Bing and Yahoo might count as competition, but Google’s domination of the worldwide search engine market isn’t likely going to change anytime soon.
With Google by far the leading company in the desktop search space with an estimated 86.86% global market share, if your business isn’t making the most of their extensive services, it’s going to be even harder to reach your potential.
Part of what makes Google so pivotal to businesses is how it’s so much more than just a search engine. Featuring a myriad of useful services that range from search, advertising and maps to shopping, smartphones and digital storage, many of these products offer in-depth integration with each other. In turn, this streamlined approach helps your business capture your target markets’ attention in a variety of ways when it matters most.
If you’ve ignored Google’s advantages for too long, it’s time to prepare your business for a tech-focused future. Here, we’ll delve into some of Google’s products and highlight why missing out isn’t an option.
The Importance of Google My Business
Every business wants to stand out on the SERP, but it’s a constant challenge to make it happen. However, a vital service known as Google My Business (GMB) can significantly increase your chances of overcoming the competition.
As Google’s number one priority is displaying accurate information to its users, they are naturally reluctant to promote businesses that haven’t been verified. With a detailed GMB page, you can legitimise your business in the eyes of Google and ensure the algorithms advocate your company to customers conducting relevant searches.
There are a host of benefits to completing this process. When you provide Google with the most essential details about your business, including your business name, address and phone number (NAP), you may also receive a detailed sidebar space that appears when someone searches for your company. Known as the Google Knowledge Graph, this prime real estate on the SERP has a clean, prominent location that naturally attracts the eyes of potential customers.
With Google striving to display information that’s correct, relevant and validated, it’s incredibly important to keep your business page regularly updated. This applies not only to your GMB page, but also other citation and review websites spread across the internet. By failing to keep your NAP data consistent wherever it appears, Google cannot determine which address or phone number is correct. This could lead to your business being displayed less prominently.
Google Reviews Generate Growth
Although most business owners recognise the importance of generating reviews, many don’t quite grasp just how remarkably influential they are. With recent research revealing that 76% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations from friends and family, this dramatic statistic is compounded by the fact that the average consumer reads up to 10 reviews before trusting a business. These figures mean it’s absolutely necessary to generate positive outcomes for your customers and ensure they share them with the world.
However, Google Reviews have other advantages that go beyond just how people feel about your products and customer service. They can also provide vital insight into the current strengths and weaknesses of your business, ensuring you can take steps to overcome issues and improve the long-term success of your brand.
Meanwhile, if you do receive a negative review, these can be used as opportunities to publicly address concerns and demonstrate how you’ll go the extra mile to make up for a mistake. On a related note, approximately 63% of customers will use negative reviews to judge the legitimacy of your positive ones – so don’t be tempted to fake them.
Google Reviews are also important for brand visibility reasons. If you manage to keep your star rating near a perfect score, you’re no doubt going to attract more attention as one of the best in your industry. With your business proving popular amongst people searching in your area, Google will recognise this increased level of engagement and promote your business further on the SERP.
Advertise Your Business Effectively
In terms of ad platforms, Google is still the undisputed king. Although thriving social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn have managed to make some inroads, Google still has an unrivalled reach for businesses looking to spread the word about their products and services. With the Google Display Network able to reach an estimated 90% of people using the internet, a paid media campaign that captures even a fraction of this audience is bound to deliver outstanding results.
With every kind of business striving to reach the first page of Google, you don’t necessarily have to have a massive advertising budget to make it happen. If you manage to lead an effective SEO campaign, it’s possible to use GMB to dramatically boost your brand’s credibility and rankings within relevant searches. You can get help from SEO Tools to make these campaigns more effective.
With a verified and optimised listing, you’ll be able to attract highly relevant customers and provide them with vital business information for no cost at all. By encouraging your customers to post reviews and having a detailed approach to optimisation, you can achieve a top position on the SERP.
Don’t Ignore Google Any Longer
As more businesses set up e-commerce stores and look to grow their reach online, ensuring your brand is making the most of Google’s remarkably effective services is one of the best ways to keep up with the competition.
Whether you’re looking to boost your position on the SERP, develop an extensive paid media campaign or ensure customers receive the latest information about your business, Google’s products are essential for growing your company in the modern world.