When reaching the abortion-minded woman, targeting her locally is key. Google My Business allows you to list your business location on Google Maps and local search results. It helps reach abortion-minded women right in your area as they search for pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, and abortion services near them. Use this platform to capture their “near me” searches and post about your services and support.
We know the number of marketing tactics and tools can seem overwhelming for some, but Google My Business is an easy tool to incorporate that can truly change the game for your center. As more and more search queries are becoming geographically specific, Google My Business is a necessity to reach women local to you! Hiring merchant services for your business can be a significant decision. Discover the Top 20 Merchant Service Provider for your small business.
You may have more questions about how Google My Business works. Do you need it? How do you set it up? In this guide, we take you back to the basics of GBP and simplify it for you to set up for your center.
Why Does Your Center Need GBP?
GBP is a free advertising tool that works to bring women to your site and your center. It’s free real estate for your center but also great for your search engine optimization (SEO) – helping you rank high on Google. In addition, it shares reviews from past clients, giving your center credibility online.
GBP is a part of what’s called the middle of the marketing funnel: the consideration stage. This stage is a vital part of connecting with the women you desire to reach. Implementing strategic content for this middle stage is important to continue to bring solutions to their unexpected pregnancy and provide women with a simple call to action.
How does Google My Business (GBP) Work?
Google My Business helps manage how your business appears on Google Search and Maps, including your business name, hours, and location. It also enables you to monitor and reply to customer reviews and add photos. GBP informs you about where and how people are searching for you.
Along with creating a Google My Business profile is creating GBP posts. A consistent amount of posts allows you to rank higher on Google, giving your center more visibility online. Start with posting once a week and track your progress from there.
At Choose Life Marketing, we can help you get set up with GBPs, create a simple posting strategy, and create posts for you weekly. To help you better understand the Google My Business process, here are the steps to setting it up in Google!
Setting Up Google My Business Profile
Before getting started with GBP posting, you will first want to create your Google Business Profile. This profile is Google’s term for your business listing and appears in Google Maps and local Google search results.
By creating a Google My Business account, you can access, customize, manage, and enhance your Business Profile on Google at no cost.
1. Sign In to Google My Business
Go to www.google.com/business to sign in. If you have a pre-existing Google account, you can sign in that way, or create a new one. Just make sure to sign up with your center’s business email domain.
2. Enter Your Business
Next, enter your business name. Click ‘Add your business to Google’ if it does not appear in the drop-down menu. Finally, choose the appropriate category for your business. The category will depend on what kinds of services your pregnancy center offers, but common categories include women’s health clinic, free clinic, walk-in clinic, or pregnancy care center.
3. Put In Your Location
If you have a physical center location, you will select ‘Yes.’ Next, add your address and add a marker for the location on a map. If you are a mobile center, Google will require you to input a mailing address instead.
4. Add Your Contact Information
Add your business phone number along with your website address so viewers can contact you.
5. Complete/Manage Your Listing
Check ‘Yes’ if you would like to receive updates and notifications. Next, click ‘Finish.’ Then, you will be asked to verify your business.
After this first step to creating your Google My Business Profile, you will need to verify and claim your business (Google will send a verification postcard to the center’s address, PO Boxes are not approved). You can optimize your GBP profile and create posts from there. Talk to our team at Choose Life Marketing today to learn more about the full GBP setup process.
Utilizing Google My Business Posts
After creating your Google Business Profile, creating GBP posts can substantially help improve your local search rankings. A GBP post looks similar to something you would post on your social media. Use a GBP post to share about your services directly in Google searches and Maps and publish events. You can include a photo or video, content, Call-to-Action (CTA), and a URL that links to a landing page or within your website!
Keep in mind three things when starting to create your GBP posts:
- Timing/amount of your posts (we recommend one post a week around lunchtime. It’s important to note that GBP posts only stay up for 10 days, so consistency is key)
- The content of your posts (share about services, make short and direct, always use a call-to-action)
- Optimizing your posts (use top searched keywords in your area)
Learn How to Use GBP with our Team
Google My Business helps you reach the demographic you are seeking to help – Gen Z. They do most of their searches “near me.” In your case, they may be searching: “pregnancy tests near me” or “ultrasound near me” or even “abortion near me.” This will direct them right to your center for help.
We know running a pregnancy center keeps you very busy and it can be a challenge to manage your marketing too. Our marketing team is happy to help answer your Google My Business questions or offer any other marketing support.
Talk to us to learn more about the benefits of GBP and how to get started today.
