Google Business Listing: Why It Matters
July 2018As a law firm, most of your online conversions are going to come from people who live in your local area. As such, local SEO needs to be at the core of your marketing campaign. You can’t accomplish a successful local SEO campaign without a Google listing.
Related: Managing Your Law Firm's Brand
A Google listing—or a Google My Business listing, more accurately—is almost like your online calling card. When you search for a business online, what are you usually hoping to see? In most cases, the answer is either an address, a phone number/email address, or business hours. Google My Business makes it so you can display that crucial information directly in a Google search. Just as important, it also puts your business in Google Maps—good for any clients that are trying to find their way to your offices.
Why Google My Business Is Important
Google My Business is a crucial thing for any business, for several reasons.
First off, having your firm listed on Google My Business will improve your local search results. Sometimes, clients aren’t going to be searching for your firm specifically. Instead, they’ll type in something like “law firms near me.” Businesses that don’t have Google My Business pages will never show in the “near me” results because Google doesn’t technically know where they are. Once a company is in Google My Business, it’s also in Google Maps, which means Google can look at geographic information and business information to provide the searcher with recommendations.
Secondly, Google My Business makes everything easier for your customers. You don’t want a prospective client’s first interaction with your brand to be a hapless search around your website, looking for pertinent information. By optimizing your Google My Business page with all the details first-time searchers might be looking for (contact info, location, phone number, industry/legal specialty, etc.), you can significantly increase your odds of conversion.
Finally, having a Google My Business page makes your business seem more reputable. Modern consumers tend to be suspicious of brands that aren’t “on the grid” as far as the Internet is concerned. If a business doesn’t show up on Google Maps, people tend to wonder why. Is the company brand new? Are they out of business? Are there other issues that might explain the lack of Google presence? These are questions that customers ask. Simply put, people like familiarity, and Google and Google Maps are familiar. If your business isn’t using these services the way other businesses do, customers are going to get suspicious.
Set up Your Google My Business Page Today
The good news is that setting up a Google My Business page is both free and extremely easy. Just go to www.google.com/business and click the button that says, “Start Now.” Follow the onscreen instructions as Google asks you to provide your business name and other information. Once you’ve claimed your page, your business will be on the map with Google—and better situated to reap the benefits of local searches.
Need help setting up Google My Business for your law firm? Call Inherent at (415) 399-9733 to get started.