Optimize the way people view your business
Tips and Tricks to Optimize Google My Business Listings in 2022
The beginning of a new year brings so many opportunities to start fresh and revamp any out of date content—especially on your Google My Business listing.
Since business listings typically act as the first interaction consumers have with your business, it’s essential that you keep everything optimized and up to date so that you’ll look your best in search results.
Take a look below for tips and tricks for optimizing your Google My Business listing for 2022 to generate more qualified leads and rank higher among the local pack.
First, make sure your business listing is updated for COVID regulations
Last year Google made some changes to Google My Business to accommodate the pandemic—both to improve functionality and combat current limitations seen in posting capabilities.
Although we’re not quite in the same place we were last year, the global pandemic is still a huge influence on business operations, especially in real estate.
Because of this, you’ll want to go through your business listing and check to see if you’re providing the right information and regulations imposed to keep prospects and employees safe during the renting process.
This information could include specified times of service, the availability of virtual or in person tours, etc.
Overall, just ensure no one is left astray when interacting with your listing.
Ensure your GMB listing has everything it needs
Google Business listings are essentially your virtual front door.
With that being said, you’ll want to ensure there’s enough content to inform consumers, but not too much so that it loses its directness.
So then, what should you have on your listing? Take a look below at some popular (and essential) items you should consider for your listing.
- Contact information
- A profile photo
- Industry
- Operation hours
- Website URL
- Visual content
These are what we like to call the “non-negotiables.”
This key information is pertinent to finding, researching, and locating your business, and without it your ranking in Google search results would probably be starkly low.
What kind of visual content do I need?
Although the above list is pretty self explanatory, visual content deserves more elaboration.
When speaking of visual content on any type of listing, you probably think of photography. However, there’s a lot more detail that goes into strategizing content in order for it to reap the same results.
For starters, images on your GMB listing have a strict purpose: to show enough so that consumers understand the essentials of your business, but not too much so that it gets convoluted.
With that being said, take a look below at the list of images necessary for a successful Google My Business listing.
- A logo and profile photo
- A cover photo (the image you want seen first)
- Product photos
- Interior and exterior photos
- Amenities + room selection
- 360 images
Having these images will not only dictate how your listing performs in search results, but it also helps people get the most out of your listing.
There should be an organized collection of optimized images to show more, and in turn, lease more. And remember, anyone can post images to your listing, so be sure you have enough quality content to drown out any negative posts.
To best optimize your Google My Business listing’s digital content, take a look at the next section.
Does your content fit Google’s requirements?
If you want to succeed, you have to follow the rules.
Google analytics are very particular about what listings need, so whatever you do, it should coincide with those requirements.
Take a look at some of the updated Google My Business requirements to stay on top.
Google My Business image requirements
Images on your listing actually have quite a few requirements thanks to Google. Check out the list below for 2022’s guide to GMB images.
- Images should be between 10KB and 5MB
- Regular photos: 720 x 720 pixels
- Profile photo: 250 x 250 pixels
- Cover photo: 1080 x 608 pixels
- All photos should be JPG or PNG
In addition, all images should be of high-quality, focused, and with decent lighting. You’ll want to get the best representation of your space to promote honesty and transparency while providing an accurate portrayal of your property.
Google My business video requirements
Similar to images, Google My Business videos have strict requirements as well. Take a look below for more information.
- Videos should only be up to 30 seconds in length
- File size can be up to 100 MB
- Resolution should be 720 pixels or higher
By implementing these requirements, your Google business listing is more likely to generate real leads, rank higher in the local pack, and provide visibility to your property or community.
When was the last time your Google Street View was updated?
Most people know of the Google car that drives around capturing Street View for businesses and residential areas.
Unfortunately, this process is only repeated once every couple of years – if you’re lucky – and sometimes it takes closer to ten if you’re in a less populated area.
Optimize the way people view your business
As stated, your Google My Business listing is essentially your virtual front door. To ensure you leave the right impression on consumers, and to be sure your property is accessible online, optimizing your listing for 2022 will be a great first step in finding success.
Google My Business (GMB) is the most important online listing for any local business. It drives the local business search results on Google search, maps, Google Assistant (voice search) and more.
Claiming and optimizing your Google My Business listing is critical for not only for getting new customers, but helping repeat customers do business with you again. However, Google My Business changes frequently and the best practices for a well-optimized listing are not always clear. We created this checklist for Google My Business as a single point of reference and will update it continually to reflect the changes and best practices recommended by the most well-respected local search experts in the world.
Claim / Create a Google My Business Listing
Does Your Business Qualify for a Listing?
- You must must interact in-person with customers during stated business hours:
- At your place of business (storefront business).
- At your customer’s location (service area business).
- Exceptions:
- ATMs, video-rental kiosks, express mail drops and select other similar services.
- Seasonal businesses with permanent signage at location.
- Ineligible businesses:
- eCommerce or online-only businesses.
- Rental or for-sale properties.
- You must be currently open or opening within 90 days.
- You must own or be an authorized representative of the business.