Back Up Social Media Ads with This Free Google Tool
What do top American jewelry names such as David Yurman and Graff have in common? Their Instagram pages all scream: “Check us out!”
But, while Facebook, IG, and even Tiktok posts have been proven effective in luring patrons to buy jewelry, there is a better (and surefire) way of doing this.
Say Hello to Google My Business.
What is Google My Business (and why it works)?
A Google My Business (GMB) account is your entry to Google’s directory of jewelry stores, so the local audience quickly finds you.
Imagine being listed in online yellow pages, and customers around the area flock to your jewelry shop. That’s what your GMB account does.
Because GMB listings are targeted explicitly towards nearby search results, having a physical location is a must. Though, rest assured, Google will not take it against you if you don’t have one.
How GMB Listings take your Jewelry Store to the Spotlight
A verified GMB account is your key to appearing to the Google Map pack or the box containing the top three local jewelry stores in the area.
Sure, it may take a lot of search engine optimization (SEO) efforts before you get your prize. But, anything worth having is worth fighting for.
Start on the right foot by updating the name of your business, address, telephone number, business hours, and customer reviews, among many other things.
Tips on Landing in the Google Map Pack
Ensure that your NAP entries are Correct
Suppose your jewelry business already appears in the Google Maps. The next thing you should do is claim and verify your account.
Otherwise, register your company in Google My Business with 7 simple steps.
We couldn’t also highlight more the importance of updating your NAP details. (In case you missed it, NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone number.)
Your NAP is your profile at a glance. This is how customers remember you. This is how they’ll reach you, too.
So, ensure that the details are accurate and consistent across all platforms, be it on Google or your social media accounts.
Choose the Appropriate Google My Business Categories and Attributes
Make sure that you select the appropriate Google My Business primary and secondary categories for your jewelry shop.
While you could choose up to ten categories only, GMB offers many classifications for every business. A business like yours could use GMB categories such as jeweler, jewelry store, jewelry designer, jewelry manufacturer, and many more.
Meanwhile, are you a jewelry manufacturer? Do you offer jewelry repair services? Do you do engraving? Remember to pick the corresponding Google attributes that best apply to your jewelry store.
Customize Your Business Descriptions
Google doesn’t allow you to edit the one-liner business descriptions that appear on the Google Map box. However, you can still customize your business description and submit your own.
The description you make is usually shown on the lower portion of your profile. If you’re wondering what to write as your jewelry store business description, don’t sweat it out.
Think of your business description as your about page reworded and keyword-optimized to accommodate GMB’s 750-character limit.
Optimize Your Photos for GMB
Add your company logo on your thumbnail and include a photo of your business signage on your GMB listing. You could also provide a 360-degree view through the Street View feature of Google maps to optimize your GMB listing for local search results.
Add geotags or the exact coordinates where you took your photos to support the location-tracking mechanism of Google maps. You could do so through an application called geoimgr
SEO experts also suggest that taking a photo from your phone and uploading it to your GMB mobile app contributes to ranking higher for locals search results.
Manage Google Reviews Effectively
Positive Google reviews attract potential customers to visit your jewelry store.
Of course, we’re all striving for Five-star ratings here. However, there are more to five-star reviews, especially for Google map pack ranking purposes.
And that is consistency.
Therefore, encourage your customers to leave a review on your GMB account for every transaction. Whether they leave good or bad reviews, make it a point that you reply to all of them.
Reinforce positive reviews and address customer’s concerns on negative reviews.
In your replies to customers, consider also using keywords that mention your store’s location together with the products and services you offer.
Post Regularly
This is the part where your GMB account might look like your other social media profile.
Like your social media page, GMB permits you to post updates about your business.
Do you have a new collection? A promotion, perhaps? You could post all of these on your profile.
However, a word of caution. You can’t bombard GMB with too many posts. Otherwise, you might end up getting penalized by Google.
As much as possible, post something, including pictures, at least once a week only.
Engage in Q&As
Come up with frequently asked questions (FAQs) together with their answers on your GMB profile. If other users have raised a question, answer their queries as well.
Incorporate SEO keywords when preparing the FAQs and answering queries. Some of the keywords that could improve your local visibility include the city of your place of business and the primary services or products your jewelry store offer.
If GMB’s Question and Answer feature have been disabled, take advantage of the messaging feature of the GMB tool.
Why Social Media Posts are not Enough
Your jewelry shop’s social media pages are like one-way bridges that connect you to your clients. Make these bridges two-way streets by landing on the most coveted Google map pack box and allowing potential customers to reach you.
Ask the Experts
If you’re not sure how to go around the Google My Business tool, seek professionals’ assistance.
GMB optimization is included in the SEO plan of Jewelry Store Marketers, a digital marketing expert mainly catering to jewelers’ needs for almost 30 years.
Schedule a Strategy Session Today