While many service-based businesses often conduct their work in the field rather than in an office or storefront, building an online presence is still paramount to their success.
Your online presence is often the first time people interact with your business. We don’t want it to be the last.
A healthy online presence includes accurate, compelling and complete information about your business anywhere online. That can be anything from a listing on Yelp, a Google search, your website or your Facebook business page.
Here are three ways to ramp up your online presence and get your business in front of customers where they’re looking for you.
Fix Your Search and They Will Find You
Potential customers begin looking for a plumber the same way they do for a bookstore – with an online search.
Showing up at the top of search results or – even better – in the Map Pack (local businesses notated on the Google map) is the best way to catch their attention.
When your business shows up in one of these locations, it shows customers that you’re a legit company, especially if your information is up-to-date and accurate.
How do you imrpove your search results? Start with your Google Business Profile. Make sure it is fully filled out with pertinent info like hours, areas serviced, etc. Then add relevant before-and-after photos and well as answers to commonly answered questions.
The more information you add to your Google Business Profile, the more searchers will interact with it – and Google will reward you for that with higher placement on search.
Claim Your Listings – And Keep Them Clean
When you think of online listings, names like Google, Yahoo and Yelp usually surface to the top. But in fact, there are hundreds of online listings sites that pick up your business’s information.
While you might not know it, your business information can be published in an online listings site without your knowledge or say-so. Consumers, data mining firms and even other listings sites submit business information to be published online every day.
When you take the time to claim your listings on various sites, it gives you more control over what’s published, you can respond more quickly to customer reviews, search engines trust you more (because it’s accurate, up-to-date info) and – best of all – it’s free.
Claiming your online listings from the start takes far less time than it does to correct inaccurate information later on. If you haven’t already done so, start claiming your listings so you can get the most out of them.
Evolve with SEO
For small businesses, the key way to win with search engine optimization is to post excellent content that shows Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness – or EAT.
Expertise: Understanding your industry is just the first step. Communicate your expertise with blogs and how-to videos that really resonate with your audience and showcase your knowledge.
Authoritativeness: When creating website content, show your authority by citing and linking to content created by like-minded people. Adding these links will build the creditability of your site.
Trustworthiness: What better way to show that you are trustworthy than through your customers’ own words? Ask for reviews so potential clients will see how happy your current customers are. And if you come across a negative review, respond kindly and show that you’re working to fix the problem. All of that effort shows good will to anyone reviewing your site.
Ultimately, better SEO will improve your visibility in your area and get discovered in near-me searches. Keep in mind that SEO trends evolve. What worked for your business in 2019 will not necessarily work in your interest now.
Maintaining your online presence can feel a bit overwhelming. An all-in-one business management software tool can help you claim your listings, boost reviews and fine-tune your SEO. Discover more here.
