Note: This was featured as part of our Web Wednesday segment on Charleston’s 105.5 The Bridge. You can catch us every Wednesday morning at 8:20 am ET for your dose of social media & digital marketing news. You can listen to the segment below:
The once very popular social networking platform Google+ is officially “sunsetting” over the next couple of months. After a recent security breach and decline in users, Google execs decided it was time to shut the site down. We call this sunsetting because it is not an overnight shutdown and will be phasing out over the next 10 months. The question is, is anything taking its place? If you’re a local business, yes! Google My Business is your answer.
Your Google My Business listing is a great place to focus your early efforts. After all, when people search for a product or service near them, they’re usually doing so to make a purchase. One in two people who conduct a local search (i.e. “watch repair near me”) visit a store that day. Therefore, it’s important not only that your information appears when searched, but that it is also up to date and accurate. Photos, videos, reviews, map listings, FAQs, etc. are all important features to optimize for your listing.
Another great feature through Google My Business is Google Posts. The rather new feature is not being utilized by many but allows businesses to share messages which show up in the local panel on Google search and on Google Maps. These posts are created within the Google My Business dashboard and appear instantaneously in the search results for branded keyword searches. Each post can be up to 300 words and include a photo. They can also include a clickable call to action button and a date range for events. These will then expire in about 10 days after posting.
Wondering if Google My Business is right for you? Or need help setting it up, optimizing it and getting it primed for SEO? Give us a call at TargetMarket at (888) 632-4499.
