Here's a great way of showing up on page one of Google - above other big brands!

Wouldn't it be great to get free exposure for your products or your service-based business? Well there is a way to make that happen, and it's not using the regular SEO methods. In this article, the Web Connector in Chadstone explains how to skip the regular SEO rat-race by thinking locally.

By focusing your efforts on showing up in your local area rather than trying to outplay all the businesses online that offer the same product that you do, you can work on trying to be more present to the people that can reach you in a physical way. 

The way to do this is by working your way into being in the top 3 choices that Google presents as results for search queries. These results need to be within the local area, or the end-user needs to have added the locality in the search. Your main goal here is not simply to be on page one of Google but to appear in their ‘Google Pack’, (that little 3-pack of local businesses that shows up with a map next to it). 

This is also a great place to start when you are trying to gain more online visibility,

because by using Google’s Business Profile you can have a chance at showing up even if you don’t yet have a website (although it is most advisable to have a website).

The best thing about being listed in the Google Pack is that it’s even better than turning up in the organic listings, because it shows up before them - and in many ways it’s easier to get into.

LOCALITY

Although businesses may be easy to find online, when the business transactions begin, people want to know the person that they are dealing with. If you have ever had to contact Facebook, you would understand that it’s like dealing with a ghost. 

This kind of business interaction makes people nervous. What if the product doesn’t work? What if I need a different size? What if no-one comes to repair my fridge and I have already made an online payment?

These are all real fears that keep people from finalising that payment and purchasing your goods and services. 

Today’s consumer buys on a very personal level. But, if they know that you are just down the road from where they live, that fear is reduced. They know that if they need to, they can communicate with the business owner in person. 

Unlink SEO, getting into the 3-pack in the Google Business Listings is less about tactics, and more about the facts. If you really want to show up for your business terms in the area that your business is located, you need to make this absolutely clear to Google.

To show up within that 3-pack you have to prove some things to Google:

• YOU ARE LOCAL (TO THAT PERSON WHO IS SEARCHING),
• YOU HAVE THE EXACT /SIMILAR PRODUCT TO WHAT THEY HAD TYPED IN,
• YOU HAVE REVIEWS THAT PROVE THAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAPPY WITH YOU,
• YOU FOCUS ON THAT SPECIFIC CATEGORY 
• YOU HAVE A WEBSITE THAT FOCUSES ON [THIS TOPIC] WHERE YOU TALK ABOUT IT A LOT
• YOU HAVE A NICE WEBSITE THAT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE A ‘BOGUS’ BUSINESS
• YOUR WEBSITE IS LINKED TO YOUR GOOGLE BUSINESS PROFILE 
• YOUR WEBSITE HAS HIGH-DOMAIN BACKLINKS COMING INTO IT
• YOUR WEBSITE LINKS OUT TO OTHER BUSINESSES WHICH SHOWS GOOGLE THAT YOU ARE PROVIDING REAL VALUE TO THE END USER

KEYWORDS

As with anything to do with online marketing keywords play a role in your business being ranked well. Of course you don't have as many obvious opportunities to use your keywords because you don't write long blogs on your Google listing.

So you have to find ways to include your keywords when you're creating your business listing, and you can do that within the information section.

Another place to include keywords, would be in your reviews. A way to do this would be to ask people to mention these one or two of your important keywords when you ask them to write their review. Explain that it will help with your online marketing so that they understand the importance of doing this. In most cases people are happy to do this without question. 

Alternatively, when you are replying to people who have written the review for you, you could mention the keyword yourself. It has just as much energy in gaining notice with the search engines. 

Lastly, but far from least, you should be sure to write posts that have valuable keywords included in the copy and captions.

GOOGLE PACK

When you are registering your business for your Google Business Profile, you will go through the stage of entering all of your business information. Showing up in the Google Pack has a lot to do with what happens here.

Within that information will be a section to enter your business details. In that section you will need to specify what your business is about, how it works, the area that you service etc. If you are accurate with these things you will be showing up to the right people for the right reasons, so ultimately you would have no reason to try and cheat the system. 

Remember that it is not advisable to try and bluff your way through by altering your details to be something that is not accurate because you will find Google particularly unforgiving. Google has been known to be swift in removing businesses that they felt were trying to scam the system, and have thrown them out into the abyss, never to be seen again (or at least, not for a long time until they worked themselves back in a legitimate manner).

Take that as a serious warning, because if you play around with Google, not only will you miss out on getting into the Google Pack, but your business could disappear off Google completely, which would be even worse. 

GOOGLE SLAP

Just like all online platforms today, these browsers are coming down heavier on people who misuse their profiles. One particular tactic that businesses had been using - and that Google frowned upon, was in businesses adding locality keywords to their business name when in fact that suburb or town name was not part of the business name either online, or as their registered business name. 

When this happens, if somebody reports that business to Google, which I hear is more common than you may think, Google will remove that business listing, which results in everyone beneath them shifting up a spot. A heavy tactic to use in order to move up a notch, but apparently one that is used by many. Of course you would only be in the runnings to move up a slot if your business profile was fully optimised.

The difficult thing about getting sprung by Google is that they don’t make it easy for you to know what you have wrong. So playing by the rules turns out to be the only safe thing to do.

Once again, the game is on to make Google happy. Quite simply, we do that by turning up as the best result that Google could show their end-user. And if you would like a reminder of what that looks like, just refer to the list a little further up this page.

Once you’re finally in one of the 3 top spots, you want to attract clicks and be the next action that the people browsing will take. 

Star ratings are great to encourage clicks to happen. Although they are very closely linked to reviews, the visual effect of the stars is appealing and eye-catching, especially on a page fully of (mostly) text. 

After you have caught their attention, some people will even stop and read some of the reviews. This is one of the most powerful elements on the internet today. Whereas people used to be happy to believe what the brand told them, now they want to hear what their peers (other consumers) have to say about the brand, the product or the service. And, as it happens, people take these reviews so seriously that many purchasing decisions have been based on what the consumer has read on these tiny Google reviews.

Admittedly, reviews can be a scary thing for a business owner because let's face it, not every customer turns out to be a happy customer no matter how hard you try, or how good your service is. There is always the human element involved that may click, or maybe not, and that person could just as well turn around and give your business a bad rating. 

If you do get a bad rating, remember the golden rule, don’t try and play games with Google. So, resist trying to get rid of it. Instead, face the fact that it is there. Quickly reply acknowledging their dissatisfaction and perhaps offer a discount to try and make up for. Then put some extra effort into getting more reviews quickly so that you can shift that review down the list so that it is less visible. Consider that there may be some truth or half-truths in that discrepancy and see if there is anything you can take from it to improve your business.

The Web Connector is located in Chadstone, Melbourne VIC and specialises in helping businesses gain more visibility through their Google Business Profile. If you are interested in finding better ways to get found online, contact us at: adam@thewebconnector.com.au  Or call Adam Luckin on: 0439 786 460.