Google My Business – Why It Matters And Where To Start

Brief Overview

• Google My Business is critical to the digital presence of any business. Your Google My Business  account is the first thing people see when they search for your business and it is important to present them with basic information to visit, shop, or call you. 
• One other benefit is that local SEO rankings are improved by having a Google My Business account. 
• Set up is free and easy with this step-by-step guide. You only need to share some basic information to start and can add other enhancements and optimizations as you go. 
• It is crucial that the name, address, and phone number are consistent across your marketing so that you don’t confuse your potential customers and anyone who’s searching. A consistent presence assures people that you are open for business and how to interact with the brand. 
• I’m convinced! Show Me The Steps

In an age where “Google” has become a verb, it’s in your best interest to show up on the world’s largest search engine. Even if you are a small, local business looking for just a small, local presence, being found on Google is crucial to your business’s success. 

But how does your small business show up and rank on such a large search engine?

Google My Business is an easy (and crucial) first step. Think of it like a phone book – this is the newer, more powerful version of the phone book. 

Why Having a Google My Business Matters

You want to be #1 on Google right? Of course, who doesn’t?

The reality is that there are a ton of factors that go into where you rank and Google My Business is the low hanging fruit that you must start with. 

By creating a Google My Business account and providing a bit of basic information, introduce your business to Google and help it (really, its algorithms) understand who you are and what you do. When it better understands your business, it can better serve (show) your business to the right people at the right time. 

Having a Google My Business account also helps boost your local SEO rankings which is extremely helpful for small, local businesses to be found. Keeping up with your listing and making sure that it is consistent across all of your digital profiles provides better content for Google to show to the end user, which is a win-win-win situation for all. Additionally, you can update your business hours, services, contact information, and more to better communicate to your potential customers right when they are looking for the information. 

What is Local SEO?

Most business owners know that they need SEO but might not fully understand what SEO means. To answer what is local SEO, let’s first explain SEO briefly.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of affecting the visibility of a website, webpage, or unpaid web search results. The goal of SEO is to increase the number of unpaid visits to your website. This is what we like to call “organic” traffic.

Local SEO is the process of affecting your local online presence, so that your business shows up as a result for people in your community who are looking for something that you offer. Local SEO is very similar to SEO, but requires a few specific elements. These specific elements are gathered together easily in a Google My Business account. 

How to Set Up a Google My Business Profile

Setting up your Google My Business account is easy! Just follow this step-by-step guide to getting started:

1. Sign in to Google

If you don’t already have a Google account, create one. 

2. Get started on Google My Business

Visit google.com/business and click the “Manage Now” button to get started.

3. Enter your business name

As you are typing, Google will offer names of other business names who already have a listing available. This is to prevent duplicate listings. If you have multiple locations, you will want one Google My Business account for each address available to the public. 

4. Enter your business address

If you are open to visitors and customers at this address, enter it now. If you do not accept in-person visitors, check the box below the address information that says “I deliver goods and services to my customers.” Then also select the box that says “Hide My Address (it’s not a store.)”

5. Specify a service area (only if you are a service-based business)

Enter the regions, cities, or zip codes that your business serves. 

6. Choose a business category

What you choose as your business category impacts how Google will classify and present your business. This is an area that consistently is updated on the platform and might be worth revisiting over time. You may also want to look at your competitors’ listings and review the entire list to find the most appropriate and accurate category possible. 

7. Enter a contact phone number and website

These are not required but are extremely helpful in the user experience. If you do not have a website, Google offers a free Google website, but keep in mind that this is very basic. We always encourage each business to have their own website. 

8. Complete the verification process. 

In order to show up as “verified” you might complete one of the following verification steps:

• Postcard Verification: Google will mail a physical postcard with a code that you will enter online to verify the account. This is the most common verification option.
• Phone Call Verification: An automated phone call will be placed with the contact number on record that will provide a code that you will enter online to verify the account. If this is available to you, it will appear as an option on the verification step. 
• Email Verification: An automated email will be sent to the email account associated with the Google My Business account with a code to be entered online to verify the account. If this is available to you, it will appear as an option on the verification step. 

Google My Business is the best way to boost your visibility both online and offline. It is an important asset to your digital presence. As our world becomes more digital every day, providing Google with information about your business is crucial to keeping up with your competitors, driving traffic, and growing your business. 

Start your Google My Business account today!