Business leaders have long tried to figure out how to get their company at the top of a Google search. Well for local businesses, the answer is Google My Business. This is a free and easy tool for businesses to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps.
Why is it important to list your business on Search & Maps?
90% of people search online before making a purchase. That means your business needs to be found when people are looking to purchase your product or service. By creating your business profile with Google, your potential customer will be able to learn about your business at the exact time they are searching for what they need.
What Does Your Profile Look like?
To see if you have a profile, search for the name of your business. If you have a profile it will appear on the right hand side of the page.
How do I create my business profile on Google?
The process includes 5 very easy steps. For directions read this information from Hubspot https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/google-my-business
Tips & Tricks for Using Optimizing Your Profile
The key to making this a powerful marketing tool is to optimize it. That means you continually update the content by doing the following:
- Add photos and videos
- Encourage people to leave reviews
- Respond to the reviews
- Post weekly about events, offers, content, etc. Treat this like social media. Companies who update their profile with fresh content will be rewarded with improved search rankings.
About the author: Meg Huwar is a small business marketing expert and Principal of Brand Accelerator. She and her team work with companies who want to market their business but don’t have the time, experience or staff to do it themselves. Meg can be reached at mhuwar@thebrandaccelerator.com.