What Is Google My Business?
Google My Business is a free and easy-to-use feature for businesses and organizations to use that helps them manage their online presence. Available both on desktop and as a mobile app, this tool incorporates information from Google Maps and Google searches to relay to businesses their ranking on the search engine.
Businesses and organizations are able to edit and verify their information which helps both the company and the consumer, as it gives an accurate portrait of the business and lets customers learn everything they can provide.
What Are Some of the Benefits of Google My Business?
1. Manage Your Information
With Google My Business, you are able to curate what users see when they search for your business on Google. According to Google, businesses that verify are twice as likely to be considered reputable by consumers.
To verify your business, you must make sure that your information—such as business hours, website URL, and physical address—is prominent and available.
2. Interact with Your Users
Another great feature of Google My Business is the level of interaction you can have with your site’s users. You are able to read and respond to reviews from your customers and post photos and videos that showcase what your company does.
It is extremely important to interact with your users because it increases the likelihood that they will return to your site.
According to Google, businesses that post photos to their listings receive 42% more requests for driving directions through Google Maps and 35% more click through to their websites than businesses that don’t.
3. Understand How to Expand Your Presence
Google My Business lets you see how customers and users searched for your business and where they are specifically coming from. It also lets you see information like how many people called your business directly from the number displayed on the local search results in Google Maps and Google Search.
Website curators can create and track their performance on AdWords Express campaigns, which will help spread the word of your business.
How to Improve Your Google My Business Rankings
1. Business Listings
Google determines if a business is real based on how often the business name, address, and phone number are cited.
To get your business cited, it is imperative that you submit your business to local and national business directories.
2. Clear NAP
The name, address and phone number (NAP) of your business should be clear and consistent on your website and contact page if applicable.
The best way to ensure that your NAP is clear and consistent on multiple sites and directories is to initiate an organic search of your business. If you notice any discrepancies, make sure that you reach out to the site’s source and make the corrections immediately.
It is recommended that you include the NAP on your site’s footer or header so that it shows up on every single page of the site.
3. Embed Your Google Map
By embedding a Google Map on your site, it helps Google to verify your address.
To do this, search your business name in the maps tab of Google. Once the response has loaded, there are three lines next to the name in the search bar on the top left. Click on the dropdown and then click on the share or embed map option. You will be given a code that you must copy and then paste on your site’s contact page.
4. Gather Reviews
Reviews are seen as a competitive advantage in the world of Google My Business that can make a significant difference.
A site that has many reviews, particularly positive ones, is more likely to have higher engagement and better click-through rates. It is important to note that keywords and internal rankings in reviews can also theoretically improve your rankings significantly.
Asking past clients who have appreciated your services for reviews, or sending out a review request as part of an email marking campaign, can do a lot to boost your numbers.
