Once you’ve claimed your Google My Business account, you need to manage and optimize it. There are multiple ways you can optimize your Google My Business page that makes it easier for your customers to get the information they need. Some optimization also helps Google to understand what your business services and products are, which will in turn help with your search engine rankings.
When entering your business information into Google My Business, make sure you add your website, phone number, photos, business description, address, service hours and service areas (if applicable), and timely updates.
Basic Information – Website, Phone Number, Photos & Business Description
Add your website link to your Google My Business page. This could be your home page, contact page, or maybe a “request a quote” page. Some businesses that don’t have a website will link to a third-party website like their Instagram portfolio or their Door Dash order page.
Add your business phone number if your listing. When you add your phone number, people who view your listing on their phone can click to call that phone number. This may increase the amount of inbound sales calls you receive.
Add photos to your Google My Business listing. You can add a cover photo, your logo, and other photos. You should add photos that represent your business – products/services, customers enjoying your business benefits, your office space if customers visit your office, etc.
Your business description should be clear and concise. It should tell your customers about what your business is and what you sell. Leave out any information about temporary promotions or special events because there is another area of Google My Business to post timely updates.
Address & Service Areas in Google My Business Profile
If you don’t have a physical address*, you can add service areas to your Google My Business Account profile. For example, you could be an independent lawyer who works from home, uses a virtual mailing address in Vancouver, but services all of Vancouver and the surrounding area. In that case, you wouldn’t want your customers to come to the virtual office and you probably wouldn’t want them to come to your house. Adding service areas to your Google My Business tells your customer which areas your business operates in.
*Beware of using your home address for Google My Business Account. It can work for some small businesses but you’ll want to have a business address you can use for registration, mail, marketing, etc. You cannot use a “virtual address” if the office is not staffed during standard business hours. The workaround is to sign up for The Profile’s virtual mailbox address because the office is staffed Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 to receive mail and greet your customers if they happen to stop by.
Reviews
Another aspect of Google My Business reviews. Your customers can leave a star-rated review with photos and comments. As a business, you have the ability to reply to your customer’s reviews. It is important to monitor your reviews on Google My Business (currently there is no alert system to tell you when someone leaves a review).
The more positive reviews you receive on your Google My Business Account listing, the better your search rankings will be. Typically listings with many positive reviews will be listed higher than businesses with no reviews, making it easier for potential customers to find you. One way to get more reviews is to make it a standard practice to ask your customer for a review after you serve them. Some businesses will even offer an incentive, like 10% off their next purchase, for leaving reviews.
It’s recommended to reply to every review, good or bad, but especially be sure to follow up with negative reviews. This shows that your business is active and that you have good customer service. Also, note that anyone can post a review regardless of whether they’ve purchased something from your business or not. That is why it’s so important to monitor your reviews. When you get a review from someone who you haven’t served, simply reply to let them know they are reviewing the wrong business.
Products & Services
You can add the products or services you offer to Google My Business. This can be especially helpful for companies offering a limited number of static products. Your customers will easily be able to see what you offer and how much it costs.
When adding products, you can add a photo, product description, and product price. Your product price can be listed as a range or a fixed amount. You can also add a button that links to your site or the product page. This can be a helpful tool to increase your sales.
When adding services, you can select from suggested services or add a custom service. Similarly to products, you can list a fixed price, a price range, or a bottom price. Though you can’t add photos to services, you can add a service description.
Post Updates
You can post updates to your Google My Business page. Currently, Google is offering the ability for businesses to post their COVID-19 updates to let customers know if there are any changes. You can also post about special offers, upcoming events, or general business news.
It’s beneficial to post timely updates. How often should you post on Google My Business? You should try and post an update once a week that includes a photo or video. There have been companies that have seen positive results from posting every day.
Here are some examples of ideas for Google My Business posts. If you have a new photo of a product that you might put on your Instagram, you should throw that up on your Google My Business as an update. Or if you are offering a new service, you should post an update about it. If you get a new review on a platform that is not Google My Business, such as Yelp or Yellow Pages, you could post about it.
Are you still confused about Google My Business? No worries, just contact us and we can help you register your business, set up your Google My Business listing with our virtual mailbox address, and more.
Google My Business is a simple productive tool for SEO. If you are interested in more productivity solutions, check out this article. 12 Productivity Hacks