In this 7-minute read:
- Why use Google My Business for your pet service business
- What’s the local 3-pack and why do you need it
- What to include in your pet service business’s Google listing
Google is the most widely used search engine by far. It holds more than 90% of the search engine market share, and that should be reason enough to list your pet service business on Google.
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Beyond simply listing your business on Google though, there are several things you should include on your Google business listing to optimize it well for converting new customers.
Why use Google My Business for your pet service business
We’ve established that Google gets a ton of traffic, so that’s definitely one key reason you want to use this free directory for your pet business.
Besides that, Google is the number-one place that people go when they are searching for a new business like your vet clinic, groomer, pet boarding center, or other pet-related business. Listing your business on Google will help those people who are searching for your services to find you easier.
Some advantages that Google My Business can offer your pet service business include:
- Increasing brand awareness
- Better customer conversions with more online reviews
- Easy access to contact and location information for your customers
- More opportunity to reach new customers
Get started: How to claim your Google Business listing
Google’s local 3-pack and why you want to be there
Google’s local 3-pack, also called the “map pack,” has replaced the phone books. This is the part of the search results that get the most clicks when people do a search for local services like “vet clinic” or “pet groomer.”
Here are three important steps you can take to help your pet business appear in Google’s local 3-pack:
- Create a Google My Business listing and optimize it (with the tips we have listed below)
- Get online reviews consistently streaming in and respond to them
- Add your pet business to other free business listing sites
These tips should be a part of every local business’s SEO (search engine optimization) strategy to help them improve their online visibility. Take advantage of the valuable opportunities that these free tips can add for your pet service business.
Go deeper: 15 free tips for better local search rankings
Things your pet service business should include on your Google business listing
There’s more to creating the optimal Google My Business listing for your pet business than just claiming and creating it. You need to add the kind of information that potential customers are searching for.
Make sure your Google listing’s information is always kept updated and displays accurate information or your rankings could suffer.
1. NAP information
NAP information is your business name, address, and phone number. These are the most important pieces of information for you to display on your Google My Business listing, and you can’t set one up without them.
Pro tip: Make sure your NAP information is the exact same across all of your online directory listings. Use the same version of your business name, same phone number, and same address everywhere. If these are inconsistent, it can confuse the search engines and harm your ranking opportunities.
2. Category for your pet business
The next most important piece of information is a category for your business. This is a huge factor for when Google decides to show your business to its users.
If you’re a pet groomer, then find the most appropriate categories for the services you offer. Do the same if you are a vet clinic, boarding service, or any other pet-related business.
Find the best category for your business so you can show up when users are searching for your services. You can check the most updated Google My Business categories here.
3. Open hours
Listing the hours when your business is open is absolutely crucial. You don’t want customers to show up when your business is closed and decide to go somewhere else, or worse, leave a negative review because of it.
List all of the hours that you are open each day, and be sure to include any special hours for holidays.
4. Business Website
Include your business website on your Google listing to help customers learn more about your pet business. Most people like to see a website when they are in their initial research phase for a new service business.
The quality of the website associated with your Google My Business listing can also help send the right signals to Google (meaning you could rank better). Having good content on your website and getting other websites to link to it can help with this.
Google will also use your website to help improve the experience for its users. For example, if someone does a search for “pet haircuts near me” and your website talks about “pet haircuts,” Google will indicate that your website mentions that particular service.
5. Photos, photos, and more photos
People are very visual. We like to see photos of the places that we’re going to visit and the services that we are going to get. We want to know what experience we’re going to have before we ever arrive at your business.
So include lots of photos.
Some great pictures to include on your pet service listing could be staff photos, candid shots of staff working with pets, your location (interior and exterior), your logo, and of course, the pets!
6. Description of your pet service business
Google has a field on your Google My Business listing where you can enter a description of your business. This is a great place to tell more about your business, what you do, and share your story.
Give as much information as you can so customers get a feel for who you are and know that their pets will be safe in your hands.
7. Services and products
List your services and, if applicable, products on your Google My Business listing. Include prices if possible. The more information you can provide here, the better chance you have to convert customers.
People want the best service for their pets, but they also want to make sure they are paying the right price.
8. Attributes
Every Google listing has a place for you to include special attributes for your business. These could be things like wifi accessibility, wheelchair entrances, payment options, and so many others.
Google will determine what attributes seem relevant for your business and give you options to add to your listing. Watch for this section and update it whenever you see a new, relevant attribute.
9. Google posts
You can create posts from your Google My Business listing to share new deals that your business is offering, fun events that you’re involved with, and so much more. These posts can be between 100 and 300 words and only last for seven days, so it’s a good idea to post at least once a week.
10. Reviews and responses
Reviews can make the difference between you getting new customers or sending them running to your competitors. Work with your staff to come up with a solid strategy for obtaining new Google reviews on your business listing.
A few ways you can do this include asking for reviews, posting “rate us on Google signs,” and sending text or email invitations to your customers to leave you reviews.
When you do start getting reviews on Google, it’s important to respond to them within a day or two as well. Your response is just as important as the review itself.
Go deeper: How to respond to Google reviews
If you want some help coming up with a good review strategy and would be interested in a review system that sends out automated invitations and allows customized automatic review responses, we have the perfect solution for you.
Womply’s reputation management software is trusted by hundreds of thousands of businesses nationwide and has been shown to increase average revenue by 20% (and save busy small businesses like your pet service up to ten hours of work each week!) Learn more, plus get free reputation monitoring and customer insights when you sign up for Womply Free!