The Smart Lab: How To Take Advantage of 'Google My Business' - National Jeweler

A "Google My Business" profile is a must-have for your jewelry store's marketing plan. It's one of the most effective ways to ensure your jewelry store is visible in your community and seen by your customers.  

With a Google My Business profile you can provide store hours, photos, location, types of jewelry and services you offer, customer reviews, links to your social media channels, answers to common jewelry questions and more. Google wants you to include as much information as possible.  

Once you have a profile, your jewelry store can start showing up in Google's search results, maps, and more. 

Your profile is seen across all Google's services and the best part is, it's free.

Keep in mind that a Google My Business profile is only for businesses that have a physical location. If you just sell online, then you can't create one.  

It's the one big advantage independent jewelers have over larger, online-only jewelry sellers; use it.

Here are four ways you can maximize your Google My Business profile and generate more business in 2022.

1. Interact with jewelry consumers.

Your Google My Business profile gives you an opportunity to interact online with people who are looking for an engagement ring or other jewelry.  

Through your profile, you can allow direct messages, answer jewelry questions, and respond to reviews.  Google allows you to do all this and more.  

There are many interactive features that can help you to become the trusted, jewelry expert in your area.  

Always focus on what your audience's needs are and take advantage of every community-building feature Google offers.

2. Showcase your jewelry business.

When customers are searching online for an engagement ring or jewelry gift, you are what people can see. Most people won't be aware of you and have never visited your store.  

The first impression you'll make is when your Google My Business profile pops up in search results or on Google Maps. 

Photos become your best marketing tool so it's important to show both the outside and inside of your store, as well as a good view of the jewelry styles and collections you offer. Photos of you and your staff are also a great way to put a face on your business, as people like to do business with friends.   

The bottom line is, the more information you provide a potential customer, the more chances you have to win them over.

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3. Learn more about your audience.

The Google My Business dashboard is a gold mine of information. You can gain insights about your audience and how your jewelry business is performing within the Google search results.  

In the analytics area of the platform, you can see what keywords people are searching for to find your store and how they discovered you.  

Google also shows you a breakdown of the actions taken on your business listing and which photos were viewed most in your profile.  

With the right type of UTM tagging, you can track clicks from your Google My Business profile to your website and quantify how much traffic it's driving and how many resulting sales you've made.

4. Optimize your profile for local SEO.

Google My Business was created by Google specifically for local SEO. Its sole purpose is to help people in their city or town find local businesses that serve their needs. Obviously, if someone is located in a different area that's not close by, then you won't be seen. 

When someone searches for a specific keyword or service in their area, Google wants to show the best choice possible among all the businesses that are registered with it. If your listing is relevant, then Google is more likely to promote you. 

As Google helps more searchers find what they're looking for, Google is rewarded with repeat loyalty, and you're rewarded with a new visitor to your website or store. Google's search results become a self-fulfilling prophecy. 

Local SEO should always be a core part of your marketing strategy, if it isn't already.