Google My Business (GMB) is a free tool that helps local businesses get discovered online. GMB provides information about your business including address, hours, phone number, website, social profiles, and reviews. You can manage your listing at any time and update it whenever you want.
How does Google My Business work?
When someone types your business name into the search bar, they’ll see your business listed in the local area. If they want to learn more about your business, they can click on your listing and go straight to your website. You’ll have the opportunity to add photos, videos, and maps to help them understand where you are located.
Why you need a Google My Business account.
There are many reasons why you need Google My Business.
1. Get discovered in Google (and Google Maps)
A Google Business Profile helps and ensure that when people find search for your business they find complete information about your business. It even help you improves your local searches with the help of SEO. Google my business also appear when people are searches for a nearby business using Google Maps.
2. Control your online business information
Google My Business is a free service provided by Google that helps businesses get their information online. You can create a listing for your business on Google Search, Maps, YouTube, and Gmail. A Google My Business account gives you access and control your online business information, including contact details, hours of operation, directions, and even images.
3. Build trust through reviews
Reviews are an important factor in determining how trustworthy a company is. If you have a good reputation, people will trust you more. When someone searches for your business on Google, they’ll see what others say about you. Your customers can leave reviews on Google, Yelp, Facebook, Twitter, and other review sites. These reviews help potential customers make informed decisions about whether to do business with you.
What if my business isn’t listed yet?
If you don’t already have a Google My Business account, we recommend signing up today. Once you sign up, you’ll receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to complete your profile
How long does it take to set up my Google My Business account?
It takes less than five minutes to create your GMB account.
Steps to set up my Google My Business profile
Setting up your GMB account is simple. Just go to www.google.com/business and follow the steps.
1. Create a business name
This step is pretty self-explanatory. You want something catchy, memorable, and unique. If you’re looking for inspiration, check out some of our previous blog posts about naming your company.
2. Set up your website
If you don’t have a website yet, now’s the time to get started! We recommend using Squarespace.com. It’s free to sign up, and they offer great templates and tools to help you build a professional website.
3. Add your phone number
You’ll need to add your phone number if you plan on taking orders over the phone. Make sure you enter your area code, even if you live outside of the U.S. Also make sure you include your country code (if applicable).
4. Get verified
Google My Business requires verification. To do this, you’ll need to upload a document showing proof of your business’ existence. You can find instructions here.
5. List your hours
Listing your business hours is optional, but we highly recommend doing so. Your customers may want to know what days and times you’re open before making their purchase.
6. List your address
Make sure you list your physical address. Include your city, state, and ZIP code.
7. List your services
Now that you’ve listed your address, you can start listing your services. Here’s where things get tricky. There’s no standard format for how to write this section. But, here’s a good place to start.
Can I change my Google My Business settings?
Yes! You can edit your GMB settings anytime. To access your GMB settings, just log in to your Google Account and then select “My Businesses” from the left-hand menu. From here, you can make changes to your GMB profile.
How often should I check my Google My Business account status?
You should check your GMB account status once per week. When you log in to your GMB account, you’re able to view your GMB activity history. This includes things like customer visits, reviews, and comments. You can also view your monthly performance reports. These reports show you how well your business is doing compared to last month.
Should I use Google My Business for both my website and social media accounts?
Yes! We recommend using Google My Business for both your website and social media accounts. That way, people searching for your business on Google will be directed to your Google My Business page.
7 Ways To Optimize Your Google My Business
1. Optimizing your listing
The first step to optimizing your GMB listing is to make sure that your business name, address, phone number, hours of operation, and website URL are correct. You should also make sure that your contact information is accurate and up-to-date. If you have any changes to your business information, you need to update your GMB listing.
2. Optimizing your images
Your GMB listing includes a photo gallery where customers can view your products and services. Make sure that these images are high quality. Customers want to know what they’re buying before they buy it. A low resolution image might not look good enough to entice someone to purchase your product.
3. Optimizing your location
You can optimize your location by adding details about your store, including its address, phone number, opening hours, and directions. You can also add a map to show customers how to get to your location.
4. Optimizing your reviews
If you have positive customer reviews, you can use them to help improve your GMB listing. You can also ask your customers to leave reviews if they had a great experience at your business.
5. Optimizing your social media profiles
Social media is a great way to promote your business. You can share posts about your business on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. You can even create a YouTube video to showcase your products and services.
6. Optimizing your website
Make sure that your website is optimized for mobile devices. You can do this by using responsive design. You can also add videos, maps, and other interactive features to your site.
7. Optimizing your content
Content marketing is a great way to attract potential customers. You can write blog articles, post informative videos, and create infographics. These types of content will help you build trust with your audience.
How to Rank Higher on Google My Business
1. Optimize Your Listing
Optimizing your listing is the first step towards ranking higher on Google My Business. You want to make sure that your business name, address, phone number, website, hours of operation, and any other information that appears on your Google My Business page is accurate and up-to-date. If you have changed anything since your last review, you should update your listing immediately.
2. Add Photos
Photos are the best way to get people excited about your business. When someone searches for your business online, they’re looking for images of what your business looks like. So, if you don’t have any pictures of your business, you could be missing out on potential customers.
3. Use Keywords
When someone searches for your business on Google, they may use different keywords than you would. Make sure that your business description includes those keywords. Also, try using variations of the keyword (ex. “cannabis flower shop” instead of just “flower shop”).
4. Update Your Location Information
If you haven’t updated your location information in a while, now might be a good time to do so. Google uses your physical location data to determine how relevant your business is to a search query. If you’ve moved, updated your hours of operation, or added services, you should definitely update your location information.
5. Get Reviews
Getting reviews is great way to improve your rankings on Google My Business. People often trust reviews over other types of content, so getting reviews is a great way to increase your visibility.
6. Link to Other Pages
You should link to your homepage, contact page, and any other pages that are related to your business. This helps Google understand that your business has more than one page.
Conclusion
Google My Business (GMB) is one free tool that help you to attract local customer and build your brand as well. If you have a business, then we recommend using Google My Business and social media as well to transform your business to a brand.