Google My Business is the best free tool out there to increase your visibility for local searches when someone is looking for your line of work. Almost half of all daily searches are from clients looking for information on local business’s. When someone looks up a business the first thing they see is your Google My Business Listing. So how do you make sure your Google My Business Listing is up to date and is informational?
Google My Business (GMB) is a free platform that powers business listings on search and maps. GMB is also crucial when it comes to mapping results. I searched for a “web designer Fairfield County CT” in the Fairfield County area and got many results. Google didn’t just list these names arbitrarily. Search Engines looks at a number of factors beyond location like a number of reviews, and other important information about your business before it pulls up your search . This is why the GMB is important to keep up and make sure your information is correct – it attracts high-quality, local prospects to your company.
Own Your Page
To start off, you’ll need to either create or claim your listing. Once you have control of your panel, you’ll want to add all your information. Add your business address, make sure your business hours and location are accurate, add your services, the towns you service and make sure all your general information on your business is correct. Add relevant keywords during setup, as this will help Google match you with more relevant searches. If your not sure how to do it or what to do, you might want to consider looking at your competitors. You can also add your latest blogs to this listing which will help with searches even more!
Reviews
Once your information is verified, you’ll want to manage reviews. Five-star reviews are the best but don’t worry if you see a couple of 3 or 4-star ratings. (Remember you can always comment and address those reviews if they are not correct). If you get a strongly negative review, respond to it! Other users will see your post which will give you an opportunity to demonstrate your customer service. Don’t leave fake reviews because Google will remove these if they think they’re suspicious and it’s pretty easy to tell when a company is pumping up their own ratings just by scrolling through their reviews. If you don’t have many reviews and want more, ask customers to leave them but don’t allow more then 1 week, posting 10 reviews in one day for example is a bad idea, as Google could possibly flag it and remove them. Do it over time and do it carefully.
Add Photos Of Your Work
Make sure to add high-quality photography not screen shoots of your logo, your team and your work (if applicable). Many local users will encounter your business through GMB before they even see your website, so it’s important to have a nice visual impression. If your ratings are solid and your photography are good, that user will most likely go to your website! Hence a phone or interest in your services!
Keep Up With Your Listing
Your GMB listing lets you manage more than just reviews. There’s a Q&A feature that lets users ask specific questions about your company. You’ll get notified when one comes in – don’t leave it hanging! Both the question and answer will be published on your listing.
This is a very basic outline of what you can do with Google My Business but hopefully you will understand the value this free service has to offer. If you haven’t verified ownership yet, do it now! I recommend looking at some of your local competitors’ listings, its always smart to see what your competitors are doing. GMB also comes with free analytical insights. You’ll be able to track views, see the search queries people used to find your listing, and gather demographic data on your customer base. For a free service, GMB offers an impressive number of features and you should take full advantage of it. If you’re a local business, you cannot afford to ignore this platform. Be active on your listing and keep it up!
How To Access Your Google Business Page
Sign in to the Google Account you used to sign up for Google My Business. To find your Business Profile, search on Google for your exact business name. You can also search for “my business.” If needed, to manage your Business Profile, select View profile.
