Last Updated on December 27, 2022 by SERP Kingz
If you’re a business owner who’s done any amount of research on how to leverage digital marketing, you’re probably already painfully aware that Search Engine Optimization (A.K.A. SEO) is an absolutely indispensable part of any modern digital marketing strategy.
The short version is it helps your website rank higher in search engine results, which leads to more visibility for your business, which leads to more people discovering your business, which leads to more leads, sign-ups, sales, bookings, et cetera.
Unfortunately for most business owners—who already have enough on their plate—SEO is a complex, time-consuming, and often highly-technical process. But there are a few simple things you can do to improve your rankings (that don’t require 10 hours a day and a degree in machine learning) to implement.
One way to capitalize on the power of SEO is by leveraging Google My Business (GMB) posts.
GMB posts provide an excellent opportunity for businesses to not only boost their authority (and rankings), but also engage with customers, advertise offers and promotions, and even capture user data.
Let’s dive into why posting on your GMB profile is—or should be—key to your business’ SEO strategy.
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What are Google My Business Posts and How Do They Help SEO?
Google My Business posts appear on your company’s profile and on the knowledge panel carousel when a user finds your business through a Google search.
These posts offer a powerful (and convenient) way to accurately represent your business to search engine users before they even arrive on your site. You can also connect directly with customers and get them interested in engaging with your business—as well as inform them about any upcoming events and offers you have in store for them.
GMB posts can help improve SEO in several ways, but there are three core benefits that most business owners will want to consider:
- The first is through the content of the post. Google scans the content of your post and uses it as part of its algorithm to determine search engine results rankings. (Just like with regular website content, the more relevant and high-quality the post, the better the effect on your SEO.)
- Activity on your GMB profile boosts engagement metrics that signal relevance and authority to search engines, leading to improved rankings in both organic and local search results.
- When people interact with your post, Google tracks this activity and uses it to determine which content is most relevant to its users. This data helps inform Google’s algorithm and can help your website rank higher in search.
What is E-E-A-T and How Does it Relate to GMB?
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness—all of which are important factors when it comes to SEO ranking signals:
- Experience refers to the life experience you/the content author bring to the table.
- Expertise refers to having knowledge about the subject matter you are writing about.
- Authority means being seen as an authoritative source on said subject matter.
- Trustworthiness relates to your reputation online; how much users and search engines can “trust” you as a reliable source of information.
These are the general guidelines Google puts out to help you determine whether your content is relevant, trustworthy, and authoritative enough to rank highly in search engine results.
Your GMB posts are no exception. What you publish in your post should reflect E-E-A-T guidelines, as it will impact whether search engines rank your content high or low.
Posting relevant content about your industry, keywords, services, products, etc. can help Google see you as a knowledgeable, authoritative source in your field.
This will help increase your rankings and boost visibility for your business.
In fact: it’s perhaps the clearest, most direct signal you can send to Google that you and your business are “an authority” in your field.
Why Using Google My Business Posts is Key for Local SEO
Local search engine optimization is when businesses optimize their presence within a specific geographic area. This may include targeting certain cities or even neighborhoods depending on the type of product or service offered.
GMB posts enable businesses to better target their audience by providing content relevant only to people within that geographic area—such as informing them about services available only in specific regions—which can help increase visibility among potential customers searching within that region.
Improving visibility through GMB posts also leverages reviews and other user-generated content (i.e. comments/shares) from local customers who have interacted with your product or service, further boosting relevancy signals for SERP rankings.
GMB listings are optimized for mobile devices so they appear clearly no matter what device users access them on; this increases reach while improving user experience.
Your posts will be featured in the Google Knowledge Panel “carousel,” putting it front and center—well, front and right if they’re not on a mobile device—when someone finds your business through a search.
This increased visibility can lead to more traffic and engagement, which in turn sends credibility signals with Google, leading to further improved rankings.
Collecting User Information Through GMB Posts
Linking forms directly from your GMB post enables you collect user information quickly and easily without requiring navigation away from the post itself; this can be used later on down the line when retargeting those same individuals with further offers or promotions related to their interests
As an example:
Let’s say you own a pet store offering bespoke, limited-edition dog collars (I know, but stay with me here) during a promotional period.
Well, you could link directly from a post featuring pictures of dogs wearing those collars directly into a form asking users if they would like more information.
From there, you could—with permission—add those users onto an email list specifically tailored towards dog owners who have expressed interest in receiving additional discounts or deals related to pet products.
This would not only encourage more leads and sales, but would also net you some invaluable data on your customers. Using that, you can adjust your messaging to better target potential customers with messaging tailored to their interests.
A Note on Data Collection and Privacy
Of course, you’ll want to make sure you follow all of the necessary data privacy requirements, i.e. CCPA and CPRA in the US (and/or GDPR if you have customers in the UK/EU) before collecting any information from visitors.
If that sounds like a lot of acronyms—that’s because it is.
But there are plenty of resources available on the web that can help you understand what data privacy regulations require. (Of course, the experienced digital marketers at The King of Search can help you ensure that all of your data collection tactics are in compliance. Just saying.)
GMB & SEO: The Bottom Line
Google My Business is more than just “yet another place you’re expected to post content.” It’s a powerful tool that can, among other things, help local businesses increase visibility and gain valuable insights into their customer’s interests and behaviors.
With careful implementation of GMB posts combined with focusing on increasing E-E-A-T signals through relevant content creation, business owners can improve their SERP rankings while collecting valuable user data along the way.
Companies that use GMB posting to their advantage will find themselves at an advantage when competing against other local entities vying for attention among potential customers searching within their areas.
Ultimately, leveraging all aspects of modern digital marketing strategies—including Google My Business posts—will help ensure long term success through continued visibility across multiple device types while gaining valuable customer insights throughout the process!
(I know that sounds like a lot, but it means more customers and more revenue.)
I get it—digital marketing jargon is often insufferable. But, every once in a while, the stuff that sounds like a long string of nonsense all boils down to: “This will make you a lot more money than it costs—so let’s do it!”
Need help with your digital marketing efforts? Connect with The King of Search and let’s get your business the visibility (and revenue) it deserves. Give us a call at (850) 308-5952 – or click here to send us an email.
