Google My Business (GMB) is an amazing, free tool that gives you as a business owner the ability to connect directly with your customers in Google. GMB is a must-have for your business in 2021.
With GMB, your business will have better visibility in local searches in Google. Without GMB, local people searching for your products or services will struggle to find you.
Your GMB profile offers a range of benefits, including:
- Officially registers your business with Google.
- Provides an opportunity for people to leave Google reviews.
- Provides easy access to key information about your business.
- Puts your business right in people’s face when they are searching.
- Builds credibility with people searching for your products or services.
- Enables your location to appear in Google Maps and in Google Search results
What is Google My Business?
Google My Business is a free service that allows you to register your business with Google and create a business profile. You can add key information to your profile, including your business contact details, address (and directions), website link, and social media links. You can also add up to ten photos (landscape or portrait) to show what makes your business unique.
GMB gives your business better visibility in both Google Search and Google Maps. Importantly, GMB enables people to leave reviews about your business.
From a user perspective, your GMB profile is the box that appears next to Google Search results, which shows specific info about your business, including your review count. People using Google Search to find local products or services will find your business more easily if you have a GMB profile.
To access GMB, you will need to create an account at Google My Business and follow the prompts. Once your profile is completed and your GMB listing verified, your business details are displayed on Google Maps and within the “map pack” in Google Search.
The benefits of Google My Business.
The single most important benefit of GMB is that people will be able to find your business more easily on Google. If people can easily find your business, you are sure to get more traffic to your website and more phone calls or messages.
Google maps include a unique business directory area (“map pack”) that shows your business’ details in relevant user search results. The user interface of this feature is very easy to navigate for even the most inexperienced internet user. It really is brilliant!
To get the most out of GMB, it is essential you complete your profile properly; missing any valuable information could result in you not appearing in search results. This could mean your website will miss out on valuable search traffic.
If you need help setting up your GMB profile click here to learn more about our SEO services.
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Optimise your GMB.
Claim (or setup) your Google My Business listing.
It is important to register a Google My Business listing for your business. However, before you go about creating a new listing, first check to see if Google has already created one for you by searching your business name.
If your listing already exists, all you need to do is claim it and verify your account. This is important because if somebody searches for your business on Google Maps but can’t find your listing in the map pack results, they may think your business is unreliable or untrustworthy.
To register with Google My Business, your business must have the following:
- A Google ID is associated with the name of your business.
- A website for your business in the Google My Business domain.
- A business location – if you have multiple locations for your business, you will have to choose which location you want to show up in Google Maps.
Business Description.
Make sure to include a description detailing what your business offers, what makes you unique, and why customers should choose you over your competition.
When describing your products/services, it’s always important to remember that people are going to want specifics i.e. “We offer personalised service with affordable rates”.
Add photos.
A simple way to improve your local search visibility is to include images in your listing that represent your business. High-quality photos of your products/services or clear images of your business and team members are an effective way to increase local visibility and build trust with potential customers.
Using Google’s images tool, you can add up to ten photos to your profile with captions to help customers understand what the images are about. It’s best to include pictures showing exterior and interior shots of your business, as well as any other images showing your products and/or services, such as food, clothing, or other similar shots.
Add a location.
Local search is dominated by search operators such as ‘permalink,’ ‘query,’ or ‘shop locator.’
Making sure your location information and service area is set up correctly ensures people searching for a local provider will be able to find you and your business.
Add links.
It’s always a good idea to link to your business website’s products and/or services using the post and site section of GMB. While linking to your business is always a good idea and highly recommended, it is often the most underused part of a GMB listing.
Add contact information.
Adding a phone number (and other contact information) to your Google My Business listing makes it easier for customers to contact you directly from your GMB. Ideally, you would include the following information:
- Phone number(s).
- Email address.
- Physical location of all establishments if applicable.
- Hours of operation for each establishment.
You may also wish to add any social media links here as well!
Set the right category.
Selecting the right category for your business is super important; choosing the wrong category could mean your business might not show up in Google search results.
The first step is to check what category your business belongs to. If you are unsure, have a look at similar businesses and see how they’re categorised. Once you find the right category, add it to your profile.
Trust, reviews, and social media.
Reviews will help potential customers and Google knows your business is a trustworthy local business with helpful services. Trust is an important factor in getting those much-wanted clicks through to your website.
Reviews also go a long way to improving your search engine rankings for related keywords to your products and services.
Finally, linking to your social media profile(s) is an absolute must. This provides potential customers with the opportunity to click through and browse your social media profiles.
Summary.
Google My Business is an essential tool for your business in 2021. It helps you connect directly with your customers in Google and makes it easier for people to find your business.
Your GMB listing is simply another way to give your business better exposure online and build connections with your customers. Just make sure you set it up properly and include as much information you can about your business.
The best news is, it’s completely free! If you get stuck, the helpful team at Optimise Online is always available to give you a hand. Get started on your GMB profile today. What are you waiting for?
What next?
If you’re serious about your business, it’s time to optimise your GMB listing and start working on getting those reviews.
We can help you, a done-for-you service. Which allows you to focus on your business while we optimise and completed your GMB profile, to connect you to your customers.
Plus, our team is ready to make sure your Google My Business account has everything it needs to start competing for that number one spot!
Click here to learn more about how we can help you optimise your GMB.