Google, is a one-stop solution for millions of users, be it for the local store details or searching for unique products and solutions from the global markets.
If for the global markets, even for the users from the locality to know the existence of a shop or business offering services, add local business in Google using Google My Business is a potential source.
Google My Business (GMB) is an essential tool offering businesses to attain more active local leads in the digital landscape.
A properly managed Google My Business profile can help SMBs to ensure people find your business, whilst looking for products and services in the local area and how to appear in Google Maps.
In a simple illustration, are you a good café offering a good cup of coffee or tea as your core offerings, and listed on the Google My Business notifying your map location, few reviews from customers, and adequate details available in Google My Business?
When people search for a good café in the locality, they have a high probability of being listed in the search results.
However, for a business to be on top of such a search list, it is important to focus on setting up the Google My Business account properly to boost your brand.
The following are some of the key steps or best practices that can help manage your Google business account effectively and to reap the benefits of Google add local business opportunities.
Some of the key reasons why the Google My Business account is essential are
- A good Google business account supports better local SEO
- Upon users searching for a nearby business using Google Maps, the results shall list your business
- It helps the users to have map navigation to reach your business office or commercial space etc using Google Maps.
Following are some of the key practices supporting setting up the Google My Business account and adding the local business to the Google business account.
Table of Contents
Step 1: Google Business Profile Manager
It is important to ensure the Google account is secured and has limited access to the primary account.
Any unwarranted access or manipulation of data can impact the performance of your Google My Business account.
Log into a Google business account using the existing credential or create a new sign-up.
Related: How to Manage Your Business Profile Directly on Google
Step 2: Add your Business
Google business account is designed very user-friendly, and it does not take much time for the users to work on the Google business set-up.
Using the simple business form available, fill in the details like the business name, brand image, contact person, and the category of business you would like to get listed.
There are hundreds of categorizations available in the drop listing, and it is easier for businesses to choose the more appropriate category for their respective Google business account.
Related: How to Add Your Business Profile on Google
Step 3: Location Update
Ensuring that the Google My Business account lists your address accurately is more important.
For this, one needs to select the option of physical address as yes and enter the accurate physical address of the local business, using your Google business account.
If the businesses do not have a physical address but can deliver in-person service to a specific radius, it can also list the serviceable areas to add local business.
Also, using the drop list scope, one can define the business listing area, and ensure the further information set-up is completed for adding a local business.
Step 4: Adding Adequate Contact Information
The contact information like the phone number, business owner details, and exact location of an address.
Post addition of the information it is important to ensure that all the information is reviewed as a checklist of accuracy in the information provided over the Google business account.
For physical businesses, the business shall receive physical correspondence like postcard mail or a representative visit for verifying the location.
In the instance of a service-area business, the verification takes place using an email address.
Post filling in the data, the users shall receive a five-digit code to be entered into verification of the business section.
Upon successful verification, there is confirmation from the Google business account indicating the verified status.
Step 5: Customizing the Profile
Post the verification from the Google Business Account, your Google My Business dashboard is accessible for the businesses.
Along with using the information flow options available in the dashboard, the users of the Google business account can add landline numbers, functional timings, website addresses, email information, etc. can be uploaded to the information console of the Google My Business profile.
This dashboard can be used effectively for planning message communication, reading reviews of the customers, make amendments to the data in the Google business account.
Also, using the Google Ads services, more reach can be planned by the business.
Step 6: Optimizing the Information
The search results in the local business search from Google primarily depend on the following aspects
- Relevance
- Distance
- Prominence
Relevance is more about the category and adequate information on the business, whereas distance is about the serviceable area defined or the estimated locality radius by Google My Business.
Prominence is the other thing to focus upon by businesses, as they must encourage Google reviews, ratings on Google, etc. which can help the Google Business Account increase its ratings.
Key aspects that can help the business increase its score
- Ensure adequate details in all elements of the business profile while adding the local business information
- Providing adequate information on the products or services, what you offer etc. is the other value proposition for resulting in search results.
- Ensure to add real images and videos of the business, as it can help the SMBs in having more effective social profiles from their Google Business Account.
- Depending on the business type, including the product info, images, etc. can attract more traction from the Google search results.
- Keep updating the content regularly to inform users about the service offerings.
Following the above set of information over Google My Business can help the users bring in more traction on the local search results, and gain popularity among the local business.
To help you build your local business, we provide SEO services to increase visibility and reliability of your brands. Start SEO strategies for long term marketing plans.
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