Google has made our lives easier in quite a few ways. Need to find a local electrician? Google it. Need to buy tickets to an upcoming concert? Google it.
From conducting research on academic issues to searching for issues relating to our personal lives and careers, it seems to always be there. Popular Google products like Gmail, Google Drive and Google Docs are some of the things we use on a daily basis, but what some people do not know, is that there are tools that can also be used for business and improving online visibility.
Business Tools You Should Be Using
Google My Business
The major need for most businesses and e-commerce sites is visibility. Businesses listed on the number 1 search engine boost their views and increase traffic to their sites. Any business not discoverable on here is losing out – big time. Having business listings allows you to have a presence on Search and Google Maps. This is one way to increase qualified website visits. Local SEO experts love this tool too as it has an array of functionality options to help Australian and Worldwide business grow.
Google Trends
As a business owner, it is important that you understand the digital marketing language, tools and strategy to use in order to boost your presence and reach potential customers. You also need to know that you don’t have to stick with one marketing strategy, instead, be ready to evolve and move with the trends. This tool is especially helpful as it will help you monitor marketing and search trends that are relevant to your field and improve user experience on your own website. Whether is for a product or service, there are lots of valuable insights to be found here. A win-win.
Google Alerts
Just like Google trends, this tool helps you stay on track with the latest mentions of your business or brand. Plus, it is a free service that sends you email alerts whenever there is something new mentioned on the internet, or whenever someone mentions your business page online. In order to receive these notifications you just need to sign up via an email account and wallah!
Page Speed Insights
Have you heard of Core Web Vitals? Keep consumers and Google happy with a responsive and quick loading website. The speed at which your site displays for a customer can lead to a positive or negative experience for them, in turn sending this information to search engines. As this can affect one’s business, free tools were created like this one. This allows you to take a speed test in order to find out possible issues that could be slowing down your site’s loading. It will also provide suggestions on how to fix these errors and speed up the loading process of your page.
Google Keyword Planner
This is especially handy for people who wish to start up advertising on google. The google keyword planner will help you find those keywords that people are using more often and you will be able to group the data based on some factors like geographic location, gender, mobile device, browser, etc. Furthermore, this tool will also give you an estimate of the budget and search traffic.
Google Analytics
Where are you spending the most of your marketing dollars and time? Previously known as Google Webmaster Tools, this tool will help you keep track of your website traffic and channels. It’s an effective marketing tool to use for your business as it can pinpoint whether a tactic you have implemented is translating into qualified users. Information like time spent on your web pages and bounce rates can help your business identify what your audience is loving – or not responding to.
Google Search Console
Are you reaching your target audience? This tool is great to check the health of your website as well as review the keywords you’re showing up for organically. Search Console provides regular updates via a handy dashboard, that you can drill down into and access from anywhere. A great tool to keep up to date with what’s working and what you might need to change.
Google Forms
Did you know that you can create forms for free? This tool is very helpful for business owners as it helps them collect information from consumers and people visiting their sites. There are so many instances where it can be used, as it can be used to collect data, collect reviews and feedbacks, conduct interviews and so much more.
Google Calendar
Being super organised is always a good idea. This tool helps you keep track of important moments, past and present. It has other functions such as setting up appointments and keeping track of your meetings. Additionally, you are also able to create multiple calendars to suit different areas of your business or for different purposes.
Get Started!
With Digital Marketing evolving constantly, it’s important to use what you have at your fingertips to stay current and relevant. The above-listed tools are just some of the free business tools you need in order to provide better results and increase your visibility. Take advantage of them today.
Author Bio:
Doreen Brown from Let’s Get Visible has 9 plus years of experience working with small to medium businesses using ethical & evidence-based Digital Marketing and SEO strategies. She also has a podcast and online academy to further support businesses with their visibility needs.