Google My Business can drive a LOT of highly-qualified property management leads to your website. This is because Google My Business results are heavily location-based; essentially, Google wants to give the best results to a user. If you are an investment owner in a location looking for local help, Google wants to be able to serve those useful, local results and not something hours away.
When the information is available, this goes a step further, showing you the listing for the company right down the street—as opposed to the one across town. In that sense, the closest company is often going to be at the top of the results—but not always.
There are a lot of other things you can do to bring your Google My Business listing to the top of the ranks and the forefront of your leads' focus.
Get More Reviews
We talk about collecting reviews and testimonials often because they are one of the best sales and marketing tools you can have. They also help your GMB listing rank! According to Google, 'Google review count and review score factor into local search ranking. More reviews and positive ratings can improve your business' local ranking.'
If you need more reviews to bring in property management leads, we can help you with both the review request scripts and the marketing automation workflows to get feedback coming in.
- Don't just get reviews; show you care about them by responding to both the good and the bad.
- Make it a point to regularly get on and leave a comment thanking your positive reviews and apologizing to those whom you didn't get it quite right for.
Work on Your SEO
Higher-ranking organic listings will also provide a boost for Google My Business. Google tells us that, when it comes to prominence, 'Your position in web results is also a factor, so search engine optimization (SEO) best practices apply.'
Naturally, Google has a lot of algorithms at play determining whether your website is worth showing, and your GMB listing has a place for said site, so it makes sense that these two go hand in hand.
Optimize Your GMB Listing
We've written about optimizing your property management company's Google My Business listing before—and for good reason. For pretty much everyone, a search for a local company begins with a Google search—and you'll want your information to be found first. The more details you enter, the better of a resource that listing is—and Google is in the business of serving up the best information for any given query.
- Always add an address, a website, a phone number, your hours of operation, a photo of the front of your business (so people know whether Google Maps brought them to the right business), and classify your services as a property management company.
- If you have multiple locations, make a listing for every office—even if leasing is only managed from one location. That additional coverage will help you out.
Use More Features
Google My Business isn't just an 'internet Yellow Pages'; it has a ton of functionality that can help you stand out and be the leader of the pack.
Messaging
- Google My Business has a chat feature and an app to go with it that will let owners and renters alike message your designated rep right from your listing.
- Be sure you only turn on this feature if you are going to use it, though; few things are as frustrating to customers as a chat that goes nowhere.
- On the other hand, if you're the only one in your area using this feature, you can be sure you'll stand out.
Offers
Sometimes, you need to dangle a carrot—and the Google My Business offers function will let you do exactly that. Just about every property management business has a set of service guarantees they offer. There is no reason not to list these as offers if applicable.
For example, maybe you are offering three months of free management with a one-year contract or a military service member discount. You can add these offers to your GMB listing to make them easier for your prospects to find and more enticing to click through to your site to talk to you.
These are just some of the ways we advise our clients to help them make the most of their Google My Business listings. These listings can drive valuable traffic to your website, which eventually (with some marketing automation to nurture them) become property management leads.
If you need help with your GMB account or your property management website, let us know! We're offering free websites with a package through the end of the year. Now's the time to schedule a discovery call with a member of our team to see if our property management process automation or marketing automation services are a fit for your business.
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