What is Google My Business?
Have you ever typed in a business name on Google and seen that little box on the right-hand side full of information? The information shown on the right is a knowledge box, powered by Google my Business.
It’s free and really easy to use. It allows you to manage your business information that appears across Google properties like Search and Maps.
Google my business gives customers searching for your brand lots of extra information within the search results pages. You can include links to your website. Directions to your business location. Contact details. Opening hours. Appointment booking. Images. And an option for customers to ask your business questions and the option to leave your business reviews.
You can even publish updates as you would on a social media profile. The best bit about all of this, is its totally FREE!
How to set up Google My Business?
Simply visit https://www.google.com/intl/en_uk/business/ to get started and you’ll be walked through setting up your account.
Think about where you serve your customers. You can set a location to show where your business provides its service. If you’re an eCommerce business that delivers across the whole of the UK, you can specify this. If you’re a service-based industry that only services within a local radius. You can specify this. If you don’t want people knowing your physical location at all, you can hide your personal address if you work from home and don’t allow customers to find you.
Why use Google My Business?
There are several benefits to using Google My Business. One of the main benefits is allowing customers to find your location. Allowing directions within Google Maps to help locate you. And allowing your business to appear in maps results.
Another advantage is that your results page for your brand is more engaging. When someone searches for your business. You can give them a much richer result and more answers direct in the SERP (Search Engine Results Page) Than just your organic listing.
Having a maps result can also help you to rank in local pack listings when sometimes you might not appear in the organic results.
A Google My Business listing also cements that the business is real and trustworthy. All businesses on Google My Business are required to confirm their identity via their postal address or telephone number.
How Can Google My Business help me?
When a user searches for a brand. With a Google My Business listing, you can collect reviews. These reviews will show up here. Building positive fresh reviews further instil confidence in your brand when a user searches for you. As it shows real interactions with real customers just like this new user.
A lovely feature of Google My Business is that it allows customers to ask questions directly to the brand. You can then answer customers and show the answers to other new customers. It creates a two-way relationship between your brand and the customers. This is visible to all users and as your business grows is a great way to showcase the real knowledge behind the brand.
Google My Business is a great tool to help boost the visibility of your brand. As well as enhance your brand organic listings all whilst helping your customers. If you haven’t yet set up a Google My Business profile now is definitely the time to get started.