If you’re on Google My Business already, great! Now you can add your business service description to your local knowledge panel. This past March, Google announced it is allowing users to add a short business description to their Google local listings directly within GMB. It will appear in the local knowledge panel in search or within Google Maps results for your business. This isn’t exactly news — it has been rolling out on a small-scale basis for some time now. However, now it seems to be fully rolled out for use by businesses across the board.
How to Add Your Business Service Description
First, log in to Google My Business, click on the “Info” button on the menu bar, and you’ll find one of the new sections is labeled “Add business description.” Do you see the pencil icon next to that field? Click on it and a menu will pop up to allow you to enter a brief description of your business, according to Search Engine Land. In paragraph form, write about what you offer, what makes you different from everyone else, your experience and history, and anything else that would be helpful for potential customers to know. Concentrate mostly on details about your company rather than touting sales and details about promotions and prices, as these can all change over time.
Refrain from including URLs or HTML code, and do not exceed 750 characters within the description field. Before you even start entering a description, though, just be sure to visit Google’s description page, which lays out all the rules.
To access the Services Panel, log into your Google My Business account and visit the Info Tab. You will then notice the Services section halfway down the page to the left. Click on it and add accurate information about what you offer. Here are some helpful tips as you write:
- You may categorize your services into groups, but put your most relevant category first.
- You may add and edit as many services as you want but be brief and to the point.
- Your service descriptions should be short and readable.
Why are Business Descriptions so Important?
It’s been said many times that GMB listings are even more important to success than a website or even social media pages. Why? Here are some top reasons:
- A Google My Business listing is the first touchpoint for customers, as your Google profile is often the first thing that pops up and that prospective clients see. In fact, they don’t have to go beyond it to find out basics of your business because it’s all there in black and white.
- If you lack a GMB profile, you are missing out on potential home care clients. Period.
- This type of quick profile makes you appear prominent, credible and trustworthy in your immediate area.
- Your reputation depends on it. Four stars vs. five stars, and popping up for consumers or not…this can all make or break your public perception.
GMB listings are particularly vital in regards to iPhones, as the Knowledge Panel and its CTAs are what you see on the first three screens. This is about 3,000 pixels of vertical screen territory before your visitors even get to your business website. Four, maybe five scrolls: that’s an eternity in Internet time.
Business descriptions are also important when it comes to local reviews. According to Moz, that’s because 97% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses and 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as they do personal recommendations. Bottom line is, positive reviews encourage 73% of consumers to trust you, and nearly 70% of consumers leave a local business review when asked to do so.
While Google didn’t actually say the service descriptions would explicitly help with SEO, it stands to reason that SEO is so much more than just search engine rankings. Completed profiles provide valuable information that can be extremely helpful for conversions, which is half the battle. The Services Panel is a crucial component for exposure.
Experts believe businesses will become less dependent on website content in the future due to user-generated and business-contributed content. It’s weird to think of a world in which your website would be significantly less relevant than it is right now. It’s not happening tomorrow but this is a sign of things to come, with a high level of value inherent in owned content for search. This is vital to positioning your business in relevance for a given query along with conversion in categories that require more thorough research.
Contact A Servant’s Heart Web Design and Marketing
A Servant’s Heart Web Design and Marketing specializes in home care SEO and can assist you in positioning your business for strong local search results when it comes to optimizing your Google My Business listing description. Want to know more? Please call us today at (760) 227-2720.
