By 
It’s a fact: small businesses account for half of America’s GDP. In the digital landscape of today, these very businesses have more of a shot at being noticed and profitable. Google has been a massive vehicle behind this phenomenon. If you can speak their language, then no matter what business tier you fall under, you have a shot at making their front page and harvesting large amounts of traffic (hopefully conversions! ).
Today, it is paramount that any business signs up for Google My Business, a platform launched by the world’s largest search engine that integrates maps and reviews and works closely with AdWords. If you’re trying to figure out how to get your business listed on Google, then look no further; you’ve come to the right place.
Is Google My Business Worth it
Absolutely. There is zero reason why any business that could profit from more visibility is not listed on it. Not only will it attract more customers, but all businesses listed on Google My Business will instantly become more credible. Google uses various sources to create a brand and business reputation. These include third parties (that have dealt with your product or service), reviews, and your input once you verify your account. Also, it doesn’t cost you anything. In case you didn’t already know, Google My Business is free.
When customers visit your listing, they can view your hours of operation, location, and (hopefully) a long list of fantastic reviews about your product/service. Google, customers, and you can post many pictures depicting your business. The more information you have and the more you keep tabs on your listing, the better the odds that a customer will come walking in through the front door. Today, when we search for a business on Google, the more information available, the more we immediately begin to trust the company.
So, listing your company on Google My Business is not just a good move; it’s a necessity. Your competition is probably already on there.
How Do I List My Business on Google
Let’s start with a computer, as it’s ubiquitously agreed that starting a listing from a laptop or desktop is easier.
Go to Google My Business
Ensure you’re signed into the Google account you want to use for your business.
Click ‘Start Now
You will be prompted with this page.
Fill out the information (country, address, phone, category, website, then whether or not you deliver goods or services to your customer’s location)
Then once it’s done, all you have to do is click submit.
It’s important to note that, depending on your business, someone else may have already verified it. In this case, go here and use Google’s prompt to request ownership of a business listing.
The process is slightly different but relatively the same if you’re on a mobile device. You’ll want to be connected to the Google account associated with your business. If this is your email, that’s fine.
Download the Google My Business Application
If you don’t have an account you want to use, press ‘Create new business.’
Follow the steps above if your company has already been verified
Enter your information
Ensure that you’ve claimed where you are on Google Maps
- Finish
Once you’ve made these steps, it is important to search for your business on Google’s listing platform to ensure that you’ve done it correctly, your business is listed, and that your information is correct. At that point, it’ll be public, so you don’t want to have misleading information from the get-go.
Google My Business Tips
As with anything on the internet, there are always ways to improve it.
Pictures
The importance of high-quality pictures can be the difference between someone first interacting with your listing and thinking this is professional or this is amateur. You want to ensure you have the best pictures on your listing, as it boosts credibility. You’ll want to start with a great profile picture that depicts your brand/company.
Afterward, you can have pictures of the owner, team, interior of the workplace exterior of the workplace, product, service, brand, and more. We highly recommend you flesh these out with high-quality, professional pictures. They will only help validate that you are a professional company and that customers take your listing seriously.
Regularity
You need to stay on top of your listing. Google tends to ‘default’ certain items. For example, if you don’t control what pictures are being used, Google might crawl a website and use ones that are out of place or inappropriate within a certain category.
Speed
How quickly can someone contact you via your listing? If it suits your business, it’s often wise to include an extension or a direct line that is always (we’re speaking within business hours here) ready for use. How often have you searched for a service or product, called the first number you saw, and no one picked up? What does that force the customer to do? More often than not, they scroll down to the next company and call that number instead.
Use Data
Google My Business Insights will provide you with its form of content metrics. Use this data to see how well your listing is doing, where it’s generating leads, and how it scales compared to your immediate competition. There’s no reason that this free data should not be completely utilized.
Go Do It
Most customers want to research businesses from their home or computer. They want to evaluate, analyze, and then choose. Yet, few of them want to be diligent. This means often; they won’t wander past the first few listings. This is one of the many reasons it is time to list your business on Google My Business.
It’s easy, free, and can massively impact your customer base. You don’t need to be a marketing expert (or even versed in the field), and you can still get up in the running in less than an hour’s work.
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