How To Use Google My Business To Get More Customers
Google My Business is probably one of the most underrated tools for growing your business out there.
It isn’t used by many businesses and those that do have it set up barely know how to utilize it the right way so that is getting more business and more customers through their doors.
In this article, I’m going to break down what you need to know about Google My Business and how to use it so that it becomes a powerful tool in your business Arsenal.
Here’s what this article will cover:
- What is Google My Business?
- Why is it important?
- Who is it (best) for?
- How to set it up
- How To Use It
Lets jump right in.
What is Google My Business (GMB)?
When people hear Google My business, they immediately think: Business Listing.
And you’ll be right.
Google My Business is a free, easy to use business listing tool that google makes available to businesses all over the world.
But then, it’s much more than just that.
With your Google My Business profile, you get to connect with your customers via google search and maps.
Here’s some of what you can do with Google My Business:
- Add your business information such as Business name, location, and store hours;
- Post photos and offers for your customers to see and claim
- Give customers ways to reach you
- Allow customers to leave reviews and you can monitor them and reply to them
- Know how people are searching and connecting with you on Google
Why is it important?
Very simply put, it is an easy and cost-effective way to make your business more discoverable both online and in real life.
There are about 5.6 billion searches done on google each day.
Your job is to make sure that people can find you online when they search for you or products and services that you sell.
Having your business listed on Google My Business and optimising and utilising it like I’ll show you later on this post,will help you to be found by potential customers.
Who is it (best) for?
Google My Business works for any business.
It is especially relevant for local businesses because of how it integrates with Google Maps.
But in principle, if you have people searching for your business online, then Google My Business is right for you.
How to set it up
Now that we know what it is and why it’s important, let’s go through how to set it up for your business.
Step 1
Go to https://google.com/business/ and click sign in (Sign into your google account if you aren’t already)
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Step 2
Enter your business name
Note: Your business might already be listed or you may need to add the business. You have the option to select an existing business listing or add your business.
For the purpose of this post, we’ll assume your business isn’t listed.
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Step 3
Go through the process and enter more business information. They’ll ask questions like:
- Business category
- Business Locations, if any
- Contact phone number & website url
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Step 4
Google will need you to verify your Google My Business listing before it’ll be active and appear in google search or map results.
First, you’ll need to enter your address.
Google has various options to verify your listing, which will also depend on the location of your business.
Some of the most popular options available are:
- Phone Call
- Text message
- Postcard delivered to your physical address
Note: You can choose to get your business verified later but remember that you won’t be able to unlock many of the features of Google My Business until your business is verified.
And that’s it. You’re done.
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How To Use Your Google My Business Listing To Get More Customers
The key to getting customers with your Google My Business listing is to ensure that your profile is optimised completely.
The more completely you fill out your profile, the greater the chances of your business showing up in the search results when potential clients search for your products.
Also, if you are able to use some of the key features, you’ll make your business stand out and get more potential customers to interact with you.
So, let’s go through some of the things you should be doing to get the best out of Google My Business.
1. Complete Your Listing
Go through each section and make sure it’s completely filled out with accurate information.
The first section you absolutely should tackle is the Info section. Also, add in your products and services, complete with descriptions, pictures (where relevant) and pricing.
2. Google Posts
Google My Business allows you to make posts as your business that show up to potential customers and clients.
Some types of posts you can share are:
- Offers & Promotions: Great if you’re having a sale.
- An update: Great to be used if there’s some important company information you need to share that will be relevant to existing and potential clients.
- An Event: Are you hosting an event – online or offline? Or will you be showcasing your products at an event? This is a great way to let your customers know about it.
- A Product: Got a featured product? Let your customers know about it.
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It is important that you utilize this post feature. Try to use at least one post type each week.
3. Photos
You can upload photos and videos that allow you to give more insight into your business and what you do.
Use this if it’s relevant to your business.
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4. Reviews
Actively ask your customers and clients to leave reviews for you on google. You can do this by sending them a review form link.
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5. Messaging
Be sure to turn on the messaging feature for your profile.
This allows people to message your business, make enquiries and get specific information, right from google.
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6. Insights
Insights are really great because they let you know how people are finding and interacting with your business everyday.
You can discover:
- What search terms people are putting in that brings up your business
- Whether these searches are coming from brand searches or from customers who are searching for a product or service you offer
- Whether they view your business in Google Search or Google Maps
- What actions they take (e.g. visit your website, request directions, call you, etc)
7. Google My Business App
You can download the Google My Business App on the iOS Store or Android Store to help you manage and monitor your business listing on the go.
8. Additional Perks: Free Website
If you don’t have a website for your business yet, Google My Business allows you to set up a website easily that is connected to your profile.
While we recommend having a website that you actually own and have absolute control over, if you’re not there yet or just getting started, this could be a great tool to take advantage of.
Conclusion
Google is a powerful tool.
In today’s world, when people are thinking about making a purchase or working with a business, they go to google to start their research.
You want to make sure to position your business in a way that is visible, stands out and gets them to interact and actually become paying customers.
So, go ahead and try these tips we’ve shared.
Your turn
Do you use Google My Business: Yes or No?
Let’s know in the comment section below.
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