Your ranking on Google matters when it comes to reaching more customers for your small business in South Africa.
If you run a small business, and you want to be able to reach more customers, your online ranking as a local business is important. If you’re not in the top 5 results for the right keywords on Google, your business will suffer. A high Google rank makes it easier for people searching for businesses like yours to find you.
How does ranking on Google help you?
More and more customers are searching on Google instead of just walking into your shop in Melville or Mamelodi, especially during the pandemic. And if they can’t find you online they’ll go with another business. The latest search trends show that even customers who prefer to visit physical shops start with a Google search before choosing a shop to visit.
An incredibly simple way to increase your local business ranking on Google in South Africa
We’ve established that ranking organically on Google local business searches is important for small businesses like yours and that customers look online first when they’re ready to buy. Google searches like “soy candles in Melville” or “restaurant near me” are good examples. Now, how do you make sure that your business ranks high on Google search results for local businesses? The answer is incredibly simple, create or claim your Google My Business listing then verify and optimise it.
Google My Business: What is it exactly?
Google My Business (GMB) is a free Business Profile that allows you to easily connect with customers through Google Search and Maps. It is an incredibly simple way to connect with new customers. You generate a listing for your business on Google, and then you can make edits if something changes. Any business in South Africa can create a listing on their local search page. Once you have a listing, you are able to share specials and events with your community, which has the potential of driving more traffic and improving your conversions.
The first step is to claim and verify your business listing on GMB, which is essentially an online directory where users can find information about local businesses such as their address, phone number, hours of operation and reviews from customers.
GMB is the easiest way to show up on the first page of local search results. By investing time and effort into your GMB listing, you open up more opportunities for local customers to find your business and learn about what you have to offer. The higher your ranking on Google for the search terms that relate to your business, the more customers you’ll get.
Interesting Fact: Google is the number one search engine in South Africa and has a market share of over 90%. That means that if your business is not found on Google, you are missing out on a lot of potential customers.
Conclusion
The fact of the matter is that if you want to do business online, you need to be found online. And if you want to be found online, you need a presence on Google.
A good local business listing on Google can drive more customers to your business. As we revealed here, optimising your local business listings is important and the payoff is worth it.
