Blog Post

Grab Last-Minute Holiday Shoppers with Your Google My Business Listing

Amber Blevins • Dec 17, 2021

The holiday season is well underway. And with just a little more than a week left, most holiday shoppers are switching into high gear. According to various studies, up to 70% of consumers still have shopping to do during the last few days before Christmas.

As a local business, this is your time to shine! This year, the "delivered in time for Christmas” online ordering date is earlier than ever, around December 17th or 18th. For some retailers it was even earlier. That means last-minute shoppers will do less shopping online and much more shopping in their local businesses.

So how can you be sure these shoppers will find your business? Your Google My Business (GMB) listing is a great place to start. Here’s how you can put your GMB listing to work this (and every) holiday season.

Ensure Your Listing is Complete

Some business owners think simply claiming ownership of their GMB listing is enough. It’s really not, though. The most successful GMB listings have complete and accurate business information. This includes:

Complete address (street address – including suite number, floor, etc. – city, state, and zip)
Phone number(s)
Business hours
Business description
Photos

This is really important – Your Google My Listing should include only accurate, current information that’s free of errors. This means your street address should be written exactly the same way it’s referenced on your website. Phone numbers should match your site, too. Be sure business hours are correctly noted and check the entire listing for typos or other errors.

Google wants to see your business represented with consistent information across the internet. If your address is listed 101 S Main St, Ste 100 on your website, but your Google My Business listing shows 101 South Main Street, Suite 100, the minor differences can affect how well your site is returned in search results.

Update Your Holiday Hours

If your local business will have extended hours during the holiday season, be sure you let your customers know they have more time to come in and shop. If you’re having an early-bird sale or a midnight madness special, remember to update your GMB listing business hours with these details.

These details can draw the attention of would-be customers and put you ahead of your competition up the street.

And don’t forget – Google statistics tell us that more customers will request directions to your store and click through to your website if your business hours are included on your GMB listing.

Encourage Reviews

Naturally you should always encourage your customers to leave reviews, and the holiday season is no different. A great star-rating will prompt more customers to visit your shop, especially when they’re in a rush for last minute holiday gifts.

Invite your customers to leave reviews with signage inside your store, notes on your receipts, or with bag stuffers. All you need to do is provide your GMB link and some kinds words of invitation.

Remember Those Non-Holiday Months

The holidays are an exciting time and it’s easy to get motivated to do fun marketing stuff. But remember, local business marketing, in general, and your Google My Business listing, specifically, should be something you keep up on year-round.

Don’t wait for the holidays to update your GMB listing. Make it a weekly item on your to-do list. Check the listing for accuracy, keep the photos updated. And be sure you update your business hours, even for those not-as-popular holidays like Columbus Day or Labor Day.

Want to learn more about optimizing your Google My Business listing? Reach out to us at Locallogy! We can show you how your Google My Business can drive more customers to your local business.

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