virtual crowd? How do you create the right Google ads that get you in front of the right audience at the right time?

Let’s find out!

Tips for Generating Google Advertising Ideas

There are a lot of components involved in generating and executing successful Google advertising campaigns. Here are a couple of tips to set you on the right path:

Keyword Research

Keyword research is an essential element of your campaign. If you don’t get this part right, it will be challenging to achieve the results you’re looking for.

Below, we’ll talk more about keyword research for Google ads, but for now, it’s important to start generating some keyword ideas. To get started, you can use a tool like Ubersuggest. 

It’s a free keyword research tool that allows you to generate keyword ideas and look at some of your competitors and the keywords they’re using. 

Trend Forecasting

Predictions are an essential part of marketing. Before you start any campaign, it’s necessary to have some idea of what your success (or not) might look like.

Of course, the best way to predict this is with data.

Google Ads offers a keyword planner, which you can use to get forecasts for your chosen keywords. This planner can provide you with essential information, such as the number of clicks your ad might get every day, the average cost for those clicks, the number of impressions, the click-through-rate (CTR), and more.

With this information, you can start building a solid Google advertising campaign. 

Keyword research and trend forecasting are just a couple of essential steps to get started. Now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty, the strategies, and everything that can help make your campaign a success.

Top 10 Google Advertising Ideas

It’s time to get down to the good stuff: What are the Google advertising ideas that can help you reach your goals?

1. Write a Good Headline

John Caples once wrote: “If the headline is poor, the copy will not be read. And copy that is not read does not sell goods.”

There’s no denying the impact that a strong headline has on your audience. Of course, this is what convinces people to click on the ad!

Here are some basic pointers for writing strong headlines:

  • Understand your audience. Who are you speaking to? 
  • Include your main keyword.
  • Address a problem your audience is facing.
  • Highlight the biggest benefit in the headline.
  • Don’t overcomplicate things. Keep things simple.
  • Don’t be afraid to add some humour.

Creating a headline can be one of the challenging parts of the campaign. Sometimes, you just don’t know where or how to start. Consider following a strategy, like Melanie Duncan’s 4U formula, to create useful, urgent, unique, and ultra-specific headlines to help you get started.

2. Think About User Intent Before Diving into Google Advertising Ideas

When we research keywords, we tend to focus on the numbers. How much search volume does this keyword get per month? What’s the cost per click (CPC)? What about the paid difficulty?

While all these numbers are essential to consider, the most important element of a keyword strategy should be the user intent.

Why? Because user intent (sometimes referred to as “search intent”) gives you the “why” behind the keyword.

Why did your audience search for that particular keyword? Were they trying to purchase something, or were they just trying to get more information about it?

Understanding your audience’s intentions can help you discover which keywords are the best to target for higher ROI.

There are four different kinds of user intents:

  • Informational: This is when a user wants more information about a topic. For instance, “How many calories in a donut?”
  • Navigational: This is when a user wants to go to a particular web page. For instance, if you want to go to the Neil Patel blog, you type that into your Google search bar.
  • Commercial: This is when a user wants to research a particular product or service. This user will likely make a purchase in the near future, but right now, they are at the research phase. For instance, “New iPhone specs” or “iPhone vs. Samsung.”
  • Transactional: This is when a user wants to take action, like buy a product. For instance, “iPhone charger” or “cheapest flights from LA to Chicago.”

3. Advertise Limited Offer Sales

Any offer with a ticking clock naturally encourages your audience to act faster and purchase the product or service. That’s why limited offer sales work so well. 

In a nutshell, a limited offer sale is any deal, discount, or reward you offer to consumers who make a purchase during a certain period. 

An excellent example of this is Black Friday Sales. Every year, Black Friday sales seem to hit a new record, with consumers spending more and more. 

That’s because consumers know they’ll have to wait a long time before they can get the product at the discounted price again, so they’re encouraged to make the purchase quickly.

For your Google ad campaign, if you offer seasonal sales for any of your products, you can create ads around these sales and have them go live when your sale launches. 

4. Track and Use Google Advertising Data for Iterating

One of the most important elements of any successful advertising campaign is your KPIs. 

Depending on your ad goals, there are a lot of important metrics you can track, including: 

  • number of clicks 
  • CTR
  • CPC
  • conversion rate

Tracking your KPIs helps you know if you’re on track to meeting your goals or not.

For instance, if you see that you’re getting great clicks on your ads, but your CTR is on the lower side, it can mean your headline and keywords are getting you in front of your audience’s eyes. However, something about the ad isn’t connected.

It could be the copy. It could be the cost of the product or service. Maybe the headline doesn’t connect with the offer in the actual ad. 

Whatever the case, now’s the time to look into it and adjust what you need to.

5. Choose the Right Campaign Type for Your Google Ad

You can use one of five different types of Google ad campaigns for your Google advertising ideas. 

1. Search Ad Campaigns

2. Video Ad Campaigns

3. Display Ad Campaigns

4. App Ad Campaigns

5. Shopping Ad Campaigns

6. Perfect Your Landing Page

You’ve done all the hard work of creating a great headline, finding the right keywords, and bidding for them. 

While these steps may get you clicks, it’s what happens after your market has clicked that’s so important. As you know, they still need to buy into the product or service you’re selling.

Your landing page is essential because this is what your user sees as soon as they click on your ad. Ask yourself whether the landing page addresses your market’s pain points clearly. Besides just addressing, does it also solve your audience’s challenges?

There are many elements to creating a perfect landing page, including using testimonials, the right images, and shorter forms, to name a few.

For some inspiration, here are some examples of great landing pages:

From the above examples, you’ll notice that the landing pages are all simple and clear, and the copy and graphics immediately grab your attention. These are crucial elements of a successful landing page.

7. Make Your Google Ads Specific

Earlier, we mentioned the importance of understanding user intent when doing your keyword research because this helps you target the right keywords.

Now we want to highlight the importance of specificity. Your keywords shouldn’t be too broad as this might cause Google to place your ad in front of the wrong market. 

Naturally, this would lead to fewer conversions.

For instance, “nursery furniture” may seem like a good keyword at first, but you can do better by getting more specific. 

8. Target Your Google Ads

When trying to get the right Google advertising ideas, remember there are three keyword match types: exact, phrase, and broad matches.

9. Optimize Your Google Ads for Mobile

While creating your ads and coming up with creative Google advertising ideas, it’s important to keep in mind that many users are using their mobile devices for searches. 

Research shows that 61 percent of US Google visits happen via mobile devices. Most people are using their phones for searches, and it makes sense to keep these users in mind.

Optimizing your ads for mobile includes:

  • choosing responsive landing page designs
  • compressing images
  • making sure the loading speed is fast

These small details can make a huge impact on how your ads display in front of your audience and your overall conversion rate. 

10. Make Your Google Ads Available in Other Languages

It depends on the nature of your business, but if you have an international audience or you’re in a multi-lingual area, consider making your ads available in different languages to cater to your audience that may not speak or understand English very well.

This may seem like a little detail, but don’t forget that language is powerful and helps us communicate and connect. If you have a non-English speaking audience you’re trying to reach, help bridge the gap by making the Google ads available in their languages.

Conclusion

It takes a lot to generate great Google advertising ideas. While the process may be a lengthy one, it’s certainly worth it to see increased clicks and conversions.