Google My Business (GMB): The Right Tool For Small Businesses

Google My Business (GMB) is a free tool from Google that helps you to manage your business online. One of the most important stages in keeping your business thriving is ensuring you have a Google My Business profile.

GMB is an important Google platform and can help keep your business searchable online. It helps you claim your local business listing and get more customers. You can use this tool for your local SEO, online reputation management, and more. This article will explain how you can set up and use a Google My Business account.

How can local searches benefit your business?

As a small business owner, many tools are available to help you get ahead of the competition. However, one in particular can make an enormous difference in how you market your business online: Google My Business.

Let’s look at how this platform works and why it should be a part of every small business’s marketing strategy.

What is Google My Business?

Google My Business (GMB) is a free tool that helps you manage your online presence across Google, including search results, Google Maps, and Google+.

With GMB, you can set up multiple locations for the same business, add photos and videos to your listing, respond to reviews, and more. You can also create a consistent look across all your listings on Google. Google My Business (GMB, formerly known as Google Places for Business) offers companies a fantastic opportunity to appear in Google search results. Still, the best thing about creating a Google My Business listing is that it’s free!

The search engine has easily maintained its top spot as the most popular search engine in the world, holding over 75% of the search market share, and it’s only increasing. Google is said to receive about 5.6 billion daily searches, and many of these queries have local intent.

Who needs Google My Business?

  • If you’re a small business that doesn’t have a lot of money to spend on marketing, Google My Business is an excellent option.
  • If you’re a local business and want to increase your visibility on Google, GMB can help you do that.
  • If you’re a local business that isn’t getting the results they want from paid advertising (or any other online marketing), then GMB could be the answer.

What is a Google Business Profile?

Google Business Profiles is a free listing on Google for businesses. The free profile you create can help increase Google search traffic. Details are available on Google Maps, Google Search, or Google Shopping. A company with a customer base can only view your profile. It includes businesses having offices in the same physical place, usually restaurants.

Display Business Information In Google Search

With My Business listings, Google lets you update business details in real time for clients who are looking around you. If you update your business information in your Google My Business account, your business information will be updated. GMB will always update the most recent information that has been submitted. If you update your site content regularly, it might take a while before search engines crawl it. Giving the most important information in your client’s profile will likely help them decide on which product to purchase.

How To Create a Google My Business Account?

  • Create a Google My Business account.
  • Verify your Google My Business listing.
  • Update your Google My Business listing. Add photos to your Google My Business listing. Add a phone number to your Google My Business listing if you have one (note: free listings can only be created before creating an account).

My business doesn’t have a storefront. Can I still have a Business Profile?

Yes, you can have a profile if your business doesn’t have a physical address as long as you make in-person contact with customers. You can also have a profile if you’re a hybrid business that serves customers at your business address and visits or delivers directly to customers.

To create and share Google My Business posts: From the dashboard, click Posts in the left menu. Click Create a post. Choose which type of post you want to create: a COVID-19 update, an offer, information about What’s New, an event, or a product. Each type of post has different information to complete.

How To Create a Google My Business Listing and verify your business through the mail?

  • To create a GMB listing, you need to have a GMB account.
  • Sign in to Google Business Profile Manager. If you’re already logged into a Google account, you’re automatically logged into Google Business Profile Manager. Otherwise, enter your usual Google account login details or create a new Google account.

To verify your business through the mail, follow these steps:

a. Sign into Google My Business and click on the dashboard icon at the top right corner of the screen, then choose Verify Business by Mail from the drop-down menu that appears.

b. From here, you can verify your business by sending documents such as Utility Bills (Electricity Bill), Rental Lease Agreement, or any other relevant document that proves your identity as an owner of that particular business location/service area (if applicable). Please note that some businesses may not require verification if they are already listed on Google Search or Maps with correct address details and verified phone numbers/.

c. After sending all required documents, the Google team will review your application and get back to you with updates.

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The Best Ways to Verify Your Google My Business Listing

  • Verify Your Business Listing Through Email

You can verify your Google My Business listing by entering the email address associated with your GMB profile and clicking the “Verify” button. You will receive an email asking you to validate ownership of the business. The verification process prevents spam accounts from submitting incorrect information or abusing the system.

  • Verify Your Business Listing Through Phone Call

The phone call method involves calling a designated number at Google’s Mountain View, California. Agents are instructed by their supervisors to ask customers specific questions about their businesses. After 15 minutes, customers typically receive confirmation via text message or email with instructions on how best forward any changes.

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How to use Google My Business for SEO?

Google My Business is a free tool that helps you manage your business online, including your business profile, customer reviews, and more.

Google is making local SEO even easier with its robust Business Profiles, so a Google My Business account is essential for any business trying to maximize visibility in their local market.

To use Google My Business for Search Engine Optimization, incorporate relevant keywords into your Business Profile so you can tell Google what you’re trying to rank for. Use them in your “from the business” description, your responses to reviews, your answers to questions, and in the posts you publish.

Google My Business can help small, local businesses, such as restaurants, construction, landscapers, and plumbers, by introducing them to SEO, search engine marketing (SEM), and creating an online presence. Not only does the site provide the means to list the business for Google services, but it also allows businesses to post regular updates to show current happenings and special offers.

Google My Business helps you build your online presence so that customers can find and connect with you on Google Search and Google Maps.

If you want your business to be visible in the search results, use GMB to make it easy for your customers to leave positive feedback about your business. You need a separate Google My Business account to manage your Business Profile.

It’s important to gain positive reviews, but remember that even the best businesses get negative reviews. If this happens to you, handle them in a professional matter. Don’t take these criticisms personally. Instead, use them to improve your product or service. Negative reviews, when properly utilized, can provide useful information to help your business advance.

GMB provides insights that give you useful information

The GMB algorithm can increase search rankings and the number of searches you get. It promotes your product or service. Google My Business has powerful capabilities that help your organization create a strategy and make the necessary decisions for its success. Using it, users can access data about where their customers come from.

If you want to attract customers, Google My Business is the right tool. This can help you get more traffic and increase your sales. It’s important that you know how to use it properly, or else it will just be a waste of time. Follow these simple steps, and you’ll be on your way towards success!