Google My Business Tips

People looking for your products and services online often do Google searches. The easiest and fastest way to show up in a Google search is to have a Google My Business listing. By incorporating search engine results into your marketing, Google My Business gives local businesses a big advantage. Here are key Google My Business tips to follow.

What Is Google My Business?

Google My Business (GMB) is a free local marketing tool that allows business owners and marketers to manage how their business is displayed on Google Search and Google Maps. It’s a listing on Google that shows your name, address, contact information, website link, and hours of operation.

Millions of brands use GMB to engage with customers, learn more about customers, stand out from competitors, and attract new customers. With GMB, brands can know the kind of customers they attract, where they come from, what appeals to them, as well as how the business is performing.

To get your GMB listing, you need to verify your business data by creating your GMB profile or claiming an existing auto-generated profile. This critical step in any local SEO strategy makes it easier for customers to find information about your business and review the business. It’s important that the information you provide is accurate, complete, and optimized.

The first step is to create a GMB listing by either claiming your page or creating a new one, and then verify it. With GMB, you will be able to create a simple website that will drive more customers to your business. It’s also essential that you optimize your GMB listing.

When someone searches for products or services, the local search listings dominate the results. Therefore, when users search for your products or services within your locality, your GMB page will be displayed among the listings. The information from your page will show in three different places: Google’s sidebar, local results, and Google maps. Therefore, prospects will be able to see your location, contacts, and other information from your page.

Why Use Google My Business?

1. GMB increases your visibility on the web

One of the biggest benefits of creating a GMB listing is that it improves your business’s visibility on the web. When you search for a product or service on Google, the first three listings are usually Google AdWords ads, followed by a map with the Local 3-pack, then the organic results appear.

Many businesses have been trying different SEO tricks to get into the Local 3-pack, but many don’t know that you can significantly increase your odds of making it onto the list by creating a GMB listing. Having your business appear in the Local 3-pack can help you tap into potential revenue, as Google not only shows customers your business on Google Maps but it also places it before organic search results.

2. GMB helps you share information with prospects

GMB allows you to share information about your business, including your address, contact information, and working hours. It also allows you to share news, updates, announcements, and offers. These posts show up on Google Search and Maps, enabling you to keep prospects updated.

However, before posting anything, it’s always important to consider your goals. Do you want to raise awareness about a new product or service? Or do you want to drive customers to visit your location? This will enable you to customize your post to the goal. Also, always give your posts a Call to Action that compels prospects to take action such as “Call,” “Visit,” “Buy,” or “Learn more.”

3. GMB helps you reply to prospect queries in real time

Google has a messaging feature that allows you to chat directly with prospects who find your profile on the search results page. The feature enables you to quickly answer questions in real-time and help your current customers and prospects.

Google gives you the option to either activate or turn off the messaging feature. When you activate it, users visiting your page will see a clickable Message icon, where they can initiate a chat. You will be able to respond to the messages through SMS or Google’s messaging app. However, be careful not to share sensitive information such as credit card or login credentials.

4. GMB boosts your appeal with reviews

GMB lets customers review your business and leave feedback. Reviews are an influential factor when customers are making a purchasing decision. Nearly 90% of customers read online reviews to evaluate the quality of a local business, and many prospects choose the product with the highest reviews. By delivering quality products or services, you’ll collect more reviews and get a higher overall rating, which can help you stand out from the competition.

Online reviews also build trust and confidence among customers. Reviews are also a ranking factor used by Google to determine where to place your business on search results. You can also improve your rating by responding to reviews.

5. GMB helps you increase traffic and sales

Having a GMB listing can help you increase your traffic and sales. According to Google, businesses that have a GMB listing are 70% more likely to attract local visits from browsing users. The multiple verification steps that every business must complete before appearing in local searches create trust among customers.

6. GMB is essentially free advertising

This one’s probably the most important of the Google My Business tips. If you want to promote your business and get it on the first page of Google, you can run a Google Ads campaign, which won’t come cheap, or you can improve your on-page and off-page SEO to build your authority and ranking over time. A third option is to create a GMB listing, which is a faster and less expensive way to get targeted exposure.

Claiming and verifying your listing puts your business in front of many prospective customers and gives them easy access to your contacts, direction, website, and hours off operation – all at no cost.

Sign up for GMB

Sign in to Google My Business.
Sign in to your Google Account, or create one. Sign up with your business email domain and enter the name of your business. Then click Next.
Enter your business address. Then click Next. You may also be asked to position a marker on the location of your business on a map. If your business doesn’t have a physical location but operates within a service area, you can list the area instead. Then click Next.
Choose how your business will display on Google Maps by entering your business address. If you serve customers at your business address, click Next. (If you also serve customers outside your business address, you’ll have the option to list your service areas as well.) If you don’t serve customers at your business address, at the bottom, click I deliver goods and services to my customers and then click Next. List your service areas, then click Next.
Search for and select a business category. Then click Next.
Enter a phone number or website URL, then click Finish. You’ll also have the option to create a free website based on your information. Provide the individual phone number or store page for each location rather than a single centralized call center.
Select a verification option. It’s recommended that you review your information before you request verification. To verify now, at the top, find the red banner and click Verify now. To verify later, click Verify later and then Later.