Increase Your Discovery with Google My Business (GMB)
Online discovery creates more business. Your exposure on the web is the best way to create authority about your business (brand awareness) and help consumers know what you do (authority). It makes sense that when you list your business on Google My Business, you are creating awareness in the world’s largest search engine.
You want to use GMB to engage with people that are using Search and Maps to find home inspectors. If you’re not communicating with them, your competitors are. So definitely incorporate Google My Business into part of your online marketing strategy for your local home inspection business.
The Blank Slate You Design
You can do anything you want on Google My Business. For best results for home inspection you’ll want to use it differently than most businesses.
Make sure you tailor it to maximize conversions and to drive as much engagement as possible to your site. You want people to find you there using search as well as maps.
Google loves details, so the more you provide, the better your search results.
- The basics – name, address, telephone (NAP)
- Your preferred contact method
- Hours of operation – don’t forget the holidays and other occasions when you are closed
- Special Covid precautions
- Link to your order form
- Services – the types of inspections you perform: square footage, drone, pest, pool, etc.
Tell visitors as much about your business as you can. They’ll have questions answered before they talk to you. It’s a great introduction to who you are.
Two Tips to Engage Clients
Google My Business is the perfect vehicle for getting prospective clients to know, like, and trust you. Home inspectors can use two features to engage customers visually: Products and Photos.
The Products Feature
Google My Business provides a way to list your services. If you didn’t do that under your business details, do it now.
The thing is, the services listing is pretty boring. You can use the Products feature to boost engagement for your business. Yeah, we aren’t selling shoes or snazzy shirts, but using the product feature allows you to do several things.
- Image – If you price by square foot range, use an image of a typical home in that range to illustrate your “product.”
- The description is the same as the services listing.
- The fee for the inspection is the same as the services.
- Add a button with a link to your website to connect to your booking page.
Showcase your services with eye-catching examples.
The Photos Feature
Adding photos to your Google My Business improves engagement. People love photos. The variety of photos helps people know, like, and trust you. Yes, you want to add images of homes you inspect and findings to warn consumers. But, more importantly, photos of you in everyday life help people get to know you as a person, the person who will inspect their property.
Ideas for photos:
- Exterior shots
- Interior shots
- Roof shots
- Findings in each Standards of Practice
- Structural System
- Roof System
- Exterior Plumbing System
- Electrical System
- Heating System
- Air Conditioning System
- Interior
- Insulation and Ventilation
- Fireplace and Solid Fuel Burning Appliances
- You at work
- You at home – family, pets
- You at play – vacation, hobbies, activities
- Videos – introduce yourself, demonstrate findings, honor a customer, your hobby
Work related photos demonstrate your knowledge and expertise. Personal photos create an emotional connection to you as a person they would like to do business with. Don’t overlook the personal photos.
Posts
You can add posts to Google My Business with links back to your business. You can categorize them under Offers, What’s New, and Events.
- Share blog articles from your website
- Announce any special sales or discounts – e.g. armed forces and law enforcement discounts, senior discounts, seasonal special inspections
- New services – e.g. drone roof inspection, pool inspection, etc.
- Speaking events – demonstrate your expertise if you are speaking locally
Star Rankings and Reviews
There’s nothing like social proof to build confidence in prospective customers. Your reviews display on Google My Business building trust and authority for your business. Treat your customers well and they will pay you back with reviews.
How to Use Google My Business to Learn About Your Customers
Use Insights to learn where your customers come from and what they see and view on your GMB listing. You learn how clients are engaging with your business.
Finding metrics is the future. Scan your Google My Business Insights regularly, at least once a month. You want to check performance to find how clients are engaging with you.
The Free Online Discovery Tool for Your Inspection Business
Google My Business is the perfect showcase to connect with people when they search online. They find your business through both Google Search and Maps. The more details you have, the better they understand you and your business.
Google My Business is free to use. It’s worth the time and energy to set it up and monitor the insights. Your business will benefit from all the resources.
- Your business shows up on Google Maps and search
- Your business shows up in local 3-Pack results
- Gain customer trust
- Ratings and testimonials boost your appeal
- Increase traffic to your business
- Generate more inspections
- Learn about your customer base from data
- Quality, consistent information will boost search result rank
- Increase engagement
- It’s like free advertising – you show up in search
You owe it to your business to use Google My Business to boost your organic discovery. It’s a free tool that will increase customer engagement and generate business.
Visit the Inspect.com video series on online marketing. Ten sessions to help you drill down on your online presence.