Dedicate 10-minutes towards your business development by learning how to make yourself more visible on Google Maps.
Earlier this year, Google stated that local business websites get over 2 billion visits every single month.
That is a lot of traffic.
We all use maps every day to find out where we are, to see the location we are going, and to search for the nearby businesses. Google maps has become an integral part of how people search local for stuff, especially business they want to go to or learn a little more about. If you are not already established on Google Maps, it is time to get your law firm listed so that you can start capturing some of that traffic!
You have a huge opportunity to reach new customers in search engines every day. While having a complete SEO strategy helps you rank well through organic results, it is also vital to be active in Google Maps if you want to get noticed by new clients in your area.
For example, say you run a personal injury law firm, and someone nearby gets into a fender-bender. After a stressful and perhaps even traumatic experience, the last thing someone wants to do is spend an excessive amount of time tracking down a local injury attorney. They will likely pull out their phone, do a google search for “personal injury attorneys in (your city name)”, and look at the map to see which attorney is close by to help. You could be located a block or two away from them, but if your law firm is not on the map, they will travel farther to any one of your competitors miles away who are listed on Google Maps.
Claim Your Business
The first step you will want to take is to claim your Google My Business (GMB) listing. GMB is a free tool from Google for businesses that allows you to manage your online presence on Google products, such as Google Maps.
To get started, sign in with a Google account that you want associated with your business listing. From there, type in your business name, and if you see your business name in the drop-down menu, select it and follow the steps provided for verification. What if your business name does not show up? Simply select “create a business” with your business name. Google My Business also provides you with the option to select whether you are a brick-and-mortar location or offer your professional services to your clients remotely. During this time, you will also add in your business phone number and a URL for your website. Include as much important location and contact information in your listing, so that future clients can easily contact you. And that is it! Once you complete this part, you’ll begin the verification process.
There are several ways that Google will attempt to verify your business such as a call or email to the business contact information that was provided. However, the most common method is to send a postcard to your business address. This process can take up to 5 business days and often looks like a spam mailer that could easily get tossed out, so keep an eye out for it.
Without taking this first step, your firm will not stand a chance in securing a top spot on Google Maps.
We help ambitious small to midsize law firms grow, and we do it using a proven, repeatable, engineered process that delivers results. Check out how one of our clients grew to be a regional leader, and made the number one fastest growing law firm on Forbes 5000 list.
Encourage Your Clients to Write Reviews
It is no surprise that nearly 91% of consumers read a review before buying a product or a service and 84% trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation. Not only do positive ratings improve any business’s overall reputation and credibility, but your Google review count and score are factored into your search ranking as well. Receiving more client testimonials and higher ratings has the potential to greatly impact your business growth plan! Encourage your clients to spend a few minutes reviewing your business, especially after winning a case and you are fresh in their mind.
While having high ratings is important, your number of reviews is even more essential. If you were to choose between two businesses, would you consider one with three 5-star reviews, or lean towards a business with seventy-five reviews with an average rating of 4.7 stars? It is a no-brainer that the more ratings you have, the higher your chances are to gain more business, ultimately resulting in reaching your business growth plans.
Take Advantage of Location-Based Search Engine Optimization
Whether you have a brick-and-mortar business or meet with your clients over the phone, having a Google Business listing improves your overall brand presence, and a solid set of reviews adds credibility to that listing. By taking these two steps, you can achieve the desired results for your business growth plans faster by reaching a whole new set of clients through Google Maps.
“[Scales & Compass founder] Rocco is easy to talk to and very experienced. In [my first] hour, I had three big action items for my strategy that were perfectly on point, high impact, and more importantly felt absolutely achievable. I highly recommend him as a coach.” – Brett Spooner, CEO, Gravis Law, PLLC.
Sources:
https://www.inc.com/craig-bloem/84-percent-of-people-trust-online-reviews-as-much-.html
https://abc.xyz/investor/static/pdf/20210203_alphabet_10K.pdf?cache=b44182d