Google my business (GMB) is a free tool made available by Google for small business owners. It provides them with a platform to list and optimise information about their business. Listing in GMB helps small businesses to gain visibility when the users are searching in Google Maps. Digital Marketing Agency in Liverpool also helps them to engage and drive in more customers to their respective shop.
Purpose of Google My Business
Google launched google my business listing in 2019 to help small businesses to build and organize their web presence and to acquire more customers. Local businesses can have a piece of real estate in Google search result for “location-based” and “near me” type of queries. Google my business helps local businesses attract new customers. It also allows them to share vital information about the business such as hours of operation, phone number and their unique value proposition. Features like review and sharing posts of the new product helped firms to engage and build trust with the customers.
Businesses who can use GMB for a business listing
1) A business which has a registered physical address such as a local shop, restaurants etc.
2) A proprietary business where a person goes to a physical address to serve the customer.
For example: plumber, electrician or businesses which provide home delivery etc. It is necessary to select a service area for such a business.
3) Individual practitioners such as doctors, lawyers and accountants.
How Google My Business works
With more people using the smartphone as their primary device for internet and shopping, it has become inevitable for small businesses to have a GMB account.
To understand how Google my business works, we have to get a hold on the process of GMB listing.
Setting Up Account
Every business which appears on GMB must open an account with Google my business, or they can also log in to GMB with any google account. Without an account, Google will never know anything about your business, let alone display your business.
Next step would be filling all the necessary information about the business such as the business name, category, working hour, phone number and address. This information can be useful for the customer to have trust in your business and initiate an action.
Optimizing Google my business account involves several steps. Some important ones are explained below:
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1) Claim Your Listing
GMB accounts can be created by anyone, so be sure your brand name listing is created and owned by you. It grants you access to update, edit or delete required information in the listing. It could potentially be used to post information about new products. Managing and replying to a review can also be done.
2) Fill Complete Information
One of the most critical steps to build trust among the customer is by being transparent and furnishing complete information about your business. Losing trust due to inconsistent information is not something you can afford to do. So, try to fill out as many possible fields provided by GMB depending upon your business category. Some fields provided by GMB are:
a) Business name
b) Address
c) Phone number
d) Business hours
e) Website address
f) Description
h) Business category
h) Photos
i) Questions and answer
A completed profile is an excellent practice to follow; in most cases, such good practices can be rewarded with higher rankings in the local pack.
3) Optimize Business Description
Optimizing Digital Marketing Company Manchester business description should include points that make your business stand out from the crowd of your competitors. It should consist of keywords, features and unique value propositions to attract the attention of customers. The space for description available is around 700 words, but only about 200 characters is visible in a knowledge panel card. So the right words should be structured within the available space. Some businesses such as a restaurant can include additional information like menu and booking options. So always cross-check if any such additional information is available for your business category.
4) Choose Business
Choosing a particular business helps Google understand the kind of business you might have. It may rank you for non-branded generic searches as well, thereby increasing the reach of the business. Defining your business can open a Pandora of unique attributes which are specific to the category.
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