If you have a GMB or a local business, simply adding an address is not the only thing you should do to rank your GMB because there are many GMBs without addresses that are actually ranking. So, the question is, how do you know what to do?
To get the answer to this question, we recommend you continue reading.
Understanding GMB
If you have done a lot of SEO, you already know that there are two types of GMBs. The first GMB has an address, and the one with an address obviously has their physical locations, storefronts, and people who mainly serve customers at their location. To maximize visibility and engagement for these businesses, GMB optimization services are essential. These services ensure that the GMB listing is fully optimized to attract more customers and improve local search rankings.
So, Google basically highlights this aspect when businesses serve customers at their location, which is why you need to have an address if you serve clients at your physical location.
The second category is businesses without an address, which is usually because these businesses are mobile. For instance, a plumber could go to a customer’s place to fix their plumbing. Businesses like these don’t really require a physical address because they can rely on a phone number.
So, businesses that serve at their clients’ addresses don’t need a physical address. If your business falls into the same category, you should know that adding an address to your GMB will significantly boost your ranking.
The Importance of a Physical Address
We know that Google keeps updating its algorithms. Regarding the latest updates, if you don’t have a physical address and your competitors have a physical address, then Google will assume that you need a physical address, and so you will not rank as well as your competitors.
Now, some businesses might still rank without an address, but that at least is a toss-up. So, the sure thing that you should know to boost your GMB is that you need a physical address. You might want to add your home address, but then you will have a lot of people coming to your home, especially if you have a business that serves people at your home.
The other thing is that if you have your home address, then you will have to verify in some way that it is your business address, too, which means that you might have to put a board outside or use signage. Usually, we recommend using caution and not giving your home address as this could also instigate a lack of privacy.
Ideally, you could get a cheap office in the area where you are trying to target your customers. This aspect will help you rank very well. Of course, Google will send you a postcard and verify that this is inside your physical address.
Google will want to see your storefront and a board outside your business. So, make sure you have all of that in place before you add an address so it passes through verification. It is important to mention here that the same system isn’t working everywhere, but it is relevant for the US.
But – you will want to do your research and see how things work in your region regarding Google verification.
Smart Tips to Boost Your GMB Visibility
Optimizing your GMB enables you to put your local business in an ideal position to get found online and eventually convert searchers into buyers. Of course, you will want to use a great local rank tracker to smoothly manage and optimize your GMB listings to stay at the top of the game.
Now that we have covered the basics let us have a look at some smart ways to boost your GMB visibility:
Encourage Customer Reviews
The first thing that you will want to do is to leverage reviews to boost your GMB visibility. The best part is that it literally costs you nothing, but you can immensely benefit from it as customer reviews significantly boost your business profile regarding organic searches.
If you look at things from the perspective of potential clients, you see that third-party confirmation about products/ services always convinces you to make a purchase. Potential buyers are more likely to assess the testimonials and reviews of what other people say about you before they trust your business.
So, you will want to leverage reviews to boost your GMB.
Stick to Clean & Organic Strategies
We know that you will want to boost your GMB profile as soon as possible, but you will always want to stick to fair tactics, as Google is extremely smart at detecting spam strategies, including keyword stuffing and integrating automated content.
When it comes to GMB, you should know that this tool is owned by Google, which is why it will detect anything and everything, including when a business pays people to leave positive reviews. Your potential customers can detect fake reviews, too, which is why you should always focus on getting honest, real reviews.
If there are bad reviews, you will want to address them and take them as constructive feedback.
The Takeaway
If you stick to organic SEO and establishing a quality Google Business Profile, you are on the right track. Of course, you can never ignore the importance of integrating a correct physical address to appear on local searches, but you will want to understand that Google works in favor of you as it truly wants your business to optimize your GMB. This is the essential way that Google ensures healthy competition amongst all local businesses.
