Almost 50 percent of surveyed consumers use Google to search for a product or service, and more than half use Google to discover a new brand. These statistics firmly cement Google’s position as one of the most visible, successful platforms to market your business.
Aside from the massive reach of the search engine, you also have access to a suite of tools that boost your SEO ranking, website traffic, advertising performance, and conversion rates. Here are some top, must-use Google features to improve your marketing ROI.
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Google Analytics
Analytics is one of the essential tools in the Google Marketing Platform. This free service allows you to track and report crucial website metrics across all your devices or applications. Not only does it monitor how much traffic your site generates, but it also compiles other valuable insights, so you can see patterns in user behavior and shift your marketing efforts to capitalize on those trends for higher customer acquisition and retention. Google Analytics can track just about every website data point you need to know as a business owner or marketer:
- Site impressions
- New or returning visitors
- Pages clicked
- Engagement time
- Views per country
- Mobile or desktop views
- Highest traffic days/times
- Total site revenue
Google Tag Manager
As useful and comprehensive as Google Analytics is, it can be time-consuming to integrate Analytics capabilities into your website code—but that’s where Tag Manager comes in. This interface solution automatically consolidates and optimizes all metadata (tags, titles, descriptions, and other backend elements) across your website.
This will elevate the site’s on-page SEO to simplify and configure it for maximum searchability without manually coding it. When both Analytics and Tag Manager join forces, it directly funnels the information obtained from Analytics into the metadata configuration of Tag Manager to increase website performance, ranking, and functionality.
Google Business Profile
A Google Business Profile is an absolute must if you want to attract more hyperlocal customers. According to a recent survey from BrightLocal, 78 percent of consumers search online for local business information more than once a week, and 21 percent do so daily. To maximize this high search volume, your GBP page must be up-to-date with the most current, personalized, accurate, and relevant details about your business. Here’s what to include on a GMB page that drives traffic (online or in-store) and ultimately converts:
- Contact information (phone number, website, email, etc.)
- Physical address (to have a GBP, you must operate an actual location)
- Map integration for turn-by-turn directions
- Hours of operation and health/safety measures
- Brief summary of the products or services you offer
- Answers to frequently asked questions
- Updates on special offers, events, or promotions
- Customer ratings/reviews and chat functions (with Google Business Messages)
- Photos, videos, logos, or other fun visual elements
- Business identifiers (Black-, woman-, veteran-, LGBTQ+-owned, etc.)
Google Performance Max
If you use the Google Ads interface to run advertisements, don’t sleep on its latest innovation: Performance Max. This goal-based, solutions-driven platform combines keyword research, automation technology, and real-time data reporting to advertise across all Google channels with just one campaign successfully. This allows you to reach audiences on YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail, Maps, Search, and more with minimal extra legwork.
Performance Max is most effective when you have a specific goal, such as, “I want this campaign to increase local sales,” or “I want to generate traction for a new holiday promotion.” Performance Max also measures consumer reach, conversion value, and other campaign metrics. You can pivot strategies, swap out keywords, or experiment with more visual and interactive elements to increase your overall ROI potential.
Google Shopping
Sure, you can market a brand on Google, but why stop there when you can sell on Google too? No e-commerce retail should be without Google Shopping—this online marketplace will boost product visibility, nurture customer acquisitions and streamline your sales funnel. List a product for free, or extend the reach even further by advertising and selling directly on this platform. 1.2 billion monthly searches take place on this site, and advertisements yield $2 in revenue for each $1 spent. Here are some new Shopping features to know about:
- Merchant Checkout: With a Shopify plugin, customers can purchase from the listing. All they have to do is click, and Shopping will automatically redirect them to the checkout page on your website.
- Immersive Shopping: Customize your listings and/or advertisements with high-quality, swipeable visuals and keyword-rich item descriptions to create an immersive shopping experience for the consumers.
- 3D Augmented Reality: When this update rolls out shortly, customers can view an accurate three-dimensional model of your product in the search results, so they can visualize the specs.
- Platform Integrations: Combine your Shopping product feed with other Google-run channels such as YouTube and Search to build a seamless connection between online browsing and purchasing.
Level Up Your Marketing ROI with these Google Features
If you want to incorporate these Google tools and features into your brand marketing but aren’t sure where to start, our team of specialists at 10x digital is here to make it easier. We’ll help your business formulate a successful online marketing strategy that converts and show you how best to utilize these Google features for optimal results.
