How to Create Your Google My Business Listing

WHAT IS GOOGLE MY BUSINESS?

First, I think it’s important that we understand what Google My Business is.

Google My Business, is pretty much an umbrella term for its entire suite of business tools that you get to use all for free.  It gives you the power to manage how your business appears on Google Search and Maps. With GMB you get access to

• Webmaster Tools
• Analytics
• AdWords
• Google Drive, Docs, and a whole lot more.

These tools allow you to control things like how your business name, location, and hours appear; You can monitor and reply to customer reviews; add photos; learn where and how people are searching for you by exploring insights. With this knowledge, you can customize your marketing to each individual persona and that’s only the beginning.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

For now… GMB is completely free to use. The only requirement for using it is that you must have some face-to-face interaction with your customers — in other words, your business can’t be a 100% online business.

WHY SHOULD I USE GOOGLE MY BUSINESS?

1. Google is the number 1 search engine in the world According to the latest netmarketshare report (January 2018).
2. 74.52% of searches were powered by Google
3. Google is also dominating the mobile/tablet search engine market share with 93%

Currently, Google processes over 40,000 search queries every second on average. That’s over 3.5 billion searches per day. 1.2 trillion searches per year worldwide, as listed by Internet Live Stats. So, why wouldn’t you place your business information on the strongest engine to date?

If you’re just starting to think about local SEO, your Google My Business listing is arguably the best place to start.

When people start to search for a service like yours, chances are they will search google.  And keep in mind, before they call you, they’re gonna do research.

What will they find?

So, it’s important that the information about your business is as accurate, complete, and as optimized as possible.

When you have a GMB listing you’re able to show up prominently in search, the sidebar on the maps, with reviews etc.  and not to mention it just makes you look a lot more credible.

When people search for a product or service “near them”, they’re usually really close to making a purchase – Studies show that 1 in 2 people who conduct a local search visit a store that same day.

GETTING STARTED

So, now that you have a pretty good understanding of GMB and its benefits. Let’s dive in.

WHAT TYPE OF BUSINESS IS ELIGIBLE?

Most businesses are eligible for Google My Business listings but there are a few exceptions.

• In order to qualify for a Google My Business listing, a business must make in-person contact with customers during stated hours.
• If a business is located in a residential area or does not meet with clients at their place of business, they should add a service area to hide their address.
• Exceptions: ATMs, video-rental kiosks, and express mail drop boxes are permitted. If you add these locations, you must include contact info for customers to get help.

WHAT TYPES OF BUSINESSES ARE NOT ELIGIBLE?

Here are a few examples of ineligible businesses:

• Online-only businesses
• Businesses that aren’t open yet
• Rental or for-sale properties
• Businesses that use a PO box as the mailing addresses

GOOGLE YOURSELF

The 1^st thing you want to do is see if and how your business shows up on Google.

The Reason we do a search first is because Google will generally rely on User Generated Content.

You want to make sure that no one has created a profile for you. Many times, just like with Facebook, you’ll find that a profile or account has been created for you that you or your agency will have to claim. So, you’ll just have to verify whether or not this has happened before you move forward.

During your search, you will be on the lookout for 1 of 3 things.

CREATE ACCOUNT

Now that you have done the initial research and verified whether or not you have a profile already, you’re ready to create your account.

There are a couple of different ways you can get to where you need to be. Just head on over to gybo.com/business or google.com/business/

The first thing you’ll notice is the BIG GREEN “manage now” button. If you don’t have an account, both “Sign in” and “Manage Now” will take you to the same place.

If you don’t already have a company Gmail account here’s where you’ll begin. Google will pretty much walk you through the steps of creating a Google account. I always recommend our clients to create a general email account that can be managed by an authorized manager because it in itself can be a full-time job.

I won’t take you through all of those steps right now.

Once you’re done with creating a general Google account we can move on to creating your Google “My Business” account.

So, when you are navigated back here. They will ask you your business name and the street address of the business.

It is very important that you use the exact information on your profile that you use on your website. One thing that Google is really concerned about is your NAP’s integrity.

The NAP is NAME, ADDRESS, and PHONE NUMBER. This has to read the exact same way EVERYWHERE to get the most SEO benefit.

You also have the option to Hide your location if you operate out of the house and you don’t want your personal address published for the world to see.

VERIFY ACCOUNT

And in about 2 weeks you will get a postcard in the mail. It could be sooner, but when you get it you’ll just follow the instructions and type the verification code on the postcard.

YOU ARE VERIFIED

And then you’re all set

Obviously, getting set up is just the very basics of Google my Business.  Anyone can do it if you can find the time to sit down and work through the steps.

However, if you don’t have the time or patience to set it all up yourself, you can always contact our digital agency to help you go beyond the basics to ensure that you stay at the top of your game and take advantage of every possible new business opportunity.

To find out how we can help you get the most out of search engine optimization, contact us here at Big Hit Creative.