You can easily use Google My Business to easily manage your business reviews, listing, photos as well as location of Google search, Google Maps as well as local search.
This is one of the most powerful tools which can be used to increase your ranking on the Google result page thereby reaching more customers. However, for you to take full advantage of this opportunity, it is essential for you to claim and also complete your profile and ensure it is optimized to be found by customers whenever they are searching for businesses which are similar to your own. This is why we would give the essential points which are needed to build a dynamite Google My Business profile.
What is Google My Business?
Google My Business is the Google’s listing platform for companies, there are several small, medium as well as large businesses which have Google My Business profile which will help in boosting their search ranking and also have a direct contact with their customers.
Why Should Your Business Use Its Google My Business Profile?
When you have successfully set up a Google My Business profile for your company, it will make your company to show in the Google search results, Google local search results as well as Google Maps results. This automatic business tool can be used to make your business appear on other business listing sites thereby increasing your business coverage.
“It is very essential for every local business to benefit from Google My Business because it will make customers to find them easily” said Brandon Schroth, an SEO strategist that works with seoWorks. “The best part, when the profile is optimized correctly, the page shows up normal organic results”
How Much Does Google My Business Cost?
You will not be charged to add your company information to Google My Business, it’s free of charge and also gives local businesses a way by which they can easily manage their online presence by verifying and updating essential information, said Schroth.
How Does Google My Business Work?
When you list your business on Google My Business, it will ensure your business name, address, phone number, hours as well as description are listed appropriately and consistently across all the Google internet platforms which include Google reviews, Google Maps, Google’s Local Park and Google search results. In addition to that Google My Business would give you access to manage your entire Google business profile for different location which you desire from the dashboard.
What Does Google My Business Do?
Google My Business will give you access to control the way your business show up on Google. With the aid of Google My Business, you can easily adjust or correct any of the following:
- Name, address as well as phone number
- Your business working hours
- The geographical information about each of your location
On these basic features, you can as well add the photographs to your Google My Business profile and encourage customers to leave positive reviews.
Do You Still Need Google+ or Google Places for Business Pages?
No, you do not need it because everything which is needed to manage your business can be adjusted from the dashboard of Google My Business. The NAP information, photographs and any other information which is uploaded to Google My Business will be spread across all of Google’s platforms. You can likewise manage the AdWords of your small business from your Google My Business dashboard. There are some essential guidelines for representing your company on Google My Business:
- Represent your business as it’s consistently represented and recognized in the real world across stationery, signage as well as other branding
- Make sure you write the precise and accurate address
- Ensure you choose the fewest number of categories it takes to describe your overall core business.
How Much Can You Manage From the Google My Business Dashboard?
Once you are on the dashboard of Google My Business, you can manage everything which is needed for your small business appearance:
From this dashboard you can:
- Update your business information and have it automatically update in Google search and Google Maps
- Get alerts for and respond to new reviews from customer
- Use Google “insights” feature to see who’s interacting with your business online and learn how they found you
- See how many people click to your website from your Google My Business profile
- See how often people click-to-call your business from your Google My Business profile
- See how often people request driving directions from your Google My Business profile
- See how often people see your business in their Google search results over time
- Use AdWords Express to administer AdWords from your Google My Business profile
Is My Company Already Listed on Google My Business or Google Maps?
You can start be searching for your business in the Google My Business search bar. If the information of your company is in Google’s system, it will appear on your screen, you will be asked by Google to verify the contact email on file for the account.
How to Add Your Company to Google My Business
If Google does not have any information about your business, you will be lead through a series of steps. Once you follow these steps, you will be able to add your business information to the site when these prompts are followed appropriately.
When waiting for the verification process to be completed, you can start the uploading of videos, photos and logo into your Google My Business dashboard immediately; this would not be published or seen by your potential clients until the verification process is completed. You can likewise watch Google’s step-by-step demo to claim or add your company to Google My Business.
How to Verify Your Google My Business Listing
There are two different ways by which you can verify your Google My Business listing: by postcard or by telephone.
“Google wants to understand that you are a verified representative from the company. That’s the main reason they send a postcard to the address which gives a code to input,” said Nanthan Barber, the digital analyst for the Digital Advertising Work agency. “With the code verified, you will have a total control over the listing. The verification which has been done will boost your chances of ranking for local services that you offer in your business area.”
You can easily determine the method of verification by following the Google’s prompt which is right for you; the verification by postcard will take between seven to ten business days. You can also watch Google’s step-by-step video to learn how to verify your small business on Google My Business.
What if Someone Already Claimed My Business on Google?
You will have to go through an additional step in the process of listing your company if someone has already claimed your listing. To lock down ownership of your listing, you will have to request a transfer of listing ownership or ask the person who is in charge to add you to the existing account as a listing manager. In this case, you can also watch Google’s step-by step video on the appropriate step to take if an individual has already claimed your business.
What Should You Include on Your Google My Business Page?
The information which is included on your Google My Business profile seems self-explanatory but there are some basic steps which should be followed by every business owner so that their information will be presented appropriately to their audience on Google My Business, said Barber. The following guidelines are what will be included on your Google My Business profile so as to get things perfect:
- Consistent Business Name, Address & Phone Number
You want to ensure that your entire business details are consistent with the online listings. Google pulls your NAP from all the different sources, but if you can provide the right information through a consistent business citation, you will increase your online visibility on search engines on local search, said Barber.
- Unique Business Description
He also said Google wants to see your ‘about’ section is unique and not pasted from your own website. When you have a unique description, your targeted keywords as well as business focus will become more visible on the search engine. Do ensure you include a hyperlink right in the description so as to have maximum visibility.
- Correct Business Category
Make sure you choose the right business category because it is very vital for your user searcher intent. When you choose the right category, you will show up for the right type of traffic. If you are having challenges with the category, you can check the competitors and scout for the winning category.