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7 Reasons to Drop Yellow Pages and Get On Google
If you are still paying your $100 monthly fee to stay “relevant” in the Yellow Page phonebooks that most people use for kindling, now’s the time to ditch them. In an increasingly digital world, it’s safe to say that most consumers go to Google when they are looking for a new service – whether it’s a doctor, dentist, plumber, restaurant, yard service, you name it.
Think about the last time you were wanting to try a new restaurant or that time when your furnace broke and you needed an HVAC tech. Did you thumb through the phone book that you had so readily available? Maybe…But more likely, you pulled your phone out of your pocket and did a quick search on Google.
If you own a small business that offers local services, then you totally need to be showing up there! Maybe you know this already, maybe you don’t, but there are still so many businesses who are struggling to break free of their phone books and who are not on Google. It’s time to make sure you are showing up in the Yellow Pages of the online world.
Google My Business, the online platform that allows you to show up on Google Maps, provides so many wonderful benefits to local businesses and to the consumers who search for them.
Better Conversions
Typically, Google Maps and the businesses it lists are the first things that show up when someone does a Google search for a business or service. You know this, you’ve done it. Because of this, these businesses at the top of the search results often capture the majority of the clicks that come from that search.
And when a searcher comes to Google looking to solve their problem through a new service, they are showing explicit intent to buy. They have that shopping mentality and are ready to make a purchase. So you want to make sure you’re showing up when someone makes that search.
Trust Metrics
Everyone knows Google, and most consumers put high trust into familiarity and big brands. If Google is displaying your information, that trust is then carried over to your business. You might have companies calling you to get listed in their online directories, but their websites are not the first place that consumers go to conduct a search. Google is.
Reviews
One of the most wonderful benefits of Google My Business is that customers can leave their feedback of your business on this platform. Have you ever left a review on Google?
Customers can leave reviews that convert other people who come across your listing. When you do an excellent job providing service and create an awesome product, people will naturally want to share it with others and part of that comes through leaving reviews. Of course, you need to make sure that you are providing the best service you can in order to ensure positive reviews.
Exposure
When your business is showing up on Google Maps, people see it. Not everyone will come to your business the first time they do a search for your service. Some of them might go to another similar business, but if they are let down by that one, you can bet they are going to come back and search again – and who’s going to be there? That’s right – you.
This is also a great tool for brand awareness. Even if people are searching for other similar businesses to yours and don’t click on you, they probably saw your listing, and after a few more times of doing the same search, they will start to recognize your name.
Updating Information
It’s not just about getting new leads, but also about keeping current customers up to date. Don’t make your customers have to call and find out what your hours are or second guess if you’re open on a federal, but not widely recognized, holiday.
If you move locations, change your phone number, get a new website, update your hours – you can share all of that on your Google listing and keep new and current customers in the loop in a matter of minutes. You can’t just backspace and retype your info in a phonebook.
Gain Valuable Insights
Google My Business also offers tons of great insights that have the potential to really help you increase business. Their insights will tell you how people are interacting with your listing – whether they are clicking to call your business, asking for directions, visiting your website, or even messaging you.
You can also see which search queries brought people to your Google listing. If someone searched for “orthodontists in Boise” and your business showed up, but you only do general dentistry, that could be a good indicator that you need to update your website or change the category on your listing.
It’s Free
And the best part – it’s free! Google My Business is not limited to the big businesses that can afford to show up there. It’s available for everyone. That’s not to say that you will automatically show up at the top of every search query just because you got a Google My Business listing. There are several factors that tie into it, but it gives you a good place to start.
When you are ready to really make the push for local SEO and get your business showing up well on Google, you can find a specialist to help you out.
Author Bio
Kaili Killpack is the lead SEO Specialist for Manwaring Web Solutions. She manages SEO for dozens of small businesses in and out of Idaho. Building client relationships, solving problems, writing content, and basking in their successes make her job something that she truly loves doing.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
