What it is
Google Business is a free and powerful tool that enables businesses to manage their online presence. It's an opportunity to highlight your services locally or across a specific region and usually shows up on the top or to the right on your google search listings when relevant matching search terms are entered (such as your company name or relevant keywords).
Setting Up Your Google Business Account
To begin, first head on over to business.google.com. From there, follow along with their instructions. When filling out the initial requirements, populate as much as possible and upload high-quality images of your fleet, if available. This helps potential clients get a comprehensive understanding of your services.
When you get to the location section, if you are a trucking company operating out of your home, you can still create a google business profile without linking your business to your home address. To do this, simply enter everything as normal but select the option to display only the regions served (rather than your home address). Also note: google does not allow for PO boxes to be entered. The last step is the validation process, which is used to ensure you are the proper owner or representative that the account will then be tied to.
Leveraging Customer Reviews
Positive reviews build trust and credibility. Because people always focus on star count before noticing total review count, all you need to do is get just a couple of your satisfied clients or drivers to leave a positive, 5 star review. This review should also include as many relevant keywords (ex: “I ordered an expedited delivery of construction equipment to our Charlotte, NC site that arrived on time from Norfolk, VA next day on a flatbed) >> “Expedite delivery”, “Construction equipment”, “Charotte, NC”, “on time”, “Norfolk, VA”, “Flatbed”. To encourage positive customer reviews, you can call upon the support of agencies, such as Custom Trucker Sites, who can help you with creating surveys that automatically directs and encourages your positive clients to fill out your google reviews.
Scaling your business
Keep details up-to-date (Name, Address, Phone) and engage with any feedback, including responding to any negative feedback (if that ever happens) so that viewers can hear your side. You should also utilize the photo and video features to showcase your trucking services, highlight your fleet, and give clients a glimpse into your operations. Furthermore, if you really want to go over the top, you can also consider using Google's Insights feature to track user interactions, learn about popular times, and monitor how clients find your listings. Adjust your strategies based on data-driven insights.
Google Business is a great start to building your online presence, but by no means is it the end all be all. Custom Trucker Sites offers specialized website services tailored to the trucking industry, helping businesses like yourself create user-friendly and informative websites to expound upon your service offerings and funnel new leads, whether shippers and brokers or drivers you are looking to hire.
FAQs:
Are Google Business services free? Yes, Google Business is a free platform that offers powerful tools to enhance your online presence and attract clients.
Can I manage multiple locations from a single Google Business account? Yes, you can manage multiple locations under a single account. To do this, visit the Google My Business website, click "Manage locations," and follow the prompts.
How can Custom Trucker Sites enhance my website? Custom Trucker Sites specializes in creating trucking industry websites, ensuring a user-friendly experience, informative content, and customer conversion.
How do I encourage clients to leave reviews on my Google Business listings? You can encourage clients to leave reviews by providing exceptional service and politely asking them to share their feedback. This can be either via a quick call or automatically via email following an invoice or action item.
What is local SEO, and how does it benefit my trucking business? Local SEO involves optimizing your online presence to attract local clients. This would be more relevant for local haulers/final mile services.
Can I track the performance of my Google Business listings? Yes, Google's Insights provides valuable data on how clients interact with your listings, helping you tailor your strategies for better results. Check your business profile for more details.
