Do you want to put your company on the map? Learn to use Google My Business with our step by step and be found by your future customers!
If you have a local micro, small or medium business, you should have an idea of the importance of making your company appear in Google results or Google Maps, right?
These two Google channels are among the main showcases for those who want to promote their business on the internet. For this reason, many entrepreneurs invest in SEO strategies , Content Marketing and sponsored links.
Also Read: Give your business a boost with Google Ads
However, there are still many who do not know or do not perceive the possibilities that Google my business offers. On the other hand, entrepreneurs and marketing professionals who already use the platform know about the opportunities they may receive.
So, were you curious to understand how this can be an advantage for your company?
In the next lines, you will see what Google My Business is, its benefits, the registration stages and how to optimize your results in this tool. Stay with us!
What is Google my business?#
Google my business is a Google platform where entrepreneurs can publicize their business for free in organic search results on Google Maps and Google+.
This service emerged in 2014 to unify the existing functionalities in Google Places and in the Google + company pages.
But what are those functionalities about? Among the main ones, we can highlight:
- Insert and present your location on Google Maps (including a virtual tour of your business and the outline of routes to reach the establishment);
- Add contact details such as address, e-mail, website and telephone (in addition, if a user searches for a cell phone, they can make the call using the same search engine, in case the company enters their telephone number on the platform, of course is;
- Display the hours of operation of the store and the hours of greatest movement;
- Post customer notes and comments;
- Show internal photos of the company;
- Share profiles on other social networks .
Perceive that this is extremely useful information for people who search exactly for your business or for a company like yours.
By the way, it is in those searches that the results of Google my business come into action. However, it should be noted that this can happen in 3 different ways:
1. When looking for a type of establishment without listing the place#
In these types of searches, Google takes your current location into account to deliver results from companies that are geographically close to you.
In searches made on Smartphone, the results tend to be even more precise, since Google can use the location contained in the GPS of the device.
2. When you specify the location of this type of establishment#
Imagine a customer who is at home and decided to go to another neighborhood or city to eat a pizza. It will search for “pizzeria + name of the neighborhood / city” and Google will display the results according to the place specified in that search.
Note that, in these two types of search, the results appear then just below the search field and before the organic links.
3. When you detail the name of the company#
A person can also search the name of the establishment directly in the Google search field. In this example, we use one of the options that appears in the previous screenshot.
In case the company is registered in Google my business, the result will be displayed on the right side of the screen and with more complete information.
What are the benefits of this platform?#
So far we have seen that Google my business can improve (and greatly) the disclosure of local companies organically.
However, we cannot continue without highlighting further some of the advantages of this service. Look below:
Being found by customers when they need it most#
At the same time that this phrase can represent the purpose of Google my business, it is also one of its main benefits.
This is the opportunity to approach customers when they are in an advanced phase of their shopping journey .
For example, those who search for “gyms in the center of Belo Horizonte” have, at least, the intention of enrolling in a gym located in the center of Belo Horizonte, right?
Therefore, if you owned a gym in the center of the mining capital and registered on the platform, you would have great opportunities to appear in front of those potential clients, receive a contact, a visit and, who knows, close a business.
Also Read: External links: Should I create links to other sites on my blog?
Increase the scope of a company#
Just the fact that your company appears on the first page of Google and on Google Maps expands your digital presence.
Even so, you can attract more consumers both locally and in other regions and states.
Think, for example, of potential customers living in your city, who need products or services that you offer, but who do not know your company. With Google my business, that distance is shortened.
There are also clients who come from other cities and are in your municipality or neighborhood doing a leisure or business visit.
Imagine you have a Japanese restaurant and some of those tourists are looking for exactly that. So, if they search on Google, they will be able to face your business.
Generate more interactions with the public#
As one of the functionalities of this platform is to allow customer comments about your company, it is natural that there is an approach also on the social side.
The public can participate with evaluation notes for your business (product, service, service, etc.) and with ideas, opinions, criticisms and doubts.
For your part, it is also important to participate by responding to comments, posting news on your Google+ page and inserting photos of your business to attract more engagement and interest in your offers.
Allow people to get to know your company better#
Due to the large amount of useful information displayed, people can get to know your business as well as if they were personally in it.
In addition to the basic information such as address, location on the map and telephone, the public can take a real virtual tour of your establishment.
In addition, there are many companies that hire photographers to make 360º records of the house to show interested people.
This level of detail certainly helps the public to be more secure , before choosing to contact or personally know your company.
Enable editing through an application#
It may seem like a simple detail, but the mobility to edit the information represents an enormous freedom for those who manage company profiles in Google my business.
You will not always be in the company or in front of the computer to respond to public feedback, update information or post a new photo.
For this reason, Google made life easier for its users with the Google my business application. This works for both Android and iOS systems.
How to register a company in Google my business?#
If you are interested in the advantages of this platform, you may be curious to know how to register your company in Google my business.
So, to make your life a little easier, we prepare a brief step by step with the 5 stages of registration in this service. Join us:
1. Enter the platform page and login#
Well, the first things to do are go to the Google my business site and click on “Start now”.
Right after, you must login to the platform, which is the same one you use to enter Gmail. By the way, if you are already registered with Google, you will be directed to the next stage.
2. Fill in the information in the “Add your business” tab#
Your next stop on the map is to locate your business address, as well as fill out other important information in that form on the left.
There, you will put the name of the company, the phone, the site and the market category (building materials store, sporting goods store, beauty salon, etc.).
In the event that you do not serve clients in a specific location, but in different areas (such as in various service providers), you must mark a “Yes” in the “I deliver products and provide services to my clients at the location” theirs . “
Finally, click “Continue . “
3. Confirm your authorization to manage the company#
I am authorized to manage this company and agree to the terms of service.
Your business address and contact information appears where it is covered with the blue boxes.
You must verify if it is correct and there, fill out the authorization box to manage your company.
By confirming this information, you will be directed to another page where Google proposes to send a postal verification code for the address you provided.
4. Confirm the location of your business#
After this stage, you will be redirected to your control panel. However, to start editing your information and make it well displayed in searches and maps, you must confirm the code sent by Google.
On your panel, a red banner will appear at the top of the screen with the “Confirm now” button. Click on it and follow the steps outlined in the letter that Google will send you.
That code arrives via mail and it takes, on average, 7 to 15 business days to reach your address.
That letter has a code that must be inserted in Google my business.
5. Add more information on your newly created page#
Ready! After confirming your location, you will have all the freedom to add the complementary information of your registration.
Do not forget to include photos of your establishment, hours of operation, a brief description of the company, among other relevant data and content.
How to take advantage of the best of the platform?#
Known benefits, registration done, and now? What is the next step?
As in other marketing strategies, the use of Google my business can be optimized with a series of good practices.
After all, as good as it may seem, don’t think that new customers will start arriving just because you went on to display your company on the first page or on Google maps.
You need to go a little further and, therefore, we indicate the following actions to generate more results with Google my business.
Keep your information updated#
Put yourself in the shoes of a customer and imagine how horrible it would be if you search for a car shop on Google and, when you decide to call the first option that appears, they answer you from the post office. Frustrating, right?
The problem in the car would continue and the power customer would leave with a lousy impression of the workshop, without even using the service.
Faults of this style are not difficult to find. Many times, the entrepreneur can forget to update the address, the operating hours, the photos of the premises, etc.
In the end, this information will not always be the same; companies can change location, decoration and contact.
In addition, in case you open a new branch of your business, you can insert and confirm the new address so that it also appears in the search results and on the maps.
Monitor revenue and engagement statistics#
In your control panel, in addition to inserting and editing content and information, you can keep track of the results of your Google my business profile.
Data such as:
- Average rating given by customers;
- Number of comments (including those that are unanswered);
- Views, clicks and followers;
- Calls made and routes drawn by the public.
That will bring you more control to manage your profile and adapt your business to the demands of your people .
Always try to get good customer reviews#
One of the most influential points in consumer purchasing decisions is the opinion of other customers. These evaluations typically generate more influence than any type of institutional or promotional advertising.
Therefore, it is essential to work to conquer positive evaluations. That will be possible with impeccable service in the company and on social networks, highly qualified offers, competitive prices, attention to feedback, data in the comments, etc.
In short, strive to offer a pleasant and motivating experience for customers. In the end, it is not enough just that they approve your company, but that they like it to the point of externalizing their satisfaction in front of the public.
conclusion#
We come to the end of the text, being clear that Google my business is one of the main channels to publicize your company on the internet and reach more clients socially and geographically.
Your enrollment process is simple. There are few steps to complete and confirm the registered data, such as the company name, address and telephone.
After that, just include and update all the information and the location, contact and disclosure contents of your business. That without forgetting to keep a continuous monitoring of the data of entrance and the comments of the public.
In addition to Google my business, the most entered search site in the world, offers a series of possibilities for companies to promote themselves and generate more sales.
One of those alternatives is the well-known Google Adwords .
On the other hand, learn about Results Marketing! Implement it in your marketing strategies and see how little by little your business begins to grow:
