What is Google My Business? Benifits of Google My Business

What is Google My Business

A free online tool called What is Google My Business(GMB) seeks to make local businesses more visible on Google Search for pertinent local searches. Using Google My Business, local business owners can manage and enhance their presence on Google Search. Your business may stand out from the competition in your neighbourhood by optimising your listing and page. The more space you occupy on the web, especially on Google Search, increases the opportunities your customers can see and engage with your business.

Most users start their customer journeys on Google Search, especially when searching for local businesses for services. Being found on relevant terms for those services is essential.

Using Google My Business can help you improve your results from other online marketing channels and increase your ROI.

It is critical to include GMB in your overall marketing strategy, which includes your website and other advertising channels.

For example, improving foot traffic for different branches of a business can be enhanced with Google My Business.

While GMB is more geared for local businesses, it can offer unique benefits for other types of companies as well.

Benefits of Google My Business

Local SEO
Collecting reviews
Business info directly from the search engine
Marketing and communication tool
Google My Business Insights and its benefits for analytics
Free of cost
Ease of Use

Create a Google My Business Listing

Step 1: Log into the Google Account you want associated with your business (or create a Google Account if you don’t already have one).
Step 2: Go to google.com/business and select “Start now” in the top right-hand corner.
Step 3: Enter your business name.
Step 4: Enter your business address.
Step 5: If you go to your customers’ locations, rather than having them come to you, check the box “I deliver goods and services to my customers.” And if you work out of your house or another address you don’t want publicly shown, Check “Hide my address (it’s not a store) Only show region.” Finally, select your Delivery area.
Step 6: Choose your business category. Try to choose the most accurate category possible — you’re essentially telling Google which type of customers should see your business listing.
Step 7: Add your business phone number or website.
Step 8: Choose a verification option. If you’re not ready to verify your business yet, click “Try a different method” → “Later.”

How to Verify Your Business on Google

There are several ways to verify your GMB listing:

By postcard
By phone
By email
Instant verification
Bulk verification

Postcard Verification

Step 1: If you aren’t already logged into Google My Business, sign in now and choose the business you want to verify. (If you’re already logged in, you’ll be at the verification step.)
Step 2: Make sure your business address is correct. Optional: Add a contact name — that’s who the postcard will be addressed to.
Step 3: Click “Mail.” The postcard should reach you in five days — make sure you don’t edit your business name, address, or category (or request a new code) before it comes, because this could delay the process.
Step 4: Once you’ve gotten the postcard, log into Google My Business. If you have more than one business location, select the location you want to verify. If you only have one, select “Verify now.”
Step 5: In the Code field, enter the five-digit verification code on your postcard. Click “Submit.”

If your postcard does not arrive or you have misplaced it, you can request a new code by logging into Google My Business and clicking the blue “Request another code” banner at the top of the screen.

Phone verification

Some businesses can verify their location via phone with Google. When you begin the verification process, you will see the “Verify by phone” option if you are eligible.

Step 1: If you aren’t already logged into Google My Business, sign in now and choose the business you want to verify. (If you’re already logged in, you’ll be at the verification step.)
Step 2: Make sure your phone number is correct, then choose “Verify by phone.”

Step 3: Enter the verification code from the text you receive.

Email verification

Google lets some businesses verify their location by email. If you’re eligible, you’ll see the “Verify by email” option when you start the verification process.

Step 1: If you aren’t already logged into Google My Business, sign in now and choose the business you want to verify. (If you’re already logged in, you’ll be at the verification step.)
Step 2: Make sure your email address is correct, then choose “Verify by email.”
Step 3: Go to your inbox, open the email from Google My Business, and click the verification button in the email.

Instant verification

You may be able to instantly verify your email if you’ve already verified your business with Google Search Console (a free tool that allows you to manage your website’s search performance and health).

Step 1: Sign into Google My Business with the same account you used to verify your business with Google Search Console. (Some business categories aren’t eligible for instant verification, so if you don’t get a notification asking you to verify the listing, you’ll have to use a different verification method.)

Bulk verification

If you operate more than ten locations for the same company and are not a service company or an agency that manages locations for multiple companies, you may be eligible for bulk verification.

Step 1: If you aren’t already logged into Google My Business, sign in now and choose a location. Click “Get verified” next to its name.
Step 2: Click “Chain.”
Step 3: Fill out the verification form with your business name (as well as the parent company, if applicable), country or countries where you operate, all contact names (i.e. everyone who will be using the Google My Business account), contact phone number, business manager email (someone at the business who can verify you’re a representative of that business), and the email address of your Google Account Manager.
Step 4: Submit the verification form. It can take up to a week for Google to review and process your claim.

How to Optimize Google My Business Listing

The search results display businesses relative to your location.

Showing up at the very top of a Google search is like gold. But you know that, right?

About 26% of all clicks go to the first result listed (not including ads) if there’s no featured snippet present. Otherwise about 8.6% of clicks go to featured snippets and 19.6% go to the first organic result.

Whether or not you were able to verify your business, you can still optimise your Google My Business listing.

Establishing your listing is like laying the foundation and frame of a house; it must exist. It’s like making sure the roof doesn’t leak and the insulation works properly. That being said, you should follow the Google My Business guidelines when representing yourself on Google.

There are a number of factors that influence how you rank in the local pack, and no one knows for certain. We have learned some best practises through Google advice and our own experimentation and testing.

Let’s get started.

1. Optimizing Your Info Section

Add as much info as you can to your info pane. The more complete it is the better!

What Should Include in My Info Section?

Address
Business Hours of Operation
Phone Number
Website Address (if applicable)
Appointment URL (if applicable)
Services You Offer
Business Description
The Date Your Business First Opened
Photos

Advanced Tip for Tracking Organic Traffic from GMB in Google Analytics

One problem with tracking organic traffic in Google Analytics is that you cannot easily determine whether or not the traffic is coming from your listing in the Map Pack or the regular organic results.
You can resolve this by adding UTM parameters to your website URL in the Google My Business dashboard.

You will now be able to identify which traffic came from your GMB listing when you check your Analytics in the future.

Optimizing the Service Section

Click on Services in the left-hand navigation of your GMB dashboard
Create a section or add a service to a pre-existing section.
Add a Service that you offer.
Add a listing price if you want.
Click Add once you’ve added the info and that’s it!

Google My Business Attributes

The Attributes/Highlights section allows you to add items depending on the industry your business falls into. Attributes will show up on your business profile in both Google search and maps.

These can include things like:

Woman-Led
Veteran-Led
Wifi
Wheelchair Accessible

Additional Thoughts

Download the Official Google My Business App

Make sure you have the Google My Business app downloaded and installed on your phone.

It will allow you to edit your listing, respond to messages, review insights, create posts and a lot more.

If you have any questions about how to set up or optimize your local business listing, don’t hesitate to reach out and ask.

Website: https://coral100.com/

What is Google My Business?