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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
What is Google My Business?
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:
Features of Google My Business
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:
- Editable Business Information: When you claim your business profile through Google My Business, you can edit or update the essential information such as your phone number, physical address, and website.
- Messaging: GMB offers business owners a messaging tool via a chat feature on each business profile. This allows you to speak with customers and offer real-time help and support directly through your GMB account.
- Q&A: The Q&A feature of GMB allows you to publicly answer customer questions, similar to a FAQ you may find on a website. This not only ensures your customers’ most common questions are answered but also gives them a fantastic opportunity to engage with your profile and content.
- Categorization & Description: A major advantage to GMB is that it allows you to categorize your business and add a detailed business description. This is useful to customers who are new to your business and it helps you to rank higher on SERPs.
- Reviews: Reviews are massively important to customers researching businesses online, as they get a more realistic view of a business from a customer’s perspective. With GMB, customers can leave reviews directly on your profile, along with 1 to 5-star ratings.
- Photos: With GMB, you can add photos to your business profile that give your account a more lively and welcoming feel. This can include photos of your physical business, your products or services, your staff, and more.
- Google Map: By entering your address and location information into your GMB profile, your location is automatically integrated into the Google Map. This is especially convenient for customers who can easily use this map to navigate to your place of business.
- Google Posts: Google Posts allow you to add blog-like posts to your business profile. Great uses for this feature include business updates, special offers, and new product or service announcements.
The Importance of Google My Business in 2022
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.
Mistakes Business Owners make with Google My Business
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:
- Ignoring Reviews: Ignoring reviews is a major no-no when it comes to Google My Business. Customers want to see you engaging with them, regardless of if the review is positive or negative.
- Missing Information: As you fill out your business profile, it is important to fill out every section to ensure a “missing information” message does not appear on your account.
- Incorrect Map Pins: While listing your address is important, you must also ensure this address is correct in your Google Map Pin as well. Many business owners overlook this aspect, leading to incorrect map pins that lead customers to the wrong location.
How to Use Google My Business to Get More Customers in 2022
Here are our top tips on how to use Google My Business to get more customers in 2022:
Add Relevant & Accurate Information
When adding information to your description and profile, you need to ensure it is relevant and accurate.
You should always aim to include:
- Your business name
- Your official phone number
- Your website
- Your social media platforms
- Your business hours
- Any business restrictions you have (masks requirements, limited seating, etc.)
Speak with Customers through Google My Business Messages
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.
Update Posts to Share Business Updates
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.
Show Commitment to Customer Satisfaction with Online Reviews
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.
Use the Q&A Feature to Increase Engagement
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.
Track Google My Business Insights
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:
- How customers find your listing
- Search queries your business appears in
- Where customers find you on Google
- Customer actions (asking questions, leaving reviews, etc.)
- Direction requests through the map feature
- How many customers use your GMB profile to place a phone call or order
- How many customers view your photos
- What your business is most well-known for
Final Thoughts
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!
