How can your business benefit from Google My Business?
Google is our go-to tool for searching all kinds of information, from beauty tips, DIY repair tips, news, local restaurants, and a lot more. It is estimated Google processes approximately 70,000 search queries per second, which translates to a whopping 5.8 billion searches per day. This means, every business needs to be visible on Google. One very effective way to this is through a Google My Business (GMB) listing. In this post, we take a brief look at what GMB is and how it can benefit your business.
What is Google My Business?
Consider this scenario. You’re out shopping, and you decide to get a cup of coffee. You pull out your phone and Google “the best coffee shop near me”. Instantly, you get a list of coffee shops near you. Most people will likely visit one of the coffee shops listed at the top of the search page. This is clearly an important reason why every business must strive to be easily searchable on Google.
If you are a small/local business and you want to make it easy for people to find you, a GMB listing is a must. Google My Business is an internet-based service that helps promote local businesses online. It is a free and enables small business owners/start-ups to manage how they appear on Google. You can verify your business, edit your business information, and tell your story. It helps your customers find your business, learn about it, and eventually purchase from it. Your listing will show up on both the search and map pages.
Why do you need to use Google My Business?
There are numerous benefits your business can derive from a GMB listing. Here are some:
Visibility on Google Search and Maps
As we said earlier, one of the key benefits of having a Google My Business profile is that it can help your business achieve top positions in the search results. Google My Business profiles appear in the Google Map Results and the Local “3-pack” area on the search results page. This is how it works. Whenever you enter a query in Google search, the first three results you get are Google AdWords advertisements or the paid search results. In simple words, those three businesses have paid to be seen there. Then, you see a map with three local search results. It is called the “3 pack”. It is followed by the organic results.
Basically, the local 3-pack is the search engine results page that displays the places related to the search. Included is other relevant information a potential customer might need; map location; phone number; business hours, star rating, and more. GMB is believed to be the most important determining factor for local 3-pack rankings. By verifying, updating, and optimizing your GMB profile, you can better connect with your target audience within your service area. You don’t pay to appear in the 3-pack so the Google My Business listing is cost-effective. In short, by having a highly optimized Google My Business profile your business has a better chance of appearing near the top of search results.
People leave a review for your business
Online reviews are a potent SEO weapon. In fact, online reviews are estimated to make up almost 10% of the criteria for how Google results are displayed. As GMB makes it easy for customers to leave a review for your business, it indirectly boosts your online presence. Online reviews establish the credibility of businesses and as more and more people read the reviews, search engines use them to rank the search results. Positive reviews also increase customer confidence and improve your chances of generating more leads and sales. On the other hand, negative reviews can also provide valuable insights into the business and help take corrective actions.
It is a good idea to keep responding to reviews on the Google My Business listing and not to ignore negative reviews as they can affect your sales.
GMB provides important customer insight
Google My Business Insights provides crucial data on how customers find your listing on Google Search and Maps. Google My Business Insights will tell you the number of views your business listing has had, how the customers found your listing, what action they took, and other interactions customers have with your listing.
The good thing about Google My Business is that it is free and easy to use. It helps local businesses and start-ups promote their business online, gives access to tools that help analyze their performance, and improve their online presence.