What is Google My Business?
Google My Business is a tool that allows business owners to create and manage their small business’ Google presence. You can create a listing that will appear whenever potential customers search for your business. A quality Google My Business listing can share information about your small business and attract new customers to your business/site.
If you have searched for a business on Google, odds are that the business’ “Google My Business” listing was the first thing you saw! If the business has one, it pops up on the right-hand side of the search. And if you are one mobile, it even shows up ahead of your business’s website! A GMB listing tells potential customers the essential information about a company:
- Business Name
- Address
- Phone Number
- Website
- Description of the Business
- Operation Hours
- Reviews
- Overall Ratings
- Images
- Google Map Links
- Related Searches
- Reviews
And more!
It can also be used to interact with customers and create ads, create posts and feature products. Best of all, it’s free to use!
Google My Business and SEO
There are many benefits to a quality Google My Business listing, but the main three advantages will give you a massive boost in organic web traffic. The main three advantages are:
- More Prominent Display in Search Results
- More Organic Traffic to Your Website and Store
- Better Shopping Experience for Your Customers
To start, a Google My Business listing gives your business a prominent spot on the search results, and this is extremely important, as a staggering 95% of Google users (your potential customers!) never leave the first page of search results. This is why it is infinitely valuable to make your listing pop with GMB.
Also, this goes without saying, but when you have increased visibility with Google, you will get a lot more traffic to your website, and even to your store. People will be able to know everything they need to know about your business while never leaving the results page!
While there are many more benefits to a good Google My Business listing, the biggest benefit is that it makes for an infinitely better shopping experience for your customers. Imagine you are a local American restaurant. Unless your customers have driven past your business, they likely don’t search for your exact name. They will search instead for “places to eat near me” (search keywords that get over 300,000 monthly searches on Google, by the way!). Without a Google My Business listing, you may miss out on all those potential customers – and you may be out of luck.
Your Google My Business Listing
1. The first step is to log in to the Google Account that you want to be associated with your business listing. Quick side note, it is highly recommended that you make a Google account and email account specific to your business. This can help you keep better track of all your business information and keep it separate from all your personal accounts.
2. Next, go to google.com/business/. Pressing the “Start Now” button will allow you to begin your business listing! The rest of the setup is very straight forward, as is typical with Google products. You will be prompted to enter your business name, address, opening date, hours, and phone number/business email. From there, continue to enter details about your business as you please.
3. Then, you will need to verify your business. This typically involves clicking “Verify,” and you will receive a mailed postcard from Google with a confirmation code for you to enter into GMB.
After verifying your business, your business will officially be listed on Google Search Results, and you will be on your way! It’s that easy!
How can TKD Design help you with your Google My Business Listing?
Here at TKD Design, we help small businesses get a great start on the Internet. This includes helping owners create a stellar Google My Business listing and helping with accompanying Search Engine Optimization to further enhance your Google My Business listing.
One of the first things we do for a client new to website design and creation is constructing or optimizing a Google My Business listing, and we can do it for you too! While GMB is easy to set up, it often takes a lot of constant upkeep to maintain your SEO presence – and we can help take that off your plate!
When you’re ready to take the next step with your business, TKD Design will be here to help with your Google My Business listing – and anything else you need to make your business successful on the web!
Don’t hesitate- contact us at TKD Design to get started on your small business’ Google My Business listing today!
