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Episode Summary:
Google loves promoting YOU and your local business!
Google My Business may not be the sexy popular platform we think of – mainly because you have to fit your business into their parameters, but it is essential. And FREE! Many businesses stop at just having a Google My Business profile, but are not taking the time to optimize it.
25 years ago, Chris Hickle’s wife was teaching piano lessons to help pay for college. The business really began to grow and they started really focusing on their online marketing strategy. Chris was then able to quit his 9-5 job and help solely with the business.
Chris found a hole in the market with music stores. He is not a musician himself, so expanding and offering his online marketing and technology skills to other musicians and business owners was the natural next step for him and his wife, Jen, in 2013. That’s when they started Never Alone Business Services and help brick and mortar businesses market their business.
Did you know?
- Over 90% of searches online are done on Google
- You can connect Google My Business to your Bing local listing
- Your goal is to be in the top three searches
But what are the steps to optimizing your Google My Business page?
- Fill out the Info Tab on your Dashboard 100% – If Google asks a question, answer it.
- Pictures – Have a quality cover photo. Chris recommends taking photos with your cell phone with the location services turned on. Your GPS coordinates will be embedded into the back of the picture.
- Regular Reviews – Include collecting reviews in your customer management plan. You can do it in emails, on social media, through a business card, a QR code at the counter, etc.
- Posts – Use a cell phone photo, keep your captions short and concise, and link back to your CTA. With regular weekly posts, you are now playing Google’s game and interacting with their platform.
- List Your Products – This doesn’t necessarily have to be every single product you have. List large sections of your store and use specific keywords that relate to your business.
- Name, Address, Phone Number – make sure they are the same on your Google My Business profile as they are on your website.
Listen in and learn the details on how you can optimize the visibility of your business today. Just as Google is, Chris and his wife Jen are keeping their focus on small, local businesses because they truly are what drive our economy.
Helpful Resources:
Never Alone Business Services
Website | Linkedin | Facebook
In This Episode:
[1:17] Chris’ business journey
[5:56] Why Google My Business gets a bad rap
[8:54] Why it’s important to optimize Google My Business
[12:18] Top four steps to optimize your Google My Business page
[23:33] Review
[27:06] SEO and keywords
[34:49] Small business love
[37:11] In conclusion
A quote takeaway for you…
“Do what you can with what you have where you are. Don’t stress out about the stuff that’s outside of what you can do.” – Chris Hickle
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