It’s the belief that once you publish your content, or launch your product, or service…plus you made sure to follow SEO best practices, that all of a sudden your content will go viral and generate traffic immediately.

This is not true.

SEO, aka search engine optimization, is all about positioning what you have to offer to your ideal, potential reader or client.

It is very much dependent on them searching for the solution to a problem they have, or a product/service that solves a need they have.

Here’s An Example of How SEO Actually Works

Google has stated that the phrase “Black-owned businesses near me” has increased up to 300% because many people are looking to shift their spending in support of Black-owned businesses or creators during the call for racial justice.

Now, if you used this term on your website, or market your business this way, you’ve probably seen a spike in your website traffic.

However, note that your business or content is now the answer to the question so many people have.

And that is what SEO does!

When you initially post your content, product or service, you may not see a spike in traffic right away.

Why?

Because you’re waiting on your ideal audience to actually do a search via phone or laptop.

They literally have to type in a question or phrase into search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo.

Then…voila!

They will discover your brand.

It’s Time To Bust The SEO Myth of Instant Traffic

Here’s the fact:

SEO takes up to 6 months to a year to show results.

When you invest in SEO, you’re making sure that you don’t just get traffic today (whatever the date is that you’re reading this).

You’re investing in targeted traffic coming to your website tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now and years from now!

Because guess what?

The fact is that the problem you solve with your content, product or service, WILL exist beyond today.

In fact, I can guarantee you that someone is going to be searching for the answer you’re providing years from now.

Crazy, right?

But it’s so true!

That’s why SEO is a long-term strategy.

A Real-Life Example Of How SEO Has Worked For Me

Allow me to share one personal example.

In the past year, the most viewed blog post on my website has been my postpartum surgery story entitled: Labial Adhesions: The Truth  About My Rare Postpartum Recovery.

As expected, when I first wrote this post in 2018, it generated traffic and social media shares.

But even now, two (2) years later, it’s responsible for a consistent 5% of my traffic thus far.

That’s actually more traffic than I received from the post within the first day, or even week when I published it!

Not to mention, that I keep receiving engaging comments and social media messages about this post.

It easily is my most viewed lifestyle post to date.

Maybe lifestyle posts aren’t your thing, but again, this is just an example.

The point is that SEO outlasts the immediate gratification of social media, and it results in high-quality website traffic – aka website visitors who are already interested in what you’re sharing or selling.

So don’t get discouraged when you create your content today!

You’re simply positioning your awesome content/product/service in the right place so that at the right time, it’s discovered by the person who needs it.

P.S. I Have A Video For You Too!

If you’re more of a visual learner and prefer to watch a video, you can catch my IGTV episode about this SEO myth below:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Tamara ⫸ Columbus Blogger 🇧🇧 (@thebaydiangirl) on Jul 18, 2020 at 3:00pm PDT

Pin for Later!

<p>The post A Common Myth About SEO That Will Hinder Your Growth first appeared on Baydian Girl.</p>

Does it seem like a foreign language?

I completely get it!

And I also have some good news. 🙌🏾

Here’s an easy explanation that will help simplify what SEO is, and will leave you feeling like a superstar.

What Is SEO?

SEO is an abbreviation of Search Engine Optimization, and it refers to a free and strategic way to increase the amount and quality of traffic your blog receives.

Another way you can think of it is simply positioning your content, product, or service online as the answer to someone’s problem or question.

Still, lost?

Here’s how you use SEO in everyday life.

I’m confident that once you see how you use it all the time, the definition will make more sense.

How You Use SEO Every Single Day

At some point during your day, you usually have a question and as a result, you head to Google on your phone or laptop.

Now, let’s say your question is about Black-owned restaurants close to you.

You’ll first type “black-owned restaurants near me” in the Google search field.

Then you’ll see search results that show you exactly what you were looking for.

That, my friend, is SEO in real-time.

In this specific case, these local businesses have optimized their content so that it can be discovered via a Google search.

Additionally, this applies to search engines, such as Yahoo and Bing.

That’s an easy SEO explanation, right?

But here’s the next question, how valuable is SEO for you and your brand?

Let’s find out.

Why SEO Is Important For Bloggers and Small Businesses

Well, approximately 84% of online experiences start with a Google search.

That’s right, 84%.

So, with that many people using Google in order to find an answer to a question they have, a product they want to purchase or a service they need…it’s not a stretch to say that SEO is crucial to any website.

That includes small businesses and content creators who have a presence online.

Secondly, people tend to trust a website that shows up organically in their search results more than paid advertisements.

In fact, it’s said that “organic rankings always equate to higher quality traffic that is much easily converted to a lead or sale.”

Need I say more?

My point is that no matter what, if your brand is online, SEO is absolutely important for you!

10 SEO Basics You Need To Know

Now that we’ve got the overview of SEO out of the way, I want to share some SEO tips that you should be aware of:

1. SEO IS about following best practices that will make your website better understood by search engines, and in turn, discovered by people searching for a specific answer, product, or service.
2. SEO IS NOT about using secret tricks to rank at the top of search results pages.
3. SEO IS for websites of all sizes, large and small.
4. SEO IS NOT a one-and-done digital marketing strategy. It’s best to consistently implement it and complete updates as best practices change.
5. There are three (3) SEO methods:
   1. White hat – SEO that follows best practices and “focuses on readability, content relevance, well-designed structure, and well-written content.”
   2. Black hat – SEO practices that do not follow approved search engine practices in an effort to “trick” a search engine into giving a website high rankings.
   3. Grey hat – SEO practices that aren’t necessarily approved by search engines, but are good for any brand online and will not negatively affect a website’s ranking. E.g. guest blogging.
6. There are three (3) types of SEO:
   1. On-page SEO – This pertains to optimizing an individual page on a website and usually includes, content creation and page structure.
   2. Off-page SEO – This generally pertains to how search engines view your site as a reputable source and mostly has to do with backlinks. For e.g. Did a site like WSJ reference your content on their platform? If they did, Google now thinks you’re a lot more of a trusted website.
   3. Technical SEO –  This “relates to non-content elements of your website.” Some examples of this are site speed and site security.
7. SEO DOES NOT replace writing content that is easy for humans to read. You actually want to write content that is engaging and readable, then focus on optimizing it for SEO.
8. SEO and Social Media Use work very well together. In fact, using social media can amplify your SEO impact.
9. SEO Performance can be monitored. You can and should track your SEO using tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console.
10. SEO takes time and is worth the investment. When done right, it can result in increased, targeted website traffic that has a higher conversion rate to sales in about 6 months to a year.

In Summary…

I hope that as a content creator and business owner, that you now feel more confident in your understanding of SEO (at least the basics 😉 ).

And, I hope that you realize that SEO is something you need to start working on sooner rather than later.

P.S. You can learn more about how to use this method to grow your website traffic in my SEO 101 book. Click here to purchase!

Pin for Later!

<p>The post What is SEO? A Helpful Explanation in Everyday Language first appeared on Baydian Girl.</p>

But you can still do ten(10) things to make your website, SEO-friendly!

Keep reading to find out what they are.

10 Ways To Make Your Blog SEO-Friendly Without A Developer

(1) Go from http to https with an SSL Certificate

Currently, Google and other search engines prefer to show secure websites at the top of search results.

Plus audiences have more faith in this type of site, especially if they need to make a purchase.

The only way they can tell that a URL is secure is if it includes https or a lock icon (🔒).

In order to get your WordPress website to display this way, download the Really Simple SSL plugin.

For a Squarespace website, follow the steps below:

1. Log in to your Squarespace account and select the website you need to make secure.
2. Head to Settings > Advanced > SSL
3. Make sure you select Secure and HSTS Secure.

(2) Make Your Website’s Meta Description 150 Characters Or Less

Your website’s description is typically displayed under your URL in search results, and it provides a short summary of what your content is about. See the screenshot below.

The key to using this meta tag field on your website well is to only use 150 characters or less to describe your page.

If you have WordPress, using a plugin like YoastSEO will help you edit this.

For Squarespace users, follow the steps here.

P.S. If you’d like the exact formula for how to create an impactful meta description for your website’s home page, blog posts and other pages on your site, grab your copy of my ebook, How To Set Up Your Blog For Success.

(3) Make Your Website Title 70 Characters Or Less

As highlighted in the screenshot above, your website title is displayed above your URL in the search results.

It’s also the largest text display on that results page.

So, you definitely want to make sure that you strategically utilize this space!

Some good things to include are the name of your brand and a tagline.

You should also consider adding keywords for your content.

To edit this meta tag – reread No.2!

(4) Add Social Media Links

While working with small business owners on their SEO strategy in my last full-time role, I learned that this aspect of website SEO is often neglected.

As a digital content creator, don’t make the same mistake!

Always include social media links on your website, especially Facebook and Twitter (if you use them).

Search engines, like Google, definitely trust a website more when it has social media profiles linked that match the brand.

Furthermore, put them in your header, or your footer, or both to make your blog SEO-friendly.

(5) Add A Contact Page 

Here’s a secret, search engines are looking to see that your website is engaging!

Which means you need to be open to people contacting you.

A contact page on your site easily meets this requirement, plus if you’re doing any type of monetization, it makes it easy for customers or brands to contact you too!

Therefore, make sure you add one to your website and include a form.

You can click here to see mine and use it as an example.

Additionally, to help filter spam:

• Download the Akismet Anti-Spam plugin on WordPress.
• On Squarespace, follow the tips in this support article.

(6) Decrease The File Size Of Your Photos

Search engines take page speed into consideration when ranking a website’s search engine optimization.

And a great way to increase this metric is by decreasing the file size of your photos.

To be clear, I’m referring to how much storage a photo, or photos, requires. The larger it is, the longer it takes to load on devices, especially mobile ones.

For example, a photo that is 347 KB takes up less space than a photo that’s 1,843 KB.

You can use a tool like Free Image Optimizer no matter what blog platform you use.

On WordPress specifically, you can download the Smush plugin, which will automatically optimize the size of photos on your site.

(7) Evaluate Your Website With Google’s PageSpeed Insights

Speaking of page speed, use Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool to address other page speed issues.

If you have a little more coding experience and would like to see what other issues could be slowing your site down:

1. Go to the PageSpeed Insights tool
2. Enter your URL
3. Voila – you’ll have the answers with support articles to guide you!

(8) Make Sure Your Site Is Mobile-Friendly

Just like having a secure website, it’s also in your best interest to make sure your site works well on mobile devices.

To test this, you should take at least one of the following actions:

(A) Choose a mobile-responsive theme on WordPress or Squarespace.

(B) Test to see if your desktop and mobile site look the same by visiting your URL on your laptop and phone.

(C) Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to see if you passed or not. Then if you have issues, address them!

(9) Update The Alt Text Field On Your Photos

When you update the Alt Text field don your photos, you allow search engines to understand the relevance of your photos to user searches.

It’s also a unique way to get to the top of search results!

The key here is to use a brief phrase that best describes the photo, especially as it relates to the content it’s included in.

I actually explain it all in my blog post, A Unique Way To Get Your Content To The Top Of Search.

(10) Target Keywords In Your Content

Always do this!

If you’re writing about over-the-knee boots, make sure that you target that statement by:

1. Including it and synonyms in your content.
2. Including it in the image Alt text

By the way, if you get stuck on what keywords to use, you can use my favorite free tools to help.

Click here to see the list!

Next Steps To Make An SEO-Friendly Blog

First and foremost, pin this content for later! I guarantee that you’ll revisit this post quite a bit 😉

Just place your mouse over the image below and select the Pinterest symbol.

Secondly, get the blueprint to setting up your blog for success by adding my ebook, How To Set Up Your Blog For Success, to your cart today!

Click here to view it in my shop! 

And last but not least, make sure you actually put these tips into action!

<p>The post How To Make Your Blog SEO-Friendly Without A Developer first appeared on Baydian Girl.</p>

So you have your social media business accounts set up and you’re excited to share your content but…

You realize that there’s only one field to place a link.

What do you do?

Well, in the blogging industry, the answer most people will give you is to use Linktree – an easy way to add multiple links to an Instagram bio.

As great as this sounds, and looks, this multi-link alternative has a major flaw – a negative impact on your SEO traffic.

Let me explain.

Why Linktree Negatively Affects Your SEO

Here’s the tea, when you use Linktree in your social media profiles, you actually direct traffic through the Linktree website.

That doesn’t seem like a big deal but it is!

Because search engines like Google will view Linktree as the authoritative website rather than yours. In other words, they get the traffic credit you deserve!

And I literally mean ALL the credit. You still get the traffic but your Google Analytics will now show Linktree as a referral source versus as direct traffic to your site.

Does this make them villains?

Nah, not really.

They made this software for a reason. However, I’m about to show you how you can replicate this feature on your own website FOR FREE.

A Free Linktree Alternative

In case you didn’t see the hint above, the alternative to using software services like Linktree to add multiple links to your social media profiles is to create a page on your website!

And just in case you’re wondering what the benefits of doing this are, here’s the shortlist:

1. Consistent Branding: You can use Linktree for free but unless you pay for customizations, it’s very likely the landing page will not match your branding.
2. Control: You choose what the page looks like, the messaging, navigation, etc. It’s all in your hands!
3. Peace of Mind: Remember when Instagram blocked the Linktree website from their platform earlier this year? Yeah, you won’t have to worry about that on ANY platform.

Now, let’s dive into how you can create this magical page with no coding.

An Easy Way To Create A Linktree Alternative in WordPress

(1) Download the WPBakery Page Builder plugin.

• Go to your website’s WordPress Dashboard.
• In the left sidebar menu, click on Plugins.
• Then Add New from the pop-up menu.
• Type WPBakery Page Builder in the search field.
• Install and activate the plugin.

(2) Create a new page and name it. 

For example, my page is called Discover.

To do this, follow these steps:

• In the left sidebar menu, click on Pages.
• Then Add New from the pop-up menu.
• Type the page title you’d like. Don’t forget to edit the URL to match!

(3) Switch to Frontend Editor.

Now that you have installed the WPBakery Page Plugin, you can edit your pages in a live preview. It’s super helpful, especially for this Linktree alternative page.

Just click on the Frontend Editor option!

(4) It’s Time To Design!

Make sure you have your brand board handy too! And if you don’t have one, I actually can help create one for you 😉

• First, add a row to the page. Do this by clicking the + icon in the upper left-hand corner. Then select the Content tab, and select Row.

• Second, add a Custom Heading to the Row. To accomplish this, click on the + icon within the row, type text in the search field, and then select the Custom Heading option.

• Now, add your custom heading and format it! Personally, I’d center this heading and everything on this page. It just looks better on mobile.

• You’ve got one part down! Next, add another Row and add another Custom Heading. However, this time make the format a little smaller and enter what you do or stand for.

• Now you’re going to add more elements, starting with an image. My suggested dimensions for the image is 500×800 Image Size, Center Image Alignment, and Circle Image Style.

• Then add as many buttons as you’d like. Remember, these are the links you want customers to see first so they can get a quick understanding of who you are. Think About, Contact, Join My Email List, Grab This Freebie, and Recent Blog Posts. Also, make sure the button’s size is Large and full width. It looks weird on a desktop or laptop, but it’s perfect for mobile!

• Next, Save Draft and then return to the Backend Editor.

• Then at the very bottom of the page on the Backend Editor, hide/disable your page title, header, and footer. This then makes your page look like the screenshot below.

• Publish and share! Now hit the Publish button and your page is live! Add to the social media profiles you want and you’re good to go. I currently use mine on my Twitter and Instagram accounts.

You can actually check out the one I made for myself here: baydiangirl.com/discover.

Was this Linktree alternative tutorial helpful? Let me know in the comments below!

<p>The post An Easy Linktree Alternative That’s Absolutely Free first appeared on Baydian Girl.</p>

I have no doubt that you know how to promote a post on Instagram or Facebook but do you know how to get to the top of Google search results?

That’s a pretty intimidating question.

But I’m not asking to make you feel bad!

I want to share a unique SEO tip that I discovered while sustaining my own brand.

A Unique Way To Get Content At The Top Of Search Results

There are two ways to get content at the top of search results.

1. Organic – Earning a spot in search results due to the content on your site without paying for ads.
2. Paid – Claiming a top spot based on a negotiated payment aka an ad.

The paid option is pretty much like the pay-to-play platform that Facebook has become, and the organic option seems discouraging with websites like Refinery29 dominating Google’s first page.

But did you know that there’s a strategic way to get to the top and bypass the competition by ranking in Google Images?

And it works?

Here’s how I did it.

How I Got My Content To The Top Of Google Search Results Via Google Images

In 2017, I wrote a post entitled Bad & Boujee: How To Rock A Velvet Suit.

I wanted my post to show at the top of search results. However, a quick search of the phrase “how to wear a velvet suit” confirmed that I had some steep competition.

I proceeded to write my post but I also utilized the Alt Text field of my photos to target a low-traffic keyword – “bad and boujee outfit.”

For every photo included in my blog post, I used a variation of this phrase.

Not only did it support the content I wrote at the time, but it also has landed me in the top 3 search results on Google!

And it’s a great accomplishment, especially since the images are ranked above videos and links on Google (see below).

Here’s How You Can Do This Too!

This strategic SEO tip has resulted in consistent and targeted website traffic for my blog since that post was published in 2017.

That’s 3 years of continuous traffic!

Here’s how you can do this with your content too:

1. Choose a low-traffic keyword that you can use in your photo’s Alt Text field. Use a free SEO tool like Ubersuggest to get ideas.
2. Create three phrase variations for the photos’ Alt Text fields you plan to use in your content. For example, if you are writing a post about a “spring work outfit,” consider using phrases like “spring work outfit ideas,” “yellow spring work outfit” or “how to style spring work outfit.”
3. Watch the magic happen! Over time, Google will begin to make your photos more visible in search results and this will help generate website traffic for your content.

Oh, and one more thing!

This is a bonus – you can use this same strategy for creating captions on Pinterest and for the Alt Text field on Instagram.

Was this helpful? Let me know in the comments below!

<p>The post A Unique Way To Get Your Content To The Top Of Search first appeared on Baydian Girl.</p>

Today it’s not about ‘get the traffic’ — it’s about ‘get the targeted and relevant traffic.’

Adam Audette
Chief Knowledge Officer, RKG

And I couldn’t agree more!

Your ideal audience is searching for your content. You just need to make sure that it is positioned well for them to find it.

Over the last five years, I’ve learned that’s where free SEO tools come in handy.

But First, What Is SEO?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a free and strategic way to increase the amount and quality of traffic your blog receives.

In order to successfully build this foundation for your blog, you need to understand:

• What your ideal reader is searching for online
• The words they are using to search
• What answers they are looking for, and
• Types of content they gravitate towards.

With this information, you can make sure that your website is targeting your ideal reader, connecting with them intentionally and on auto-pilot!

So let’s dive in and review the seven best and free SEO tools to help you accomplish this.

7 Free SEO Tools To Use For Targeted Website Traffic

(1) Ubersuggest by Neil Patel

Ubersuggest was created by online marketing expert, Neil Patel, and it is my absolute favorite SEO tool!

This tool helps you find the keywords that you want your content to rank for, shows you the amount of traffic it generates on Google, as well as other keyword ideas!

If you’re interested, you can even see what type of posts you’re competing with. That way you know how to stand out from the crowd online.

(2) Google Trends

Simply put, Google Trends shows you can in real time what type of searches are popular for specific keywords across different regions and languages.

(3) Pinterest

Don’t ignore this best-kept secret!

Pinterest is widely known as the place to discover new recipes or DIY ideas but it truly is a visual search engine that Google actually ranks in search results.

No matter what blogger niche you’re in – Pinterest can help you find the word(s) you need to understand what keyword you need to target. All it takes is a simple search to discover what they are!

(4) Google Analytics

Yes, it’s a free SEO tool from Google!

By using it, you will better understand your customers historically and in real-time.

Google Analytics provides five key categories to track data, which are:

• Real-Time
• Audience
• Acquisition
• Behavior
• Conversions

Each category provides an in-depth analysis of who is enjoying the content on your site.

For example, the Demographics Overview under the Audience category will show you the age and gender of the users visiting your site (as shown in the screenshot below).

Information like this can help you as a blogger strategically tailor your content for steady and targeted website traffic.

An extra tip! If you have a blog built on WordPress, you can integrate your Google Analytics dashboard to your site by installing the Google Analytics Dashboard for WP plugin by ExactMetrics.

(5) Google Search Console

If you want to shine, and understand how you shine, in Google Search results, this is the free SEO tool for you!

Google Search Console is an easy way to review how your content is performing on Googe and it points out what areas your website needs to fix in order to improve that performance.

In fact, think of Google Search Console as a real-time performance review (like the annual one you’ve probably had at work).

And FYI, the more you dig in Google Search Console, the more useful information you’ll find!

(6) Google PageSpeed Insights

Did you know that how fast your website loads affects how it’s ranked in search engine results?

If not, now you know it does!

Google PageSpeed Insights will show you how fast your website, or specific pages on your website, load on Desktop and Mobile. Then it’ll also share what specific issues you need to fix in order to increase your site speed.

This is crucial info!

Why?

Well, have you tried navigating a website that takes a long time to load? What do you do if it takes more than 10 seconds?

You move on to the next site – whether or not they have the best content possible.

I rest my case.

(7) Yoast SEO

Last but not least, another one of my favorite free SEO tools is Yoast SEO.

Unlike the other tools, this is a free plugin for WordPress websites that also has premium features available for purchase.

Nevertheless, the free features are a great place to start!

Yoast SEO helps content creators with technical website things like XML Sitemaps and canonical URLs to content and SEO analysis while writing a blog post. See the screenshot of one of my recent blog posts below.

But there’s more!

Despite the fact that Yoast SEO is a plugin, everyone (bloggers included) can access the Yoast.com website for beginner to advanced reading on SEO. It’s an invaluable resource!

Bloggers & Content Creators…

Sisters, I know that this may seem like a lot of information and like you have one more thing to add to your to-do list.

But I can tell you that in 5 years of blogging, this has been one of the secrets to my success!

And I don’t just mean success in making money and participating in cool campaigns.

I’m referring to long-term success that is built on getting targeted website traffic by using these 7 free SEO tools. Actually, here’s my most recent site audit from UberSuggest to convince you!

Will you take your blog to the next step and use these free SEO tools for targeted website traffic and long-term success?

<p>The post 7 Free SEO Tools You Need To Increase Your Website Traffic first appeared on Baydian Girl.</p>

Tell me something…

When you need to find a local hair stylist, nail tech, or photographer, where do you go?

Google.

When you would like to discover a website designer or marketing agency near you, where do you start your search?

Google.

How about when you need to find a mechanic or local thrift store?

You check Google first, right?

So tell me something…

Why do you trust Google to find the answers you need but you don’t trust Google with your local creative business?

What’s up with that?

Here’s Why Your Local Creative Business Isn’t On Google

Well, here’s the truth.

In the world of digital marketing today, many young adults have become hyper-focused on social media.

In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if most millennials think that digital marketing only consists of Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snpachat and Twitter.

But that’s NOT the case.

Social media is only one channel within digital marketing, in particular, internet marketing.

Digital marketing also includes non-internet channels like billboards, radio, TV, and SMS (aka texting) PLUS internet channels like email marketing, and mobile marketplaces (aka the Apple store and Google Play).

Basically, there are a ton of options.

However, the internet channel that is FREE and most easily missed is local Search Engine Optimization, also known as local SEO.

What Is Local SEO?

Thanks to personal experience within my career, here’s how I define it:

Local SEO is an affordable and effective way to market your local business online. 

It’s a digital marketing channel that gives a local creative entrepreneur a competitive edge when connecting with potential customers.

Why?

Well here’s a secret.

When you conduct a search on Google, it provides results based on three things:

1. Relevance
2. Distance
3. Peer Feedback

Relevance – Google makes sure that the results you see actually answer your question, or provide the product/service you are looking for.

Distance – Google makes sure that the results you see actually are close to your location. After all, who wants to drive 30 minutes to get something if they’re able to get the same thing within a 5-minute drive?

Peer Feedback – Social media alone proves that we value what our fellow humans have to say about a topic so Google values the same type of feedback and uses it as a deciding factor for what’s at the top of your search results.

So, if you are a local creative entrepreneur, you have the chance to attract more customers purely based on your location!

Isn’t that great news??

So why in the world are you essentially leaving that money on the table because you want to grow your social media following to >10K?

“Bloom Where You’re Planted”

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Bloom where you’re planted?”

It’s normally used to emphasize the lesson that someone needs to be grateful for and should maximize the opportunities in their current situation.

I’d like to apply it to your creative business.

Water your home base.

Before you get caught up in the grandeur of social media influence, use the tools at your disposal to create a local portfolio of clientele.

And one of those tools you can use is a free Google My Business Listing.

What Is A Google My Business Listing? And How Will It Help Me Attract Clients?

Let’s handle one question at a time.

What Is A Google My Business Listing?

In Google’s own words, a Google My Business Listing is a “free Business Profile [that] lets you easily connect with customers across Google Search and Maps.”

It’s the informative box you see on the right of Google Search Results that looks like this:

And it’s also available in a shortened version called the Local Pack that you normally see when you conduct a Google search with the phrase “near me” right above the search results.

How It Will Help You Attract Clients

Besides the alluring factor that your local creative business can be placed at the top of search results for FREE, you also have the following Google My Business Listing features that will help you attract clients:

1. You can share all your important business info here, which we call NAP – Name, Address, and Phone Number. If you have a physical location, it’s important to list the address so that a customer can find you based on your proximity to them. However, if you travel to your clients, you can enter a service area and still be discovered by potential clients based on a general location. For example, a nail salon (physical location) vs a photographer (most likely travels to clients). 
2. “You can post photos and offers to your profile to show what makes your business unique.” This is one of Google’s value propositions for Google My Business Listings. You can add your logo, special deals, etc! You literally have control and can use this tool as a part of your local creative business’ sales funnel.
3. Potential customers can interact with you by calling, messaging, visiting your website or, if you have a physical location, getting directions! PLUS if you are a beauty or fitness creative, clients can even schedule appointments from your Google My Business Listing!! Say what??? Click here for a list of booking partners Google currently has available.
4. Your customers can leave reviews! This goes a long way with getting you high ratings and is an organic way to create consumer advocates for your product/service.
5. You get analytics! You are able to see what actions your potential customers are taking from this part of your sales funnel. Talk about engagement! It would be nice to see how people are choosing to interact with your local creative business.

Are you sold now?

Great!

Now, keep reading for the eligibility requirements you have to meet in order to use this tool.

Who Can Have A Google My Business Listing?

As with all things, there are boundaries and Google has some specific ones for their Google My Business Listing local SEO tool.

If you want, you can read the full requirements here but I’ve shared the short version below.

In order to have a Google My Business listing:

• You must have a brick and mortar (physical) location where you interact with customers in-person.
• You must make in-person contact with customers within specific service areas, OR
• You do both.

So to be clear, if you are a local fashion designer and you have a showroom, you can use this tool!

If you are a traveling make-up artist or hairstylist in your local area, you should use this tool!

If you are a web designer and you have an office that clients visit for consultations, you can use this tool!

Trust me, there is a long list of creative business categories that Google offers for Google My Business Listings but, the one thing you have to remember is that you are only eligible if you “either have a physical location that customers can visit, or that you travel to visit customers where they are.”

How to Create A Google My Business Listing For Your Local Creative Business

So, you’re eligible for a Google My Business Listing, how do you create one for your local creative business?

Surprisingly, it’s quite doable via a computer or phone!

Just go to Google’s support article below and follow the directions! Done!

• https://support.google.com/business/answer/2911778?hl=en

In Conclusion…

Dear millennial, I know this is a digital marketing concept that’s out of your comfort zone.

But guess what, outside of your comfort zone is where the magic happens!

[bctt tweet=”Outside of your comfort zone is where the magic happens!” username=”baydiangirl”]

This local SEO tip will improve your online visibility! That’s a fact.

It’s not as instantly gratifying as seeing a ton of likes and followers BUT it’s a long-term success strategy for your local creative business.

Just imagine, you could be discovered this way for a movie set someday just like a dear fashion colleague of mine was a few years ago in Columbus, Ohio.

So will you give it a try?

Was this helpful? What did you learn about Google and local SEO from this post today?

<p>The post How to Use Google My Business As A Local Creative Now! first appeared on Baydian Girl.</p>