Business and marketing dynamics are changing rapidly. Whereas in the past, a company’s “geographic visibility” and word of mouth advertising mattered a lot to local businesses, these factors are of little importance today. As everything moves online, so does business. Right now, the best form of online marketing for local businesses is to create a GMB or Google My Business profile.
Google My Business Guide
Various researches have shown that 60 to 70% of potential customers (more for companies in the service area) check GMB lists when looking for companies and less than 10% of internet users open links marked as ads. You would surely lose a lot of business if you miss on the GMB lists.
- What is GMB or Google My Business
- Why GMB or Google My Business is important
- How to List Your Business with Google My Business
- How to get your business verified for GMB or Google My Business
- How to rank your GMB profile in Google search results?
Here we will discuss everything you need to know about GMB or Google my Business as a beginner.
What is GMB or Google My Business?
GMB or Google My Business is a concept that allows companies to list themselves as active in Google’s search results and on Google Maps. It lists both local businesses and those that provide services in a particular service area.
Why is GMB or Google My Business important?
Most users look for local businesses online and only a few consider the options marked as ads. Thus, the majority of Internet users rely on GMB lists to decide their preference for local businesses.
GMB is even more useful for freelance professionals like plumbers, electricians, locksmiths, etc., as they usually don’t have a store for people to notice or reach them.
How to list your business with Google My Business?
You can create a business account with Google here. Enter your business details and make sure the details match your business license details. This would be important during the audit.
Verification of companies is necessary for their inclusion in the search results. However, we did notice many unverified companies listed on Google.
How to have your company verified for GMB or Google My Business?
Your business can appear on both Google Search and Google Maps, even when it’s not verified. However, it will soon be deleted because Google plans to delete the unverified GMB lists.
You can use this tool to check the verification status of your business.
Verifying your business could be easy for a few and difficult for most. The best you can do is keep your account in good Google books. The following points should be kept in mind when trying to verify your listing:
- Creating a website and a domain email id with Gmail could do a lot of checking. I checked my GMB account without entering a code simply because I created a domain email id with Gmail.
- Make sure your address and phone number are the same on your business license, Gmail domain email id, Google business account, and Google Maps. Just copy and paste. The reason is that the slightest lag could trigger a red flag for Google.
- If you receive a verification call from Google in a few weeks, that’s good. If not, you can try to check the postcard.
Postcard verification
Make sure your address, business name and phone number are correct and do not change them during the verification process.
- Log into your Google My Business account and go to Home page.
- Check all your details and click Check now.
- To select Send a postcard.
Most postcards are received within 14 days. They carry a code. Your account will be verified once you enter the code in the appropriate field on your GMB home page.
How to rank your GMB profile in Google search results?
Google search usually does not display more than the first 3 results when checking online businesses (unless you click More Spaces) to host other search results. So ranking your profile is important. The factors that influence the position of a GMB rating are:
- Proximity to your business.
- Google My Business profile.
- Relevance of your business.
- Quotations.
It is advisable to keep your commercial location as close as possible to your customers. However, your store is an intangible asset, so most cannot change it. If you operate a service area business, pay attention to the service area that you define in your city. The relevance of your business is also important. A specialist doctor would rank higher than a hospital with a better GMB profile.
After proximity and relevance, your Google My Business profile would be the most important criterion while considering the ranking of your listing. My advice for raising your GMB profile is as follows:
1]Be sure to fill in all of the information on your GMB profile page, including your phone number, business address (not for companies in the service area), hours of operation, website, username messaging, etc.
2]Use a domain email identifier associated with Google instead of a generic identifier.
3]Add keyword-rich posts to your profile. But don’t spam the keywords.
4]Add photos of your business to your GMB profile. But be careful not to use photos. You must use real images relevant to your business.
5]Activate messaging for Google My Business. This would allow users to send you messages. Don’t forget to answer.
6]Ask your customers for authentic reviews on Google. Always thank them for the positive reviews and apologize for the negative reviews. Try to convince your customers to change negative opinions into positive ones by proposing a correction of your services.
Another important factor when ranking your GMB ad is – quotes from your online business name, address and phone number. To add quotes, you need to be active with the online business community and convince high-ranking websites to mention your business.
Apart from the above, Google checks your activity level with your GMB profile when ranking your business. They count the number of times you have been called and the number of times you have answered the call. Your response time to reviews on your profile counts.
It should be understood that no business owner should engage in unethical behavior (such as fake reviews) or else, Google will surely ban your account forever.