Newsflash! Google+ is out. Google My Business is in!
Ok so for most of those in SEO and digital marketing circles, we already knew that. And hey, if you still have a Google+ page keep it. At the time of this posting, there is no word that Google plans to get rid of it… But here’s why you need to make sure you also have a Google My Business (GMB) page and three ways lawyers can use it to attract the clients they want.
What is Google My Business?
Whereas Google+ is more of a social network akin to Facebook, GMB is a free listing that contributes to Google’s search ranking algorithms. It allows you to share information about your business such as location, phone number, hours, website address, photos, and lets you respond to reviews from your clients.
As Google continues to build out GMB, it’s added some features that law firms can use to boost their visibility and their search ranking as well.
Here are three of Google My Business’s features that lawyers can and should take advantage of.
GMB Posts
Posting to your My Business page is a great way to engage with potential clients. You can access it from the home tab of your GMB dashboard. It lets them know the services your firm offers with linkbacks to your to your website.
It also is a cue that lets Google know, “Look at me! I’m active and engaged online!” While no one knows exactly what factors into the all-mighty and powerful Google search algorithm, we do know that updating information on websites and showing general “engagement” with the internet seems to help rankings. Also, we have to figure that Google might play a little bit of favorites with people who use their product, right? Can’t hurt.
One note: GMB posts expire after seven days, so just make sure to keep active with the posts. So don’t worry when you get those annoying “my post is about to expire” messages in your inbox–it’s just the post, not the listing.
Listing Services
This feature was previously limited to business like restaurants or salons/hairdressers so that they could list their menus and prices, but Google recently opened this feature up to all businesses.
Before you roll your eyes and think, “I don’t have a menu” or “My clients pay on contingency…so I don’t have prices,” know this:
The form for services is free fill. So you can put whatever you like (within reason. It’s doesn’t allow for profanity or listing services that are illegal. But you probably figured that).
So take for example this screenshot of one lawyer’s service listings:
If you’re in your GMB dashboard page, you can get to the services listings through your info tab (that’s the second one, below home). In the example about you see that we created a general service title “Legal Services,” and below that listed some of the services our client provides. You can further define the service with a description, like we did here with the first one “Traffic Court Representation.”
Adding these services with descriptions can help you explain to potential clients upfront what kinds of cases you do and do not take. This can help you target your desired clientele and weed out calls that aren’t a good fit.
Adding Buttons
Are you an LGBTQ friendly office or a law firm either owned, led, or founded by a woman?
Let potential clients know by adding a button down where you can add info about your office (also found in the info section of the GMB dashboard).
Along with adding languages spoken, the LGBTQ-friendly and the Women-led business buttons are ways to let minority clients know if you can and will serve them.
The takeaway: Get on Google My Business. It’s not just for restaurateurs, mechanics, boutiques, or stylists. It’s for lawyers too.
Still confused about how to get started on Google My Business? Not sure how to digitally attract the clients you want? We’re here to help. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation.