A Google My Business (GMB) profile helps a franchise control its search and map listings. and improve digital presence. These profiles are crucial to an efficient digital marketing ecosystem because they do two things. First impressions. Google searches show profiles first. Second, SEO. GMB profiles make for 25.12% of local SEO, according to Moz.
Location Groups
Set up a location group for your brand’s GMB profiles. This will allow the franchisor to add, verify/claim, and manage their network’s profiles, providing control over account content and the ability to delete closed accounts and claim new locations without a postcard.
Naming Convention
Name locations consistently. Each GMB profile’s name should indicate location. Instead of using “TITLE Boxing Club” for every site, they use “TITLE Boxing Club – Green Hills” When naming, include a keyword. Pop-A-Lock incorporates “Locksmiths” in their naming convention (example: “Pop-A-Lock Locksmiths of Phoenix”), increasing their GMB rank on local locksmith-related queries.
Business Category
Choose one ‘Primary’ and numerous ‘Secondary’ categories. Select appropriate responses for all categories, with ‘Primary’ being the most important. Mix up your Primary category throughout the year. An HVAC company may use ‘Heating Contractor’ in the winter and ‘Air Conditioner Repair Service’ in the summer.
Service Area
Locksmiths, plumbers, and electricians don’t want Google listings. Adding a ‘Service Area’ to your page lets you tell clients (and Google’s algorithm) which cities you serve. You wish to publish product and service information. This is a great approach to tell Google about your company’s offerings, enhancing your search rankings. While the fundamental language can be the same across your GMB profiles’ ‘About’ sections, make each location distinctive by providing localized keywords (i.e., city, neighborhood, service area, local membership information), handicap accessibility information, and links to the location’s Facebook page.
Images
Upload high-resolution business photographs (interior, exterior, employees in action). Google indexes these images, so rename them. Change ‘8102.jpg’ to ‘Scenthound – West Palm Beach, FL – Dog Grooming.jpg’ before uploading it to your GMB profile. By doing so, Google better understands the substance of your image, helping it rank higher in image-based searches relevant to your franchise locations. Always update your hours. You can manually update your HoH and set special hours for holidays. A national location organization can do this. Google Posts can promote specials to customers.
Followers/Offers
Google added ‘following’ GMB profiles. This is like when someone ‘Likes’ a Facebook page and sees its posts. Encourage them to follow your profile and share offers with them to demonstrate your gratitude. Google My Business for Franchise dashboards shows national and local metrics. Setting UTM codes and conversion goals helps you track how many people view and act on your GMB accounts (i.e., website visits, phone calls, direction requests, etc.).
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