Are you a small business owner looking to increase your reach within your local area? Utilising Google My Business is an effective way to promote your business to potential customers who are searching for local business listings. With Google My Business, you can create a customised profile for your business on Google and get discovered by customers who are looking for what you have to offer. In this ultimate guide, we’ll discuss the benefits of using Google My Business for small businesses and provide some tips on how to maximise its use.

What is Google My Business?

Google My Business (GMB) is a business listing tool offered by Google. It enables businesses to create an online presence on Google Search and Google Maps. GMB allows small businesses to easily manage their online presence across all of Google’s properties in one place, from creating and managing a listing, to responding to customer reviews.

With GMB, businesses can have a single presence across all of Google’s services which can be easily accessed, and managed by users. GMB listings are shown when customers search for a business on Google, so having an up-to-date listing with accurate information such as your address and business hours is essential.

Additionally, GMB allows businesses to post updates, share photos, respond to customer reviews, and even set up messaging to stay in touch with customers.

Overall, GMB provides small businesses with the opportunity to easily establish and maintain their online presence, while also allowing you to interact with customers and promote your products and services. With GMB, businesses can make sure they are visible on Google and can take advantage of all the features Google has to offer.

Why is GMB important for small businesses?

GMB is the key to helping local businesses become discoverable in their community, allowing them to connect with potential customers who may be interested in their services.

By creating a Google my Business listing, small businesses can easily share their contact information, such as their address and phone number, allowing them to be easily found by people in the area.

Additionally, GMB allows customers to find directions to the business, read reviews from past customers and even message the business directly.

For small businesses, GMB helps to increase visibility and create a credible online presence. It gives businesses the opportunity to differentiate themselves from competitors and attract more customers in their local area.

Furthermore, as more customers leave reviews and ratings on GMB listings, this provides a sense of credibility to new customers who may be considering using the services offered by the business.

Overall, GMB is an essential tool for small businesses looking to reach and engage with local customers. By creating and optimising their GMB listing, businesses can ensure they are discoverable to potential customers who are searching for the services they offer.

How to set up your GMB listing

  1. Log in to Google My Business: Start by visiting the official website, and clicking ‘Sign In’ in the top right corner. You will be asked to sign in with an existing Google account or create a new one if you don’t already have one.
  2. Add your business: After logging in, click on ‘Add your business to Google’. Here you will enter basic information about your business, such as its name, address, and contact details. You can also add additional information such as a description of what your business offers, website link, and photos.
  3. Confirm your location: – Google will then send a postcard to the address you provided. This postcard contains a unique code which you will need to confirm the address and location of your business on the GMB listing.
  4. Verify your listing: When you have received the postcard and entered the code, you will be able to verify your GMB listing. You may need to answer a few additional questions about your business before it is successfully verified.
  5. Optimise your listing: Once you have successfully verified your listing, you can start optimising it. This includes adding more content such as videos, reviews, Q&As, events and offers. Make sure to include all relevant information about your business in order to improve visibility on Google searches.

Tips for optimising your GMB listing

One of the most important steps in leveraging Google My Business for your small business is optimising your listing. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your GMB account:

  1. Add your correct business information: This includes basic information such as your business name, address, contact information, hours of operation, and more. Make sure all this information is accurate so customers can easily find you.
  2. Use keywords in your business description: Include words that are related to your business, such as services offered, locations served, and more. This will help make it easier for customers to find you through searches on Google.
  3. Fill out all business information sections: GMB offers a number of sections that you can use to provide more detailed information about your business. Fill out as many sections as you can, including services offered, payment options, and more.
  4. Add photos: Photos are one of the best ways to show potential customers what your business is all about. You can add photos of your store, staff, products, services, and more.
    By taking the time to optimise your GMB listing, you will be able to attract more customers and improve the overall visibility of your business on Google. With these simple tips, you can get the most out of your GMB account and help grow your small business.

Measuring the success of your GMB listing

It’s important to measure the success of your Google My Business listing so you can track the progress and effectiveness of your marketing strategy.

Here are some ways to track and measure the performance of your GMB listing:

  1. Check your Google Analytics: Google Analytics will allow you to track and measure how many visits your website has received from customers who found your business through your GMB listing. This data will be important when evaluating the effectiveness of your GMB listing.
  2. Monitor reviews: Monitor customer reviews on your GMB listing, as they are a great way to measure customer satisfaction. If you have many positive reviews, this indicates that customers have had a good experience with your business.
  3. Track your search engine rankings: By using a tool such as Google Search Console, you can track your business’s rank in local searches. If you’re ranking high in local searches, this could be an indication that your GMB listing is helping to improve your visibility in searches.
  4. Monitor engagement metrics: Track how many people are interacting with your GMB listing. This could include clicks on the ‘Directions’ or ‘Call’ buttons, as well as how many views and posts you’re getting on the listing.

By measuring the success of your GMB listing, you can better understand how effective it is for reaching new customers and improving visibility in local search results. Use the data you’ve gathered to make improvements and optimise your listing for maximum impact.