Do you have a business but have never used Google My Business? Don’t worry, we got you covered. If you have no idea what it is, we will also explain to you what it is and how to use google my business as an important part of your internet marketing strategy.
why you should have one
If you run a small business, it's important to be listed on Google. This can help generate more customers for your company and make sure that people see you as an established brand. But since some businesses don't want to pay for a premium listing, Google has made it easier than ever to claim your free listing using their own site, Google My Business. It's simple and offers many of the same features as paid listings, so why wouldn't you take advantage?
There are three main benefits to having a Google My Business listing. First, your free profile page will show up in Google search results when people look for your company or products. Next, you'll have an easier time keeping track of customer reviews since they will be automatically sent to you. Finally, you can also use Google Analytics to gain insights into how customers find your business and which channels are most successful. No matter what kinds of information you're looking for, it's all right there in one place. The important thing is getting started today! If you already have a Google My Business listing, then congratulations—keep up the good work! If not, it only takes a few minutes and some simple steps to get set up on GMB and start driving more traffic to your website.
how to claim your local listing
To begin claiming your local listing on Google, open Google My Business and click Manage. You’ll be redirected to Google Maps and you can add your picture or logo here to show up in search results and on Google’s mobile app. To edit your existing details, click Edit information, fill out all of your information (phone number, address, website) and select Permanently delete to remove yourself from search results if you wish. Click save at the bottom of each section to save it. All updates are reviewed before they go live so make sure all of your info is correct!
Now that you’ve claimed your local listing, it’s time to fill out your profile. To start, open Google My Business and click Manage. You’ll be redirected to Google Maps and on your dashboard you can add a picture of your business or a logo. This is an important part of local search results! Next to Use photo from Google+, click Claim it to select one of your photos from Google+. If you don’t want a photo, click Upload file instead and upload a file using that option. Fill out all of your information (address, hours, website) under Your details and hit Save at the bottom when finished.
what you should do with your GMB account
In order to fully use Google My Business, you'll need to sign in (top right corner) and then do a few things to optimize your business page. First, edit your company info by clicking on About in the menu bar. Here you can add images, video, links and more to your page. Next, edit your address info and add some photos of your place/area by clicking on Photos or Reviews. You can also directly upload photos from Google here. The most important thing that users don't realize about GMB is that it's a form of local search ads — which means you want as many people as possible to see it!
Finally, make sure to claim your Google My Business page by adding your contact info to it. If you don't, you won't get nearly as many views or leads because people will still see Not on Google? when they search for you in Google. You can edit your page info by clicking on Overview under Settings. When people do find your GMB page, they'll be able to find out more about what you offer and contact/find directions (with a map) to get there. There's also a four-pack of ads that appear at the top of every GMB listing: one click through per ad per day.
reviews and ratings
SEO has changed. Years ago, you could easily manipulate your way to page one by spamming anchor text and using low-quality backlinks. Today, Google employs sophisticated algorithms that analyze content and websites based on a variety of factors. To get to page one (the coveted spot where all those lucrative clicks are), you need to publish high-quality content that’s relevant for your readers. Whether you’re a small startup or an established brick-and-mortar business, it’s important that your website is optimized for customers in order to create more conversions and organic traffic through search engines like Google.
If you own a local brick-and-mortar business, people often search for your location on Google Maps. This is especially true if you don’t have an established website with tons of content. If you’re unhappy with how your location looks on Google Maps, and more importantly, how it ranks in Google’s search results, it might be time to claim ownership of your profile page. I say might be time because having a bad online presence can hurt revenue and affect customer satisfaction ratings. Review sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor use Google My Business data to display relevant information about local businesses in their reviews.
keep it up
You don’t have to be a Google Certified Partner or even have an established online presence. You can apply to sell Google My Business just by completing an application. After you’re approved, we’ll work with you to get everything in order and provide training and resources so that you can make informed decisions about your customers, manage ads, and run your business efficiently. Whether you own a local bookstore or run a local printing shop, we want to help. Let us know how we can get started! Keep it up!
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a local plumber or a renowned landscape designer. Google My Business makes it easy to get your business information in front of people searching for you on Google and make sure they find exactly what they need when they get there. Plus, you can monitor customer reviews, manage ads, and even update your hours all right from your dashboard. It’s that simple! Keep it up! You don’t have to be a Google Certified Partner or even have an established online presence. You can apply to sell Google My Business just by completing an application.
