Google My Business Account - What Is It And Do You Need One?
From search engines and email accounts to phones and smart speakers, it seems like Google is everywhere these days. But did you know that Google is also able to give your business an online presence through a tool called ‘Google My Business’? In this article, we’ll take a look at everything that you need to know about the tool and why you should create your own profile.
What Is A Google My Business Account?
Think of Google My Business as a platform to promote your business. By having your address on your profile your business will show up on map listings. You can also let potential customers know about your services by completing your profile. This can help people find you online when they search for your services. A Google My Business account also allows you to speak directly with customers and receive reviews.
Do I Need A Google My Business Account?
For the vast majority of businesses, particularly brick and mortar stores, having a Google My Business account will be a big help.
Business Address
Think of the process a customer has to go through when looking for your business on their phone. Without an account, they will most likely have to navigate to your site, search to find your address, copy the address, open maps, paste the address and then find out exactly where you’re located. With a Google My Business account, your address and your location on a map pops up as soon as they search you. Not only does the customer get the required info quicker, but there are also fewer steps involved giving less chance of the customer abandoning their search for you.
Business Info
By completing your profile and using target keywords you can potentially outrank your competitors on a search. Let’s take a look at two very similar gyms in a small town. Both offer the same services - a gym with personal training. On your profile, you have a section called ‘Business Info’ where you have 750 characters to explain your business. Gym A has not filled out their business info section at all. Where Gym B’s business info section has the following info:
‘Welcome to Gym B! We are Cityville’s premier weightlifting and personal training gym.
Our 1,000m2 gym has free weights, kettlebells, training machines and a cardio area. We’re also very proud to offer a personal training service. Our personal trainers are all highly qualified, greatly experienced and here to help you achieve your goals.
Contact us today to organize your free assessment and 2-week trial!’
Google will crawl both of these profiles and see that Gym B offers a number of services, including personal training. Whereas when looking at Gym A Google is unsure what exact services it offers. This results in Google promoting Gym B over Gym A in search results.
Business Reviews
Google also gives you the chance to receive reviews from your customers. This is a great way to thank people for their custom and also to fix issues that people complain about. By opening this dialogue on a public forum your business becomes transparent and can build trust with customers.
Again, Google prefers businesses with more reviews than ones without any reviews. Even if you receive a bad review, it is a good idea to reply and deal with the issue. To get reviews you can ask your customers when they’re instore, request reviews through social media posts or advertise in your business.
The profile also allows people to ask questions about the business. This can provide insights into your business you didn’t know were important to your customers.
The searcher is Google’s customer and they want to give them the best service possible. By filling out your Google My Business profile and keeping it active you can make your business more attractive to Google than other local businesses.
For professional help in setting up your account, or managing it, feel free to get in touch with our team. We’ve had great success in helping businesses grow through their Google My Business account.
From the Custom Fit Online team