Article from International Bike Fitter Magazine – January 2022 (Issue 4)
When it comes to advertising your business and reaching new customers, Google Business Profiles is a simple tool all bike fit businesses can utilise. Ben Wall of dotwall web design shares his top tips for optimising your own listing and explains why reviews matter.
These days, most people use Google to research any purchase, whether it’s a new TV, a pair of trainers, or indeed, a bike fit. The main questions that potential customers have are: Is there someone close to me that can serve their needs? And if so, are they good? To help answer those questions, Google will always find the three most relevant businesses and place them at the top of the organic search results. This makes having an up-to-date online profile Google is able to search for vital for any business.
What is Google Business Profile?
GBP is a free service provided by Google that allows businesses to share information about their services, opening hours, contacts, and business updates. Google Maps also integrates GBP listings to give the customers directions as and when necessary.
‘Bike fitter near me’
This is the term most commonly used by people looking for a bike fit. If you want to find new customers for your bike fitting business, you need to optimise your GBP for these keywords.
3 things you can do right now to optimise your listing
1 – Business Information
Your profile needs to be updated with current photos, website, phone, and physical address information. In a business bio, you need to describe what your business is, what it does, and make sure you use keywords that describe the services you offer and where you offer them. For example: “BikefitPros are expert bike fitters in London. We offer a variety of bike fitting services…”. You’re allowed 750 characters for your bio.
1 – Reviews, Reviews, Reviews
Nowadays, people want to know that someone has already used the product or service they plan to purchase so they know they’re making an informed decision. Google understands this as ‘social proof’. As an example, imagine there are three Italian restaurants in your town. Each restaurant has a GBP listing, has up-to-date information, and has good photos.
The first restaurant on the list has ten reviews at 3/5, the second has 20 reviews with a rating of 4/5, and the third restaurant on the list has 100 reviews of 5-stars.
Which one would you choose to eat at? 9/10 people pick the restaurant with 100, 5-star reviews.
With bike fitting, the situation is the same. You might be the best bike fitter in your country on paper, but if there is a local bike fitter with five 5- star reviews, and you don’t have any, more than likely you’ve already lost that customer.
If you don’t have any Google reviews yet, reach out to your last 20 customers and ask them for a review. Explain you’re building your online reputation and a review would mean a great deal to you.
Business updates
You can post updates about your business on GBP, just like you do on Instagram and Facebook. By posting business news, bike fitting tips, or updates on your listing, you will expand your profile and provide a more enjoyable read for people searching for your services. Also, Google will recognise that your listing is active, and as a result, will likely rank you higher than the competition.
The more you get involved with your Google Business Profile, making sure reviews keep coming in, the more Google will shine a light on your website. And when you have an excellent looking website that’s designed to convert, you’ll see the enquiries coming in!
For more help and to enquire about website design and SEO, visit dotwall.co.uk. IBFI members receive a 20% discount on all services.
Top Tip: Publer allows you to link five social media platforms (including Google), allowing you to post once to five different platforms – you can even schedule your posts to go out throughout the week.
From Google zero to hero – GV Pro Bike Fit
Graeme at GV Pro Bike Fit in Liverpool, UK, has over 50 five-star reviews on his GBO listing and tops the Google rankings in his area after approaching dotwall to help him create a Google optimised website. The result is a steady stream of enquiries through his website about his services, securing him customers he might not have otherwise have gained.
“I read through the IBFI quarterly magazine and came across an offer from Ben at dotwall. He was offering some discounts on websites for bike fitters, so I gave him a call,” says Graeme.
“As a cyclist, he knew exactly what I wanted and quickly mocked up a website homepage. I was genuinely impressed and proud to think that this was my website and people would be looking at it!”
Fast forward almost a year, and Graeme says Ben continues to be one of his main allies in attracting people to place a booking for a bike fit. “He is very good at looking at a website from a customer’s perspective and tweaks things accordingly,” he says.
“Most people have heard of the term ‘SEO’ and making your website ‘optimised’ for Google searches, which might seem like a difficult task. “However, it’s easier than you think, especially with the aid of Google Business Profile.
“Having people search for ‘Bike fit near me’ and my website appearing near the top of the first page is the most critical aspect for me now, because that customer is probably within a 20-mile radius — and that’s exactly who I’m trying to attract.”
