Make Google work for your business

When it comes to Google, Stephen Lau has seen it all. Lau is President of Salient Marketing and has been helping businesses find their way in digital since 1997.

“Google can do so many things for your business it can be overwhelming. As a small business owner, one important way to decide how best to use Google is to assess what stage your business is at. Are you researching a business idea? Are you just starting out? Or are you looking to take your business to the next level?”

There are several options that don’t require big budgets. Lau shares these tips for how to get Google to work harder for your business:

• Get listed on Google My Business

  Creating a Google My Business profile is easy, quick, and one of the best things you can do for your business to improve your rank within Google search.

  How to win at Google without spending a dime

  Read more

  With your profile complete, Google will not only show your business to more searchers, but enable a host of tools to allow them to connect with you.

  You can expect:

  • More calls, as searchers can call directly from their Google results.
  • More in-store visitors, as Google My Business enables searchers to access GPS directions to your nearest location in a click.
  • Reviews! Google will immediately help you generate reviews by prompting Android users to provide them after they visit your business. They’ll also give you all the tools you need to manage your reviews and cultivate your reputation online.

• Learn to find and read search data

  Google provides information on what searches are trending so you can spot them and get ahead of the curve.

• Use Google to understand how customers are looking for your products or services

  Every business has its own language and terminology, but customers have their own way of speaking about their wants and needs. Monitor search activity to audit the language on your website and in your communications, editing it to ensure it aligns with the language used by your customers and prospects.

  Let’s imagine your website describes your business as offering indoor and outdoor home renovation services.

  This is a great way to describe your business, but a bad way to attract customers.

  This is because, despite needing what you offer, their searches are more specific such as: Basement finishing, kitchen renovations, interlock driveways, sunroom etc. They want to know how to install windows, build retaining walls, and save money on construction.

• Build your SEO foundation before you seek professional help

  Small business owners know that SEO is valuable, but don’t know how to capture that value. It seems intuitive to reach out to experts to help.

  This certainly is a good idea, but if you’re looking for help with SEO, it pays to lay the groundwork yourself. Make sure to:

  • Get yourself listed on Google My Business.
  • Expose yourself to the tools and techniques used by professionals to learn the basics of SEO.
  • Ask the questions your customers ask Google to better understand their problems, and make your brand a destination they visit on their journey to a solution.
  • Always work to understand your customer’s issues the way they understand them. Learn to speak like your customers, and you’ll find yourself thinking like them too!

  This kind of work will not only prevent you from paying for work that you can do yourself, but will help you develop your knowledge of not only SEO, but digital marketing as a whole.