Did you know you can create social posts for your agency’s business profile on Google? No, we’re not talking about YouTube or even the bygone Google+.
Google My Business posts allow you to share with your market and show them agency updates, without having to leave a page’s search results.
These posts will appear as “Updates” or “Recent updates” on your business listing. Updates are shown directly underneath main details like business hours and location details for both mobile and desktop viewers.
We’ll expand further on how Google My Business posts benefit you and your agency.
Google likes frequent updates
Just like website updates, reviews, and social media, Google My Business posts ‘count’ as positive reinforcement for your agency in Google’s algorithm. In other words, posting regularly is another way of saying to Google, “Yes, my agency is active online.”
Combine your posts with their call-to-action buttons linking to an updated M1 site or your agency phone number, and you’re setting yourself up for success.
In fact, calls from GMB profiles went up 61% after the pandemic started.
Your market likes to see updates, too.
It’s easy to overlook what some consider the “small” stuff online, but let’s compare.
You’re searching for an event planner to celebrate a big event – an upcoming family graduation or business anniversary. You search for “event planners near me,” and two results appear for your town. Each of these event planning websites mention work events, graduations, and more.
One event planner posts consistently across the web, which includes their business profile’s updates and photos. The other planner has not shared anything in the last 6-8 months. Which one would you go with?
The same idea applies to your agency. Seeing that your business is fairly active and engaged in the community can convince customers that you may be a good fit for their needs.
Being active online doesn’t mean you must post daily or even multiple times a day, either. However, going several months or years without any updates will not do your agency any favors, and may cost you the more coveted search result appearances.
If you’ve ever looked at another business’ profile or website and thought something along the lines of, “Are they even open?” or “Are they still in business?”, this is exactly the kind of activity we’re talking about.
Unlock more keyword space
Many of us know that what you type into a search engine and how those words are phrased truly matter in finding what we’re looking for. Much like your website content, posts directly mentioning what users are searching for are often considered ‘good’ content.
You want to mention keywords that are important to your goals (i.e., insurance, life insurance, auto insurance) like what you list on your website. Let’s compare again.
Say your goal is to write more boat insurance policies this summer, and you post something like this onto your GMB profile:
“We offer competitive pricing, best in town. Call today free!”
What is this post lacking? That’s right – keywords!
It doesn’t tell potential customers WHAT you offer, let alone that you offer coverage for boats, and they know little more than they are able to call you for free.
In most cases, posting frequently is more beneficial than not, but adding keywords into regular posts will help your search rankings. Without it, you are missing another place to push more searches in your direction for what your agency offers.
Now, let’s try correcting the GMB post example above using keywords:
“Our agency offers boat insurance for the busy lake-goers in our community. Call for a free insurance quote and see how much you can save this summer on boat coverage!”
This post now has more relevant keywords. Namely, the boat insurance keyword that supports your goal. You will now be more likely to appear in your area's searches for boat insurance.
Keeping relevant GMB posts on your profile is another way to get in front of your market.
Have any other questions about search engine optimization (SEO) or managing your business profile? Let us know – Direct Clicks Inc. is happy to give your agency a second opinion.