When people are looking for someone or something nowadays, Google is the first place they go. You want to have a solid profile when potential customers start doing their research on you or your products. Have a Google My Business(GMB) profile makes this so much easier.
It is also great for SEO purposes, as Google highly favours websites that have their profile filled in with great detail.
It is especially beneficial for business that are local and have a physical location, but can do wonders for remote companies too.
GMB has so much relevant and easy to understand info available for users, such as:
- Reviews
- Opening Hours
- Contact Details
- Website
- Products
- Photos
Make sure you fill these in with as much detail as possible.
How to Get Started:
Click here to get started on making a Google My Business profile. You’ll need an active Gmail account to proceed here. Then simply enter in your business name and what category you fall under, such as ‘Web Design Agency’ etc.
You will be then asked if you have a physical location or are you remote. This is to allow you to be added to Google Maps if you have a location. You will be sent out a letter in the post with a code to confirm you are actually based in this location. If you are remote you will be asked what area you serve, such as your city or country.
Next is your contact number and website. If you don’t have a website yet, we’d be happy to help. If you do, enter it now.
You will then be asked to define what services you provide, your opening hours and a description of your business. Make sure these are filled out with as much detail as possible, for both customer’s sake and SEO to help you rank higher.
Google will also ask do you want access to their free messenger app, that allows customers to message you through Google. This great feature and is 100% free, no reason not to get it.
Last but not least are photos. These will give a visual image of what the business is all about. You can upload your logo, cover photos, photos of employees at work, the office or any social media content you use.
The Benefits of Google My Business:
1) Maps:
When people are on their lunch and getting hungry, they will whip out their phones, open Google Maps and search ‘Restaurants Nearby’. If you’ve optimised your GMB correctly, and gained solid reviews, you will be put in front of that hungry potential customer. They can then look at photos of your food, check out your menu, and get directions to you.
2) Reviews:
Peer reviews are key in gaining the trust of customers. Almost 90% of people surveyed have read reviews to determine the quality of a local business, the majority of these on Google. Accordingly, 74% of potential customers say positive reviews make them trust a local business more than they would have otherwise. Reviews have a huge impact.
According to Moz, roughly 9% of Google’s entire search algorithm is driven by review signals, so it’s great for SEO too.
3) Insights:
Like Google Analytics, Insights give you an inside look at how people find your business listing on the internet. Insights data includes views, searches, direction requests on maps and actions from both organic search results and Google Ads.
You can also see how many views your photos got, how many people called you via your number on Google and customer actions after viewing your profile i.e. Clicking your website or getting directions.
4) Free & Easy:
And one of the best reasons you should be setting up, and constantly updating your Google profile, is that it’s totally free. Doesn’t cost a penny. It’s very user-friendly, and not very technical, so you shouldn’t struggle too much with it. If you are having any issues with it, don’t be afraid to reach out, and we can help you fix it.
