Local businesses today must enhance their online presence. For improving visibility in the area, one of the most recognized aids is Google My Business, now Google Business Profile (formally Google My Business). For Google My Business Saudi Arabia users, creating and fine tuning the profile is critical to be found locally, especially given the recent rise in importance of Local SEO. In this article, we focus on the steps necessary to claiming and optimizing Google Business Profile to gain an edge in the Saudi market.
Claiming Google My Business Listing
The first step for increasing the visibility of your business is capturing the Google My Business Saudi Arabia listing. Through this profile, most prospective clients will see your services when searching within the relevant geographical area. Use the following steps to claim and verify your listing:
- Log in to Gmail: In order to claim a profile, it’s necessary to have an existing Google Account. In case you do not have any, first create a Gmail Account.
- Search Your Business: Head over to Google and search if your business is listed by typing in the name of the business. Chances are, if your business is already enjoying some popularity, chances are, some people have listed it and it would show up on Google Search or Maps. On the other hand, you can still try and add manually if that’s not the case.
- Claim Your Listing: If you already have a Google business listing, click on it and select “Claim this business.” Google will then walk you through the verification steps. Alternatively, you can choose “Add your business to Google” to set up a new listing if it’s not already there.
- Complete the Verification Process: Generally, Google verifies your business by sending a postcard to the physical address. A select few might be able to qualify for immediate verification through email or phone.
After claiming and verifying your Google Business Profile, you may proceed to the next step—increasing your profile visibility.
Optimizing Your Google Business Profile for Local SEO
- Google My Business optimization: It is fundamental to improving local SEO rankings. When prospective customers search for Saudi Arabian-based businesses, Google prioritizes those with complete, current, and relevant profiles. Here are effective optimization strategies for your profile:
- Complete Your Profile Information: Check that the information provided in your Google Business Profile setup is both complete and consistent. Ensure to include your business name, address, contact number, business website, operating hours, and category. Google relies on this dataset to filter and showcase your business on search results and Google Maps.
- Choose the Right Categories: For the correct visibility of your business in searches, selecting categories is very important. For instance, if you operate a restaurant in Riyadh, you must choose both “Restaurant” and other relevant sub-category selections. The more granular your details are, the higher your chances of showing up in pertinent local searches.
- Add High Quality Photos: Profiles created with Google My Business Saudi Arabia include photos. Businesses with listed photos are 42 and 35 percent more likely to be clicked for obtaining the directions and website visits, respectively. Always upload good quality pictures of your services, products, or storefront. These pictures will assist clients in making decisions regarding your business.
- Write a Compelling Business Description: With potential clients on the internet in search of services and products, this is your chance to sell your business using the business description section. Incorporate keywords, but not to the extent of deviating from customer-centric language. Share the products or services you provide and explain why clients should pick your services.
- Collect and Respond to Reviews: In Local SEO, customer reviews are essential ranking criteria. Advise your clients to leave good reviews regarding your Google My Business Saudi Arabia listing to help boost the rating. Make it a point to respond to all reviews, regardless of their nature, to foster trust with prospective clients on your business responsiveness to feedback.
- Adjust Your Business Information: Remember to edit your business hours for holidays and special occasions since they may differ from usual hours. Google updates operating hours in real-time so customers are aware of the best times to reach you.
- Engage with Your Audience: Also, posts such as updates, promotions, events, or even offers can be made directly from the profile. Through Google My Business, you can gain valuable interaction, refresh your profile and keep your audience updated. Regular posting tells Google the business is active which may help improve its local rankings.
- Responding to Customer Messages: To directly interact with potential customers, enable the messaging option during Google Business Profile setup. This feature allows users to send messages to the profile which helps in promptly responding to queries and establishing trust.
- Making Use of The Data Providing Tabs: Your profile’s data analytics is provided by Google under the Insights tab. In this part, it shows how customers came across the listing, what they did after, and how it performs when compared to other listings in the given location. This information helps in adjusting the Google My Business Saudi Arabia strategy.
How Local SEO Benefits Your Business
Local SEO is the process of optimizing a business’s online presence so that it attracts traffic from local searches. You are already making progress towards improving your local SEO by optimizing your Google My Business profile. Google checks your business information, reviews, and level of engagement for ranking your business in comparison to other products and services in the area.
Local SEO services in Saudi Arabia can help you further improve your local rankings. These professionals will help optimize your Google Business Profile and formulate a custom local SEO strategy. Through advanced citation and local link building along with local content marketing, they will improve your visibility in local searches and increase Web traffic to your business.
In Summary
Claiming and taking control of your Google My Business Saudi Arabia account is highly beneficial for enhancing visibility in local searches and attracting new customers. Completing and verifying the profile to ensure it is fully optimized for Local SEO will allow you to succeed in the competitive landscape of Saudi Arabia. If you decide to do it on your own or work with a Local SEO agency, the most important part is being proactive with the updates and interactions. Your business is bound to gain more local customers and expand business presence online by strategically using Google My Business Saudi Arabia.
