Optimizing Your Google My Business Listing and How Billboard Advertising Helps with Brand Exposure

Small and large companies are constantly looking for ways to stand out.

Two highly effective ways to increase visibility and drive more customers to your business are optimizing your Google My Business (GMB) listing and leveraging billboard advertising to enhance brand exposure. In this post, we’ll cover how to optimize your GMB profile for better local search results and explore how billboard advertising’s visibility complements and amplifies your online efforts.

The Importance of Google My Business for Local SEO

Google My Business is a free tool offered by Google that allows business owners to manage how their company appears in search results. A fully optimized GMB profile ensures your business appears in relevant local search queries, especially for users searching for businesses “near me.”

When someone searches for your business or services related to your industry, a GMB listing can provide essential information like:

• Your business name
• Address
• Phone number (NAP consistency)
• Website link
• Business hours
• Customer reviews
• Photos and updates

Optimizing your GMB profile directly impacts your local SEO performance and helps drive more organic traffic to your online and offline business. Let’s dive into the best practices for optimizing your GMB listing to ensure you reap the maximum benefits.

1. Claim and Verify Your Listing

The first step in optimizing your Google My Business listing is to claim it. To do this, you must go to the Google My Business website, sign in with your business’s Google account, and search for your business. If your business already appears in search results, click on it and follow the instructions to claim the listing.

Once you’ve claimed the listing, you must verify your business. Google typically sends a postcard with a verification code to your business address (and, more recently, via phone). Once you receive the code, you can enter it to verify your listing. Verification ensures that your information is accurate and helps your business appear in local search results.

2. Optimize Your Business Information

Your NAP information (Name, Address, and Phone Number) should be consistent across your website and all other online listings. This consistency is crucial for local SEO because search engines use this data to determine the legitimacy of your business.

Additionally, make sure your business category is accurate. Google My Business allows you to choose both primary and secondary categories. The primary category should be the most specific description of your business. For example, if you run a coffee shop, choose “Coffee Shop” as the primary category instead of “Restaurant.”

Finally, include a detailed and compelling business description highlighting your products, services, and unique selling points. Incorporate relevant keywords that potential customers may use when searching for your business or industry.

3. Upload High-Quality Photos

Photos play a significant role in attracting customers to your business. According to Google, businesses with photos receive 42% more requests for directions and 35% more website clicks than those without images.

Upload high-quality photos that showcase the interior and exterior of your business, your products, your team, and any other visuals that will help potential customers understand what your business offers. Regularly update your photo gallery to keep it fresh and engaging.

4. Encourage and Respond to Customer Reviews

Reviews are one of the most critical aspects of your Google My Business listing. Positive reviews build trust with potential customers and signal to Google that your business is reliable and relevant, boosting your local SEO rankings.

Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews by simply asking or including a link to your GMB profile in follow-up emails or on your website. Be sure to respond to both positive and negative reviews. When responding to negative reviews, keep your tone professional and seek to resolve any issues the customer experiences.

5. Use Google My Business Posts

GMB posts allow you to share updates, special offers, events, or new products directly on your business profile. These posts appear in the local search results, helping you engage with potential customers. Use posts to promote seasonal deals, share blog content, or provide relevant information about your business.

Posts typically last seven days, so it’s important to update them frequently. Ensure your posts are visually appealing and include a call to action to encourage engagement.

6. Enable Messaging

Google My Business also offers a messaging feature, allowing potential customers to contact you directly through your profile. This can be an effective way to engage with prospects and convert them into customers. Be sure to monitor these messages and respond promptly.

7. Track Your GMB Performance with Insights

Google My Business Insights is a powerful tool that provides data on how customers interact with your listing. You can track the number of searches for your business and how many people request directions, visit your website, or call your business. Use this data to improve your listing and understand your audience’s behavior.

How Billboard Advertising Enhances Brand Exposure and Complements Google My Business Optimization

While optimizing your Google My Business listing is critical for local SEO, combining this with a strategic billboard advertising campaign can exponentially increase your business’s visibility. Here’s how billboard advertising can amplify the effects of a well-optimized GMB profile:

1. Driving Brand Awareness

Billboards are one of the most effective ways to boost brand awareness. Placed in high-traffic areas, billboards allow businesses to reach large audiences quickly. By regularly displaying your brand, product, or service, billboards keep your business top-of-mind for potential customers, which can later translate to more searches for your business online.

People who see your billboard may become curious and search for your business using terms they saw on the ad. A well-optimized Google My Business listing will then appear in local search results, giving potential customers the information they need to visit your store, contact you, or visit your website.

2. Reinforcing Your Brand in Local Markets

For local businesses, the combination of billboard advertising and a strong GMB profile is particularly powerful. Billboards help reinforce your brand in your immediate area, while GMB ensures that your business shows up when people search for products or services near them.

You own a local restaurant and run a billboard ad along a busy highway. As drivers pass by, some may search for your restaurant on their phones. If your GMB listing is optimized, they’ll quickly find your location, hours, and reviews, leading to more foot traffic.

3. Integrating Billboard Ads with Local Keywords

Billboards and SEO can work together when you focus on local keywords. If your billboard mentions a key product or service, potential customers may search for it with your location. For example, a billboard advertising “Best Coffee in Norman, Oklahoma” could lead to more local searches for coffee shops in Norman.

When your Google My Business listing is optimized with these local keywords, your business will likely appear at the top of search results, driving more visitors and potential sales.

4. Increasing Branded Search Traffic

Billboard advertising also helps increase branded search traffic—searches for your business by name. This is particularly beneficial if your business name is prominent on the billboard. When people search for your brand after seeing your ad, your Google My Business profile will provide them with all the necessary information, including your website link, phone number, and address.

Over time, an increase in branded search traffic can signal to Google that your business is relevant and trusted, which can also help improve your rankings for other keywords.

5. Reinforcing Calls to Action with Billboards

Billboards provide an excellent opportunity to create calls to action (CTAs) that drive people to your website or GMB listing. For example, you can display a CTA like “Visit Us Online” or “Check Our Reviews” to prompt passersby to search for your business. When they do, your optimized GMB listing ensures they can easily find your website, reviews, and contact information.

6. Cross-Promoting Promotions and Events

A cohesive marketing strategy integrating billboards and GMB can be particularly effective when promoting events or special offers. Use your billboard to advertise limited-time deals or upcoming events, and make sure the same information is prominently displayed on your GMB profile through Google Posts.

This cross-promotion ensures that potential customers see your message both offline and online, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversions.

Conclusion

Optimizing your Google My Business listing is essential for boosting your local SEO and ensuring your business appears in relevant search results. You can significantly improve your online visibility by incorporating best practices like consistent NAP information, high-quality images, and regular customer reviews.

However, the results are even more powerful when combined with strategic billboard advertising. Billboards boost brand awareness, drive local search traffic, and increase branded search queries, all of which can enhance the effectiveness of your GMB profile. Together, these tools create a comprehensive marketing strategy that captures attention both on the street and online, leading to more customers and increased revenue for your business.