What is Google My Business?
Business owners may be asking “so what exactly is Google My Business and how can it help me?” Google My Business is a free online tool for business and organizations to manage their online presence across Google. The platform can help manage the information that Google shows when people search for your business or the products and services you offer. Additionally, Google My Business enables business owners to read and respond to reviews from customers, and post photos of what your business does.
How can I get Started?
Google provides an extremely convenient, comprehensible process in setting up a Google My Business. Here are the necessary steps to take, as you are creating your very own Google My Business.
- Set up a new Google Account
- Go to google.com/business
- Enter the name of your business
- Enter the address of your business location
- Specify the areas of service
- Choose your business category
- Include contact phone number/website URL
- Complete Verification
3 Things That MUST be Done to Optimize Your Google My Business
- Add Photos
Including photos of the business will actually help business listing’s performance more than business owners typically expect. Businesses with photos receive 35% more click throughs to their website than businesses without photos. Businesses with photos will also appear to be more credible than ones without them. Some good examples of the types of photos that could be used are business logos and pictures of the business location.
- Respond to Customer Reviews
Google My Business enables business owners to respond to the reviews left by their customers. Business owners must take advantage of this option, as responding to customers will create the image that the business values their customers and are willing to listen to the feedback they have.
- Choose a Category
Choosing a category for your business is incredibly important for consumers that use discovery searches. Discovery searches are when consumers look up products, services, or categorical terms rather than the specific business name. Almost 80% of business profile views come from discovery searches, so businesses that do not indicate a category will not be able to appear in those discovery searches. Additionally, once a category is selected, Google provides additional category-specific features. For example, restaurants can choose to include a menu or reservation option.
Common Mistakes to Avoid While Using Google My Business
Now that you have seen what Google My Business does and some tips to help you succeed, here are some common mistakes to avoid while managing your Google My Business.
- Unclaimed Listing
Make sure that your Google My Business is claimed by you. Edits can be suggested and photos can be uploaded, but they will be under a customer, not an owner. If not claimed, there will also be the possibility of another business coming in and claiming your listing and editing your information. In order to avoid this, click the “Own This Business” option.
- Not Updating Your Business Profile
Constantly updating your business profile will show to your customers that you care about your business’s image and its customers. There are many ways to update your business profile to keep customers informed. For example, responding to reviews and questions will prevent the possibility of any unanswered questions, showing that your business values their customers. Another way to update your business profile is by updating any changes to working hours, especially during holidays.
- Incorrect or Forgeting Map Pins
Keeping your business updated is great and all, but what use is that when customers are unable to locate the business? It is important to remember to add a map pin of the location where your business is at. Google Maps is a common platform that people use to get to places they want, so it would not be ideal for your business to be missing or incorrectly marked on the map. Therefore, make sure that you do pin the correct location of your business on Google Maps.
Follow all these steps, and you will be able to successfully optimize your Google My Business!
Business owners may be asking “so what exactly is Google My Business and how can it help me?” Google My Business is a free online tool for business and organizations to manage their online presence across Google. The platform can help manage the information that Google shows when people search for your business or the products and services you offer. Additionally, Google My Business enables business owners to read and respond to reviews from customers, and post photos of what your business does.
How can I get started?
Google provides an extremely convenient, comprehensible process in setting up a Google My Business. Here are the necessary steps to take, as you are creating your very own Google My Business.
- Set up a new Google Account
- Go to google.com/business
- Enter the name of your business
- Enter the address of your business location
- Specify the areas of service
- Choose your business category
- Include contact phone number/website URL
- Complete Verification
3 Things That MUST be Done to Optimize Your Google My Business
- Add Photos
Including photos of the business will actually help business listing’s performance more than business owners typically expect. Businesses with photos receive 35% more click throughs to their website than businesses without photos. Businesses with photos will also appear to be more credible than ones without them. Some good examples of the types of photos that could be used are business logos and pictures of the business location.
- Respond to Customer Reviews
Google My Business enables business owners to respond to the reviews left by their customers. Business owners must take advantage of this option, as responding to customers will create the image that the business values their customers and are willing to listen to the feedback they have.
- Choose a Category
Choosing a category for your business is incredibly important for consumers that use discovery searches. Discovery searches are when consumers look up products, services, or categorical terms rather than the specific business name. Almost 80% of business profile views come from discovery searches, so businesses that do not indicate a category will not be able to appear in those discovery searches. Additionally, once a category is selected, Google provides additional category-specific features. For example, restaurants can choose to include a menu or reservation option.
Common Mistakes to Avoid While Using Google My Business
Now that you have seen what Google My Business does and some tips to help you succeed, here are some common mistakes to avoid while managing your Google My Business.
- Unclaimed Listing
Make sure that your Google My Business is claimed by you. Edits can be suggested and photos can be uploaded, but they will be under a customer, not an owner. If not claimed, there will also be the possibility of another business coming in and claiming your listing and editing your information. In order to avoid this, click the “Own This Business” option.
- Not Updating Your Business Profile
Constantly updating your business profile will show to your customers that you care about your business’s image and its customers. There are many ways to update your business profile to keep customers informed. For example, responding to reviews and questions will prevent the possibility of any unanswered questions, showing that your business values their customers. Another way to update your business profile is by updating any changes to working hours, especially during holidays.
- Incorrect or Forgeting Map Pins
Keeping your business updated is great and all, but what use is that when customers are unable to locate the business? It is important to remember to add a map pin of the location where your business is at. Google Maps is a common platform that people use to get to places they want, so it would not be ideal for your business to be missing or incorrectly marked on the map. Therefore, make sure that you do pin the correct location of your business on Google Maps.
Follow all these steps, and you will be able to successfully optimize your Google My Business!
