3 Ways to Boost SEO with Google My Business

Google My Business makes it simple for companies to manage their online information, boosting SEO in the process.

Many businesses live and die by their ability to get found on Google. Sure, there are other search engines, but Google's suite of integrated apps and tools are too ubiquitous for any business owner to ignore.

However, that's exactly what many business owners do.

Some assume that Google magically finds and updates their business' information. Others feel overwhelmed by Google's many facets, too busy to keep their online info up-to-date. But in a digital marketing environment increasingly defined by location-aware mobile search, business owners miss a huge opportunity when they ignore their Google profiles.

Google My Business is the solution. Businesses of every size should be using this single, simple dashboard to boost search rankings, especially among local customers. Businesses enter or update their profile information once. Google My Business populates this info across all Google platforms, from Google Maps to local search results.

Best of all, it's free to use, with minimal technical know-how required.

Here are three key ways businesses can optimize their performance on search engines using Google My Business:

1. Optimize local search. Google uses info from Google My Business profiles to determine a company's location in relation to nearby potential customers. This helps businesses rank in Google's local search three pack (the three results returned for location-based searches). When a Google My Business profile is correctly optimized, a company's local search ranking will be better than they otherwise would be.

2. Better manage reviews. Customers leave publicly viewable reviews on companies' Google My Business profiles. The Google My Business dashboard sends alerts to business owners when new reviews are posted, and keeps reviews organized and easy to review. Businesses that properly reply to reviews send a message to customers that they care about the level of service they provide.

3. Help Google get to know the business. Populating company profiles with accurate business descriptions and complete, correct information helps Google route the right searchers to the right businesses. The more robust a company's Google My Business profile, the better. Fresh content (including an original “About” section and 360-degree photos) will further influence companies' rankings in relevant search results.