Whether you are a large or small business, sell a product or a service, have a brick and mortar location or are strictly online, your customers and prospects all begin researching your business, services, and products online. How will you make sure that when your potential clients and customers are searching for you on Google they will find you? The answer is simple, it’s having a Google My Business account.
Having a Google My Business account makes you discoverable! Not only will your business “pop up” when someone does a Google search, but it also allows your customers to see if you have a website, a physical location, as well as what products or services you offer. In addition, Google My Business accounts also improve your local SEO. Therefore, when someone searches for you, you show up on page one—not page two or worse.
A Google My Business account helps keep customers informed. Your Google My Business profile includes contact information, business hours, and other essential details. You can post updates to share that you’ve expanded services, temporarily closed, or fully reopened (an especially useful feature during emergency situations like COVID-19).
Finally, a Google My Business account builds trust! According to Google, customers are 70% more likely to visit businesses with a Google My Business listing. Another study found that businesses with complete listings on Google are twice as likely to earn trust from consumers. And we all know, trust is very important when we choose which businesses to frequent and products to buy.
To really make your Google My Business account work for you, here are 5 tips to get the most out of it:
Fill out your whole profile. Give Google as much information about your business as you can. This makes it easier for Google to match your business with customer searches.
Add your logo and photos to your page. This helps customers recognize your brand and see more of who you are and what you do.
Post news, updates, and special offers. This makes sure your page is timely and relevant and gives customers a reason to visit your website or business.
Add special features and attributes within your profile. Special features are available for Google My Business accounts based on the category you assigned to your business when you created your page. For example, a hotel can list amenities offered. Restaurants and bars can upload menus and photos of meals and can even provide a link to make reservations. Even adding features such as your business has free wifi, is handicap accessible, or is minority owned also helps make your listing more robust and interactive.
Encourage customers to leave reviews! People trust other people more than they trust businesses. Encouraging your customers to leave reviews helps build trust and, ultimately, drives sales!