You might be thinking ‘why should I take my business online?’ Not all traditional brick-and-mortar businesses are aware of what Google My Business is, and how valuable it is in today’s cut-throat digital market.

Google My Business is a vital tool we use to help businesses grow an online presence. When set up, it allows a business to show up on search engines in their local area with ease, transforming the process that customers now take in finding the information, product, or service they are searching for. With Google My Business being a free tool to use, it really is worth looking into. Our guide will help to answer any questions you may have.

What is a Google My Business page?

When a user searches for a business on Google, a small profile will appear on the right of the search results; that is Google My Business. You can display important information about your business including opening and closing times, contact details, link to your website and social media channels, and an all important reviews section. 

Increase your businesses local search visibility

Creating your GMB page is one of the simplest and most effective ways for allowing your business to be found online. More and more search queries are becoming geographically specific and Google's algorithms have been developed to consider user intent.

You’ve probably searched ‘places to eat near me’, if so then you’ll notice how Google returns a list of four locations based on your current location. If these places did not have a GMB page then they would not have shown. Think about this in terms of your business, whatever product or services you sell, how can local searches benefit your business and what might you be missing out on without one?

How to optimise your Google My Business Page

You should aim to include as much information as possible on your GMB page. When users have done their search and found your business in the search results, their next step will be to find out more information.

Get your description right

Take time writing a good description that relates to the local user that might be searching for your product or service. The description is used as an overview about what your business does and keywords related to your business can be implemented here. The description can be up to 750 characters, but it’s important to get the most relevant information in the first few sentences.

Add posts to your Google My Business Page

Adding posts to your profile will attract more interest to your page as the content will show in Google search and on map results. When uploading a post you can have an image, up to 300 words, or an event title with a start and end date; there is also an option to add a call-to-action button. Giving you options to promote events, promote products and services, or highlight when you are running special offers, the opportunities are endless.

Post regularly 

You may have posted core images such as the exterior and interior of your business, logo, and your team, but you shouldn’t stop there. Post images as much as you can as it will show Google you’re active, meaning Google will show your business higher when it comes to local search results.

Collect reviews

If you want to rank higher in search and map results, then collecting reviews is key. Reviews act as real world signals of what people actually think about a business, they act as a form of social proof to your potential customers and help them make a decision on whether to do business with you or not. You might be thinking what’s the best way to get reviews? Simple, just ask. 

More importantly, make sure you respond to all reviews, whether good or bad, so your customers know you’re serious about them and their experience with your business. This will also help to build brand trust as it shows a level of engagement at the post-purchase stage.

Google is now rolling out the messaging functionality where businesses can now message with customers through their web browser, not just the mobile app, making the process of responding to customers easier.

Don’t miss out on these important Google My Business Benefits

Ensure that your business has an up to date and detailed Google My Business page. If you have not taken these simple steps to optimise your page then you’re missing out on one of the best FREE ways to rank high in Google search results. It is a highly adaptable platform that can be updated as needed to reflect day to day changes. All it takes is a little time and knowledge to optimise your page, you can see the benefits instantly.