As a business owner in the digital age, it is crucial to have accurate and engaging information about your business available through major search engines like Google.
Google My Business is a highly useful tool that allows business owners to claim their business profiles, update their business information, and interact directly with customers. Creating a Google My Business account is incredibly important, as it helps to build brand awareness and credibility.
In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about Google My Business and why you should claim your business profile today. Keep reading to learn about GMB’s key features
Google My Business – or GMB – is a tool and platform for business owners, allowing them to create and personalize their business account that appears on the Google Search Engine. Google My Business ranks as one of our top 15 Digital Marketing Strategies For Small Businesses
With a Google My Business profile, your business is more likely to appear at the top of a search engine results page (SERP). Plus, it provides the person searching with all the information they need to know about your business.
Here is an example of what a Google My Business profile looks like:
There are many key features to Google My Business that make it an awesome tool – and a necessary profile to set up for your own business.
The features of GMB include:
Creating and optimizing your Google My Business profile in 2022 is massively important – not just for selling your products or services but also for building connections and community amongst your customers.
According to BrightLocal’s Google My Business Insights Study of more than 45,000 GMB profiles, the average business appears in roughly 1,009 searches per month. Of these searches, 84 percent come from discovery through Google My Business, rather than a direct search of a company name.
This highlights the crucial importance of having an optimized page. Customers looking to discover a new business through Google will pay close attention to features such as photos and reviews especially – with photos adding legitimacy to a profile and reviews adding credibility.
The number one mistake business owners make with Google My Business is not claiming and verifying their business listing.
Google will create a basic profile for most businesses, allowing the business owner to then claim their profile and customize it. Without doing so, you cannot edit the information and features of your business profile, allowing incorrect information to potentially be present on your account.
Other common mistakes made by business owners on GMB include:
Here are our top tips on how to use Google My Business to get more customers in 2022:
When adding information to your description and profile, you need to ensure it is relevant and accurate.
You should always aim to include:
The GMB Messages is a powerful feature that allows you to speak directly with customers without those customers needing to call you directly or visit your website.
By being active on the messaging feature, you can stay in touch with your customers and encourage them to come and visit your physical location.
By using Google Posts to share business updates, you can engage with your customers while also creating a pseudo-blog filled with essential information about your business.
This can include information such as changes to business hours, new store policies, new products or services, and special announcements.
Listen up – you should always respond to your GMB reviews.
Customers want to see that you care about their opinions. While it is especially important to address negative reviews with an offer to remedy the situation, it is equally important to respond to the positive reviews as well. A simple “thank you” can go a long way in building customer loyalty.
The Q & A feature is often ignored by business owners, leaving many questions asked by customers unanswered. Using this feature is crucial, as it not only shows customers your willingness to accommodate their needs but also increases your overall engagement – which can in turn improve your search engine ranking.
How can you know whether or not your GMB profile is effective? With Google My Business Insights, of course! Google My Business Insights offers you vital analytics and information, including:
Google My Business is a powerful tool for businesses seeking success in the digital age.
By optimizing your profile, you can not only increase your business volume and sales but you can also create connections with your customers, inspiring the loyalty needed to build a reliable customer base.
Get started with GMB by claiming your business profile today!