Already have a Google My Business but not getting that many customers in your pet store? If yes, this blog is for you! In this article, we’ll share tips on how you can optimize your Google My Business Profile that will surely help you get more new customers and stand out among your competitors!
1. Choose the right category for your business
When setting up your Google My Business profile, there are tons of options for you to choose from. However, you have to make sure that you choose the most appropriate category for your pet store.If you offer more services (e.g. grooming services), you could also add “Pet groomer” as a secondary business category aside from “Pet store.” This gives you more chances of ranking high for searches like “pet store near me” or “pet grooming services near me.”
2. Make sure that business hours and pinned location is accurate
One of the first few things that customers look at when finding pet stores is their open hours and exact location. You don’t want your potential customers getting lost while looking for your store or visiting you on your closed hours. To prevent that from happening, make sure to update your GMB profile whenever there are changes that take place in your store (e.g. shorter business hours due to holidays).
3. Make sure that links and contact numbers are working
Another thing to keep in mind when optimizing your pet store’s Google My Business Profile is by regularly checking links such as your website or blog posts. It shouldn’t lead potential customers to a page that can’t be found. So, if you decide to migrate to another website or change your store’s contact number, make sure that you also update your info on your Business Profile.
4. Update your posts regularly
Did you know that you can post on Google for free? So, if you have limited time offers, giveaways or hosted events, you can utilize this feature to notify potential customers about something that’s new to your store!
On your post, you can add dates (e.g. how long the event that you will be hosting will take place), write captions, and use call to action buttons to encourage potential customers to take action towards your post.
Google My Business post best practices:
-Add relevant photos and videos. Not only does it help grab the attention of your potential customers, but it also makes your post more engaging.
-Keep it brief. Make sure to include the who, what, when, and where.
-Use a relevant call to action button. This guides potential customers into the next step after viewing your profile or checking out your posts. (e.g. “Learn More”, “Sign Up”, “Call Now”,”Book”, or “Order Online.”
-Post regularly. This gives your potential customers an idea that you regularly update about
5. Add relevant images of your pet store
Customers are more likely to trust a business that has actual images of their store. Imagine a business page with no photos or reviews at all. You wouldn’t trust them that much right? That’s how important images are. It gives potential customers an idea of the ambiance, or what to expect once they arrive at your store.Some photo ideas that you can post on your GMB profile could be your store’s logo, exterior of your pet store, 360° view of the interior of your store, or products and services you offer.
Google My Business photo/video best practices:
For images:
-Use high-quality photos
-Format should be in JPG or PNG
-File size should be between 10KB and 5 MB
-Avoid using excessive filters
For videos:
-File size can be up to 75MB
-Resolution should be 720p or higher
-Duration should not exceed more than 30 seconds long
6. Respond to customer reviews
Reviews can be used as social proof of how efficient your business is in providing products and services to your customers. That’s why you have to make sure to ask for feedback from your customers. Not only does it give you an idea of potential areas for improvement but it also gives you relevant insights such as whether you are meeting the standards of your customers or not.So, the next time you get a new review from a previous customer, make sure to make time and respond to them whether it’s a positive or negative one.This gives your potential customers the confidence in engaging with your pet store.
7. Link your social media pages
By adding links to your social media pages, you are making it easier for your potential customers to follow you on other platforms. This gives you more ways to keep in touch with your target audience. So, if you have pages on other social media platforms, make sure to add them on your GMB profile for added visibility and so that search engines will get a better understanding about your pet store.
8. Check out the Q&A section
Make sure that notifications are switched on for new questions on your Google My Business Profile. This will give you alerts whenever there are inquiries from your potential customers. You should respond to these inquiries as soon as possible so you don’t lose a potential customer.You don’t want to leave those questions unanswered as it might give potential customers an impression that you’re not that responsive when it comes to customer inquiries.
9. Write an engaging business description
Your business description doesn’t have to be long. As long as it contains relevant keywords such as the name of your pet store, services you offer, your location, and you are good to go!Note: Google will only display the first 250 characters of your business description so make sure to prioritize the important keywords that you want to mention about your pet store.
10. Add products offered in your pet store
To get higher chances of ranking high on relevant search queries, you’ll want to utilize the products section that Google My Business have. You could even categorize the products you offer (e.g. dog food, cat food, dog toys, etc.) to help potential customers find the products or services that they are looking for in just a few clicks.
Summary
In today’s time, people use search engines like Google to find nearby business establishments. That’s how important establishing your online presence is. When done right,
Google My Business can help bring more customers to your pet store!