dark

 

 

Google Success Checklist

If ranking high on Google is your priority, then this page is for you!

 

button jump to google checklist

 

 

Benefits of Ranking High for Google Searches in Your Area

Benefits of Ranking High for Google Searches in Your Area

  1. When your customers search for "services near me," your business is one of the first they see.
  2. Paid advertising is expensive. Leads who find you online are free.
  3. You are an undisputed top provider in your area.
Jump to Checklist
How Difficult Is It to Rank High on Google

How Difficult Is It to Rank High on Google?

There are 2 things that impact whether or not ranking high will be difficult:

  • Demand for services in your area
  • How many local competitors are also trying to rank on Google

If there's high demand for your services in your area, and you have few to no competitors online, then getting to the top will be fairly easy. 

But if you have a lot of competitors online, you'll have to work a bit harder. The good news is that it can be done.

Jump to Checklist

Google Ranking Checklist

Phase I: Do These Tasks to Get Found Online

Create & verify your Google Business profile.

To get started, visit google.com/business and create your very Google Business profile. 

The next step is to verify your business profile. For local businesses, Google typically verifies your account via a mailed postcard or video verification. 

For more detailed steps on creating and verifying your Google Business profile, check out our blog here.

If you've taken all the appropriate steps and still aren't verified, you should contact Google Support right away. Check out this video below to see how to get help from Google.

 

Complete your profile with all the information you can.

The most important information you need on your Google Profile is:

  • Business Name
  • Phone Number
  • Business Address (location & service area)
  • Primary Business Category

After that, the more relevant information you can add, the better. We recommend the following:

  • Add services
  • Add hours
  • Add business description
  • Choose additional categories that match your business
  • Add a website URL
  • Enable messaging
  • Add images & videos of your business, such before/after job photos, logo, photos of you and your staff, etc.
Create a business website & add it to your online business profiles.

Having a nice-looking, Google-friendly website shows customers that you are reputable business. It also gives you a digital presence that you control 100%.

On your website, make sure you have the following:

  • Accurate business information
  • List of services your offer
  • Clear calls-to-action that help your customers take the next steps 

Phase II: Do These Tasks to Grow Your Google Presence

Set up business listings on other online directories.

While Google is the most important online listing to set up, there are many other online directories than can help you perform well in Google searches. 

For an exhaustive guide on listing your business on as many directories as possible, check out this blog.

Collect at least 20 four or five-star Google reviews from happy customers.

For most businesses, reaching 20 positive reviews is the first major milestone to having a stellar Google presence.

When asking customers for reviews, encourage your customers to share details about their experience. Google loves specific, detailed reviews that mention...

  • Services the customer received
  • What the customer service was like
  • How well expectations were met or exceeded
  • What the customer's life was like before & after the service
  • Photos of the finished services
Reply to every positive & negative review.

Replying to customer reviews shows customers that you care about them. Also, it helps you boost your Google ranking.

When you get a negative review, don't be defensive. Be kind and professional. Use your reply to proactively resolve the issue.

When you get a positive review, thank the customer by name (if you know their name) and mention something specific about the service you rendered them.

For a full guide on how to respond to online reviews, check out our blog here.

Keep your business information online up to date.

For every online profile and web presence, keep tabs on your business information. If you make a change to your business, make sure that change is reflected everywhere online.

Google is more likely to put your listing above others when your business info is consistent across all places you've published your business online.

Phase III: Do These Tasks to Beat the Competition

Publish weekly posts on Google.

Did you know that you can publish posts on your Google profile just like you would on Facebook? You can, and you should!

Share new services, promotional pricing, success stories, and more. Not only will Google reward you, but customers who find you online will see your posts and take that information into account when deciding who to call.

Figure out how many positive reviews you need to rank #1 in a local Google search & track your progress.

How many reviews will it take for you be #1 on Google? Well, that depends.

First, you'll need to take a look at the competition. How many competitors also have a thriving Google Business profile? And how many reviews do your competitors have (pay careful attention to those ranked on the first page of results)?

Second, keep in mind that positive reviews help you most when...

  1. You have a lot of them (ideally more than your competitors).
  2. Most of your positive reviews are specific & detailed.

So both the quantity and quality of your reviews matter a great deal. Focus on getting as many or more positive reviews as your top competitors. And if you ask your customers to mention specifics, you may overtake your competition faster than you think.

As you embark on this task, don't be discouraged by the occasional negative review. Every great business has them. Just focus on professional, proactive replies and continue gathering those happy customer reviews.

Lastly, do NOT ever buy or post fake reviews. Google algorithms are smart enough to catch them. Not only will you not rank well with these reviews, but you also risk having your Google profile suspended.

Create a process for asking every customer for a Google review.

Ranking at the top of Google will take regular effort. Growing your online reviews is a key part of your Google strategy.

Most people are more than happy to leave you a positive review if you remember to ask. Consider putting a simple process in place that ensures every happy customer gets a review request.

After sending that initial request, you should also follow-up with that request.

Doing these things is certain to pay off with more and more positive reviews. And the more positive, detailed reviews you get, the higher you'll rise in search results.

For help on building your review request process, check out our full-length blog here.

Make It Easier to Succeed on Google

 

Tired to growing your online presence the hard way? We can help.

At GoSite, we make it simple to maintain your online listings, manage your leads, and multiply your customer reviews.

Click to Learn More-1