Have You Googled Your Business?

I'm going to have to confess.

I was actually a fan of Google+.

No, it was not a cool platform, I barely know anyone else that used it and even fewer that actually liked it, and although I don't think it'll be a big miss to most people, I'll be sad to see it go.

But it's deletion (and near constant stream of emails telling me to save my content etc) has given me a great big kick up the backside to invest more time in something I have somewhat neglected... Google My Business.

So what is it?

Well put simply, when you search for your (or any) business on Google you will see that some have a box at the side or top of the screen which looks like this:     

Quick: Go to google and type in your business name and see if yours has been set up? If not, have no fear, its simple to do. :)

If you are set up already, whoohoo! well done! You are a gazillion steps ahead of most people.

But when did you set it up and do you keep it up to date?

It’s one of those services that has evolved a lot and so if its been a while since you last logged on, you might want to go back and see if you can take advantage of the features they have to help you promote your business?

Such as…

Check your information is correct.

This seems like an obvious point but actually, sometimes it can be easy to forget to change a phone number or other contact details? Perhaps you’ve changed or added to your service? Or maybe you have changed your opening hours?

The more accurate the information on Google is, the better, so go through every section and amend if you need to.

All of this information can be easily accessed from the info section, by logging in to your google account. If you are having trouble finding it, look for the blue my business symbol in the google menu beside your log in.

Add pictures & video

Want to show off your business and all its delights? Then add some pictures and short videos to your listing. These will not only make your listing more attractive, they also increase your visibility in search results. Hurrah!

What do I mean by short video? Well, it has to be under 30 seconds, but don’t forget that if you have longer videos, there is a little company called Youtube that can help you make them visible to your adoring fans. ??

Add your locations!

If you work from a core address, you will want to make sure that customers can find you, but for those of us who cover areas rather than just a primary location, you will want to list all of the areas that you work in, this means when people search for local results, you are more likely to be in the results. More excellent visibility!

Posts

Depending on when you were last logged on, you may or may not be aware that you can now add posts directly on to GMB. As you would with any other blog style post or update, GMB gives you the option of adding a photo, text and also a link to wherever you want to send your readers!

Posts can be listed as news, events, offers or products and are only visible for 7 days so it makes sure that your information is fresh and up to date to keep your customers coming back for more!

What is this great for?

Well, almost everything. If you run special offers or events, your posts will appear directly under your contact info, so potential customers don’t even need to be on your site to see what you have to offer. They are also fantastic for encouraging repeat visits that will over time, build relationships with customers by showing that you are authentic in your posting. As well as the awesome benefit of generating more organic search results for your site.

Ask for Reviews

If you are showing up on search results you want customers to be able to see testimonials from real people showing up on your site. It adds authenticity to your information and installs trust in the reader, so why not ask your customers to give you a review?

Oh and many more things, like setting up a free basic website (we set up ours in addition to our main site and you can check it out here) check out your analytics, create adds and have customers message you directly through the app.

So if you haven’t got round to setting it up yet, or think its been a while since you updated it, why not check it out and get more visible starting today!

--------------------------------------about Clare---------------------------------------

Clare Marshall started The Marketing Geeks with view to helping businesses grow through understanding their customers, education, and utilising marketing tools.

The TMG Academy provides courses on developing your business marketing strategy and encourages good practice, relationship building and collaborations.

If you would like to contact Clare you can do so via Email