GMB SEO: A Complete Guide To Dominate Local Search Results

A Google My Business (GMB) profile offers local businesses a tremendous opportunity to rank on Google without spending a dime. While it’s easy to claim and build your GMB profile, managing GMB SEO is a completely different task. It demands SEO expertise, continuous effort, and, of course, patience.

It involves regularly updating your business details, replying to reviews, incorporating keywords, and many other tasks. Doing this will make you stand out in search results, build trust with customers, and stay competitive in your area.

In this article, we’ll explore exactly what GMB is and why it plays such a critical role in local SEO success. There are also some actionable tips for optimizing your GMB profile for SEO. Let’s get started!

What Is Google My Business (GMB)?

Google My Business (aka Google Business Profile) allows business owners to manage their digital presence across Google’s products. It lets you control how your business appears in Google search, Google Maps, and other related platforms. 

Businesses with a physical location provide key information about themselves, and Google helps potential customers find and engage with them. In the process, GMB helps both businesses and their customers.

The details you upload to your Google My Business profile include:

• Business name
• Physical address
• Business hours
• Phone number
• Website link
• Photos of your business
• Business description
• Business category

Google uses GMB as an important ranking factor when determining which businesses to display in local searches. For example, if someone searches for a coffee shop in Dallas, businesses with good GMB SEO show up as top results. 

So optimizing your business listing on GMB improves your online presence and foot traffic by giving you increased visibility.

And you know what? Google My Business is completely free.

Why Is GMB SEO Important?

Any business looking to increase its visibility and attract local customers cannot do so without a good GMB SEO job. In 2023, Google reported that GMB drove over 2 billion monthly connections to U.S. businesses.

This means millions of potential customers are finding and interacting with businesses through their GMB listings. Here are some reasons why it’s important.

Boosts Visibility

It all starts with the information you provide in your business listing. Google relies on details like your address, business hours, and description to match your business with relevant searches. 

So, including a well-written, keyword-rich business description is especially important for ranking for local searches. 

Correctly describing your services while subtly using potential search terms increases your chances of appearing in the Google 3-pack. Google 3-pack is the three top businesses Google shows when you search for a local business.

Facilitates Customer Support & Contact

Whether it’s a glowing five-star review or a complaint, GMB makes it easy to respond and engage with potential customers.

When people see you responding promptly to reviews (both positive and negative), they’re more likely to view your business as reliable.

GMB also facilitates collecting positive feedback to maintain your ratings. Simply share a special link with customers after delivering satisfactory experiences and ask for their valuable feedback.

How To Use GMB To Improve Your SEO

Understanding GMB and its importance for your business is only half the battle. The other half is to implement it successfully. Now, let’s show you how to use GMB to improve your SEO.

1. Select All Areas Your Business Serves

When setting up your GMB profile, one of the first things you’ll do is select the areas your business serves. This step of your local SEO GMB strategy directly affects how visible your business is to potential customers.

Many businesses make the mistake of only listing their physical location, like the address of their storefront or office. 

While this is important, it’s not enough if you serve a broader region. You should specify all the areas you serve, whether that’s nearby neighborhoods, towns, or even the entire city.

Another reason this is important has to do with how Google Maps geocodes addresses. You might think typing Las Vegas, NV, USA covers the entire city, but that’s not the case. Google only shows a portion of the city on the map for that address. 

That’s why it’s essential to cross-check your service areas on Google Maps while adding addresses. It may take adding multiple addresses to cover the entire area your business serves.

2. Optimize Your “From the Business” Description

Google gives you 750 characters in the From the Business section of your GMB profile to describe your business. This is your chance to tell potential customers what makes your business special. 

It’s where you can talk about what you offer, what sets you apart from competitors, and a bit of your business’s history. You can share how long you’ve been serving the community and what unique blends you offer that competitors lack.

This section is also the perfect place to include high-volume local keywords. You’ll want to incorporate both location-based keywords and service-related terms (like organic coffee or specialty pastries). 

One useful tip is to analyze the descriptions of popular competitors in your area. You might find valuable keywords there.

It’s important to keep your description concise yet informative. Search engines favor natural language, so weave in your keywords in a way that feels genuine and reads smoothly.

Also, be upfront and honest about the information you provide.

Don’ts to avoid in your GMB Description:

• Misspellings and flashy characters that make your business appear unprofessional.
• Steer clear of overly promotional language, like All items half off, only today! or The best pizza in the city for just $10! Google explicitly disallows such language. 
• Google doesn’t allow external links in this section. Adding them could negatively impact the effectiveness of your GMB SEO.

3. Verify Your GMB Listing

Once you’ve provided all your business details, you must verify your business profile.

Verifying your GMB listing is proving to Google that you’re a legitimate business. You can verify by postcard, phone, video, or email, depending on what Google offers for your business listing. 

Without verification, you miss out on important features like managing reviews or appearing in the Google 3-pack for local searches. 

A verified profile also improves trustworthiness and positively impacts your ranking factors.

4. Create Common Questions & Answer Them

Google allows both business owners and customers to pose and answer questions on your GMB profile.

Including important questions can act as a trigger for potential customers to opt your business. By providing clear, helpful answers upfront, you reduce friction in the customer journey and build trust.

You should create your own list of FAQ based on what you know customers are likely wondering. Think about the top questions your business gets and respond in a way that’s both informative and keyword-rich. 

You could include specific questions like, Do you offer gluten-free options at your downtown location? This helps with your GMB SEO strategy while giving potential customers quick, relevant answers.

Since anyone can answer questions on your business profile, it’s important to stay on top of them. You don’t want someone else giving incorrect or misleading information. Set up notifications so you can quickly attend to new questions. 

5. Upload Photos & Videos To Assert Confidence

To make a strong first impression with your GMB profile, add your logo and cover photo. When potential customers see a professional-looking logo, it immediately builds credibility. 

Next, upload photos and videos that show different aspects of your business. For example, a restaurant could showcase the kitchen, menu items, and the inviting ambiance of the dining area. 

Businesses with photos and videos get more customers because visuals reflect transparency, which builds trust.

High-quality food photos, for instance, can make potential customers crave what you serve. You may also consider sharing behind-the-scenes moments as they humanize your brand. Photos of your storefront are equally important, as they help customers recognize your business when they arrive.

Semi-professional, well-lit photos work best — there’s no need for staged studio shots. Your media should adhere to the requirements Google has set for them.

You can further enhance your GMB SEO by geo-tagging your media. 

Since search engine result pages (SERPs) also display pictures, geo-tagging can help your images appear among those.

6. Make Posts Regularly

Google also allows you to regularly share updates about your business through posts. GMB posts appear in the Updates or Overview tabs of your profile, as well as the From the Owner section.

There are three main types of posts you can use: 

• Offers: Perfect for promoting special deals or discounts to attract attention.
• Updates: Share what’s happening at your business, like new products or services.
• Events: Announce upcoming happenings, such as special in-store experiences.

Each post type has its place, and rotating through them keeps your profile fresh and engaging.

Each type of Google Business Profile post consists of specific elements that can include:

• Headline 
• Photos
• Description
• Date and time information
• Call-to-action button

The trick is to use the headline and description section to naturally incorporate SEO keywords. At the same time, make the content informative and concise.

Well-written regular posts give Google more content to index, which can improve visibility and ranking.

7. Collect & Manage Reviews

Collecting and managing reviews is essential for maintaining a strong presence on Google Maps. The more reviews you gather, the better, but they should come organically.

Google highlights these reviews right in the search results under your business profile.

People trust businesses with reviews, even a mix of positive and negative. In fact, having some negative reviews can make your profile seem more authentic. No business is perfect, after all.

When it comes to managing reviews, having a clear review response strategy is key. For positive reviews, a simple thank you and a personal touch can go a long way in showing appreciation. 

With negative reviews, don’t panic or leave them unattended. Respond thoughtfully by addressing the customer’s concerns while staying calm and professional. Even unhappy customers might return if they see you care enough to make things right.

You can even request the removal of certain reviews if they violate Google’s guidelines (spam, inappropriate content, etc.).

8. Strengthen Your GMB With Special Attributes

Special attributes on your Google My Business profile provide important details beyond your basic services. These attributes can highlight unique aspects of your business, such as Free Parking or Family-Friendly. 

Each business category offers its own set of relevant attributes. 

Attributes also extend to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) values. You can highlight if your business is minority-owned, woman-owned, or wheelchair accessible. Additionally, you can emphasize your commitment to eco-friendly practices through recycling-related attributes.

These attributes can directly boost your GMB SEO by helping your business stand out in search results.

For example, if someone searches for restaurants with vegan options, Google may show your listing when those specific attributes are relevant.

In some cases, Google may crowdsource attributes from customers who’ve visited your business.

Don’t Forget To Do a GMB Audit for Local SEO

A GMB audit for local SEO is a detailed evaluation of your business profile to identify room for improvement. Does your business description include important keywords? Are you making regular posts to engage your audience? 

Evaluating these and other aspects ensures your business always puts its best foot forward online.

Mainly, a GMB local SEO audit checks for:

• Accuracy: Check whether your address, phone number, business hours, and other key details are up-to-date.
• Completeness: Look for gaps and highlight any missing elements that could improve your visibility.
• Optimization: Evaluate how well you’re utilizing reviews, photos, posts, and other features.

Seek Professional GMB SEO Services

It’s possible that businesses may not have the time or knowledge to manage GMB SEO. If you’re stuck in a similar situation, there are plenty of SEO services ready to manage and optimize your business profile.

For example, Google offers support through the Small Business Advisors (SBA) program. For $39.99, you can schedule a personalized 50-minute consultation session.

If you’re looking for more comprehensive management, third-party GMB SEO services are also an option.

FAQ

Need more clarity on what SEO for GMB means for your business? Here are some frequently asked questions.

geoPlugin Can Help With Local SEO GMB Analytics

While a Google My Business profile handles your GMB SEO, your business website’s SEO is equally important. Businesses with ranking websites get more foot traffic to their business’s physical location.

But how can you ensure your website’s SEO strategy is actually attracting local audiences? One of the main ways to check whether you’re getting local visitors is by geolocating IP addresses. Visitor IPs can reveal location data such as country, city, and approximate geographical coordinates.

Geolocation tools like geoPlugin are purpose-built for analyzing IPs. Using the geoPlugin API, you can monitor IPs in real-time and evaluate the success of your local SEO.

So sign up to geoPlugin today and evaluate your SEO strategy’s performance.