Reach Customers Online: How Google Tools Help Small Businesses Get Discovered
As a small business owner, you’re likely aware of the power of the internet in driving growth. But how do you make sure your business is easily found online, especially when so many others are vying for the same attention? Google offers a variety of tools that can help your business stand out, be more visible, and ultimately, reach more customers. In this post, we’ll walk you through how to use these tools effectively to improve your online presence and customer reach.
Understanding the Basics: Google Search and SEO
At the heart of being found online is Search Engine Optimization (SEO), a critical process that involves optimizing your website so it appears in relevant Google searches. Google Search’s algorithm helps businesses by displaying the most relevant content for specific queries. This means that the more aligned your website is with what your customers are searching for, the higher your chances of appearing in search results.
Why Does SEO Matter?
SEO is crucial because 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results. If your business isn't there, you’re missing out on potential customers. This workshop helps you understand the basic mechanics of how Google Search works and offers insight into how you can improve your website’s visibility.
The goal of SEO is not just to increase traffic to your site, but to bring in the right kind of traffic — customers who are actually looking for what you offer. Google’s search algorithm evaluates factors like the quality of your content, the keywords you use, and how relevant your site is to the search query.
Steps to Improve Your SEO
Start by researching what keywords your potential customers are using. Think about their needs, pain points, and what phrases they might type into the search bar to find solutions that your business offers. Once you’ve identified the right keywords, you’ll want to integrate them naturally throughout your website’s content, including in your titles, descriptions, and blog posts.
Moreover, Google Trends can help you track what’s trending in your industry, giving you an edge by tailoring your content around popular searches.
Google Business Profile: Be Found in Local Searches
In addition to SEO, setting up a Google Business Profile (GBP) is one of the most effective ways to ensure that your business appears in local search results and on Google Maps. When customers search for a service or product near them, businesses with optimized profiles are more likely to be shown.
How to Set Up and Optimize Your Google Business Profile
A key aspect of your GBP is verification. Some small business owners receive messages prompting them to upload a video for verification, which is an essential step for ensuring your business is properly recognized by Google. The verification process is quite specific, requiring a video under two minutes (ideally one minute) that is less than 25 MB. While it might seem daunting, following these steps makes the process smoother:
Capture a continuous video showcasing your business.
Ensure that the file size is below the 25 MB limit.
Submit the video within the set time frame.
Once verified, you can begin to update essential business details, like your hours, location, and contact information. It’s important to respond to reviews and keep your profile up to date to maintain visibility.
Pro tip: If you’re using a home address for your Google Business Profile but don’t want it visible on Google Maps, you can suppress the address. When prompted to drop a pin to verify your location, you can skip this step. Instead, you can add up to 20 cities, counties, or zip codes that you serve, ensuring you’re visible in the areas where your customers are located.
Google Ads: Promoting Your Business the Smart Way
Once you’ve set up your Google Business Profile and optimized your website for SEO, it may be time to consider promoting your business through Google Ads. However, it’s important to understand that ads are only effective if you have a solid foundation in place.
Ads are a great tool to boost visibility, but without a clear and user-friendly website or a solid SEO strategy, you may be wasting money on clicks that don’t convert into sales. Ads promote what you have, and if your website is chaotic or difficult to navigate, customers won’t stick around.
Starting With Smart Campaigns
When setting up Google Ads for the first time, Google automatically drops you into what’s called a Smart Campaign. This mode is perfect for beginners because it focuses on your business goals and simplifies the ad creation process. You can always switch to “expert mode” later if you need more control over your ad settings.
Free Keyword Planner
One valuable tool within Google Ads is the Keyword Planner, which allows you to research and discover the most relevant keywords for your business. The tool is free, even if you don’t want to spend money on ads. Simply input your website or even your competitor’s site to see which keywords people are searching for. These keywords can guide your content creation, ensuring that your website aligns with what your target audience is actively searching for. We teach how to maximize your use of this tool with our Keyword Katcher course.
Best Practices for Running Google Ads
Define Clear Goals: Before creating any ad, be specific about what you want to achieve. Is your goal to drive traffic to your website? Increase sales? Or simply raise awareness? Knowing your objective will help you structure your ad campaign effectively.
Target the Right Audience: Use Google's tools to narrow down your target audience based on location, interests, and search behaviors. This ensures that your ads reach the people who are most likely to convert into paying customers.
Direct Customers to Specific Pages: One of the biggest mistakes businesses make with ads is directing traffic to their homepage. If you’re promoting a specific product, make sure the link leads directly to that product’s page. Customers don’t want to waste time navigating your site; they expect to land exactly where they were promised.
Test and Adjust: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different ads, and always measure performance. Google Ads provides tools to help you compare the effectiveness of different ads and see which images, headlines, or descriptions drive the most clicks.
Measure Success with Google Analytics
To get the most out of your marketing efforts, connect Google Ads to Google Analytics. This integration allows you to track where your visitors are coming from, what they’re doing on your site, and which ads or keywords are most effective. Armed with this data, you can refine your strategy to improve performance over time.
Final Thoughts: Build Trust and Reach More Customers Online
At the core of all these efforts is trust. Whether you’re using SEO, Google Business Profile, or Google Ads, the key to online success is delivering on your promises. If you tell a customer you’re offering a specific product or service, make sure your website leads them directly to it. Over time, this builds trust and keeps customers coming back.
Ready to take your business to the next level? Watch our detailed YouTube tutorial on how to set up and optimize your online presence using Google’s suite of tools. Get step-by-step guidance and start reaching more customers online today!