Proof That An Optimized Website Boosts Your Google Listing

For more than five years now, my team and I have been helping tow company owners throughout the nation grow their businesses. And, every day, we receive calls from prospective clients eager to have us help them as well.

One of the questions we receive regularly is, “Does a towing business really need a website?” Some believe that simply having a Google Business Listing is enough.

For any business to grow and increase profits, it must have a way to bring new customers into the business. And, since most motorists carry a very powerful computer (smartphone) with them at all times, advertising in the phone book is no longer a viable option.

So, the way that customers find your business is to search for the service you provide online. And, even though there are various places your business can show online, an optimized website is THE BEST INVESTMENT you can make.

How An Optimized Website Boosts Your Google Listing

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In this article, we’ll discuss the various locations your business can be found online and prioritize the value of each. We’ll also provide proof that having an optimized website for your towing company is not only a necessity for continued growth and profitability but that it will boost your Google Business Listing as well.

Exploring The 3 Ways Your Towing Business Can Be Found on Google’s First Page

When someone is looking for a towing service, they perform a search using various words related to towing. They’ll type or say “tow truck near me” or one of the other 100 or so popular search queries.

What Google provides them is called a “search result.” In that search result will be various listings on Google’s first page where your business has the opportunity to be found.

#1. Google Ads

Starting at the very top, and appearing below the organic listings are the “Google Ads.” You’ll recognize these when you see a small box with a green border and the word “Ad” in the middle. These are paid ad placements, otherwise termed, “Pay-Per-Click.” If you have a properly optimized Google Ad campaign your ad will show up for the keywords you choose, and only display in the geographic area you want the ads to be seen.

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Pros:

  •  A Google Ad is the first thing a customer will see when they search for your services.
  • There’s no other method of paid advertising that can hold a candle to the targeting you get from Google ads.
  • You can pinpoint your customer at the exact time of need.

Cons:

  •  If your Google Ads aren’t optimized properly they may cost you more per click and show up below the organic listings.
  • Every time someone clicks on one of your Google Ads it costs you money.
  • There’s no guarantee that someone who clicks on your Ad will call you.
  • There’s no guarantee that someone who clicks, and then calls you, will actually use your service.
  • Once you quit paying for these Ads they go away.
  • There’s a lot of competition for space (which means the cost per click can be high depending on location)

#2. Google Business Listing

Beneath the Google Ads are the 3-Pack Google Business Listings (sometimes referred to as “The Map.”) At the time of this writing, these listings are still free but don’t hold your breath. If you have a local towing business and have the ability to receive postal mail at your business address, you can have a Google Business Listing.

Example of A Google Business Listing Result

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Pros:

  • A Google Business Listing is free.
  • Google Page is how most towing companies generate sales online.
  • Your business can show up locally in a search result.
  • You can post from your Google Business Listing, similar to how you can post on a Facebook Business Page.
  • You can add hours and different types of services to this listing.

Cons:

  • Paid Google Ads can be displayed inside the Google Business Listings box, above your free Google Business listing.
  • Just because you have a Google Business Listing doesn’t mean your business will be displayed in the top three on the first page. (Look at the “More Places” link at the bottom.)
  • You do not own this listing. This is not a website it is simply a free listing. Anything that Google giveth, they can certainly take away, or charge you for in the future.

#3. Organic Listings

Below the Google Business Listings box are the organic listings. Here you’ll find three types of listings. (1) Links to local towing websites. (2) Directory-type listings, like Facebook, Yelp and YellowPages. (3) Links to national referral towing websites, like Urgently and Honk and others.

Example of An Organic Listing Result

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Pros:

  • When your website’s pages are found on the first page of the organic listings it positively impacts your ability to make it to the top 3-Pack local results. (See Proof below) In other words, an optimized website will help your business show up higher on the map, in the Google Business Listings.
  • If you have a website showing up in the organic listings, good for you. It means that Google believes your site is one of the best local choices for the search term entered.
  • If you own your website, and maintain it and keep it relevant with ongoing SEO, Google will have no other choice than to keep presenting it in search results. (Google’s results for the search terms entered must remain relevant or they’ll be replaced by a better search engine. Just as they replaced the Yellow Pages.)
  • If your website is optimized and you are actively using a directory listing management service, your business could be showcased by one of the directory-type listings here as well.
  • A recent study found that even when Google Ads are present in a search result, 43.9% of clicks went to the organic listings. Which means, if you can get your website’s pages to the first page of Google, you’re in good shape to get the clicks, and then the calls – Simply because you have an optimized website.

Cons:

  • A word of caution: Just because your website shows up on Google’s first page in the organic listings for one keyword or keyphrase, doesn’t necessarily mean it will show up for others. A website needs ongoing Search Engine Optimization to show up for multiple search queries. You don’t want to miss out on a tow just because your website wasn’t optimized for the search term “roadside assistance.”
  • You cannot rest on your laurels. If your towing website has made it to the first page of Google in the organic listings you need to ensure someone is watching it. Errors on your website can accumulate, and if these aren’t addressed quickly Google can downgrade your site, causing it to decrease in rankings and no longer be displayed on Google’s first page.

Proof That An Optimized Website Boosts Your Google Listing

Ok, now here’s the proof of how an optimized website can boost your Google Business Listing.

Moz.com recently performed a study where they looked at 315 entries on Google’s local 3-pack listings in cities throughout the United States. What they found was that 75% of the businesses that made it to the top three on Google’s Map also had their websites on the first page, below the map. Moz also noted that the percentage of corresponding organic results on the first page would be higher if you were to take out the spam Google Business Listings and “Mystery search results.”

If you would like to learn how you can get an optimized website for your towing business and boost your Google business listing, then simply schedule a call to learn more.