How to set up your Google Local Services to appear in Search Results

Appearing on the first page of Google for your best keywords can work wonders for the number of leads and revenue you get in your business. However, if you don't yet appear in Google for people searching for your business specifically by name then that should take priority.

Before attempting to rank for many keywords in your industry it’s important that your business has a Google listing and appears in search results for ...

• searches for you personally by name
• searches with your business name
• searches for businesses in your category in your area

All 3 above can be achieved by using the Free Google Business Listing Service.

You can register for this service at https://www.google.com/business/ where you will be presented with a form to fill in your company details. Make this profile as comprehensive as possible.

1. Add your business location on the map.

Simply drop a location pin from your office and Google will know where you are. It’s that simple.

2. Add your Street Address, Opening Hours and Telephone number.

This information will catch local people that use Google instead of the old paper business directory.

3. Add all your business details.

Make sure that you use the space provided to add your services or main product categories. It’s important that you use the words your customers use when searching for you so a little bit of keyword research will go a long way here.

4. Upload high-quality images.

This could be the entry point into your business for people looking at similar businesses. You need to look better than your competition. Your imagery needs to say - “we’re professionals” and stand out from your competitors.

5. Get Verified.

When you create the account Google will give you a number of ways to verify that your business is legit. Make sure you verify it or it may not make it to the search results.

6. Get quality reviews.

The strongest form of referral online is positive reviews. We call this ‘social proof’ and people need it in order to make quick online choices. Adding good reviews will seriously increase your chances of being picked over your competitors so go ahead create incentives for your audience to make this happen.

Once your profile is ready, Google will need some time to verify you, especially if you chose the ‘post my verification code’ option. Once you’re verified however your listing visibility is practically instant. Now you will feature for people looking for your or your type of business in your area. The next step is to reach more people by optimising your website for more keywords and sub-categories in your business.

You want to learn more? - How to continue:

Download our free checklist about what you need to do for your successful Local SEO Project

Watch our Free Google My Business Video Mini-Course to learn what you can easily do to improve your local SEO in just a few moves.
In this course you will also get access to a huge discount on our Full Local SEO Course.