Google My Business is a free tool that lets you manage your online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. Help customers find you and build a strong online reputation by following these 10 tips:
1. Make sure your business information is accurate and up-to-date
Have you recently changed your physical location or domain name? If so, be sure to update this information on your profile right away! This includes basic information such as your company’s name, address, website and phone number. Not updating your information could cause more damage to your business reputation than you may realize. In fact, 73% of consumers lose trust in brands due to inaccurate listings. It only takes a minute to update your information, so there’s no reason not to.
2. Respond to your customers’ reviews
Whether it’s a positive review or a negative review, it’s important provide a response to provide better service and to show that your business cares about your customers. Google My Business’ December 2016 update now lets you manage your notifications with new settings for email and mobile, so you can keep track of customer reviews, your listing health, and more.
3. Encourage customers to review your business
Reviews are essential for building your credibility. Almost 88% of customers read reviews before they make a purchase. Encourage customers to share their positive experience with your business, by asking them to search your business on Google and then click the “Write a review” button.
4. Build your Google+ profile
When you create a Google My Business Page, Google will automatically add a Google+ page for your business. Your Google+ page is similar to a Facebook page, where you can share content, post messages, and follow and engage with other users—including your customers! Maintaining your Google+ page is a great way to let your circles know more about your brand, build an audience, and to provide information about your business and industry.
5. Add interior and exterior photos
According to Google, online business listings with photos are 2x as likely to be considered reputable and get 35% more clicks. You can recommend the photos that will be displayed alongside your business name on Google Search and Google Maps. When it comes to exterior photos, choose photos that can help customers recognize your location so they can find you more easily. For interior photos, consider pictures to give customers a feel of your business. You can even give a virtual tour of your business by adding a 360° photo, so customers can experience your location before arriving.
6. Create an AdWords campaign
AdsWords are paid ads that can help even more consumers find your business. It makes sure your ads appear in top search results when customers search for what you offer, such as pet grooming in Montreal.
7. Look for key insights
Insights is a free reporting feature that gives you an inside look at how people find your business listing on the web. You can use it to learn more about your customers and how they use Google’s Search and Maps to find your listing, and what they do once they find it, such as whether they can call you directly or visit your website. Its latest feature also lets you see how your photos perform compared to photos of businesses like yours.
8. Mention special offers on your listing
Go above and beyond from a basic listing by adding special offers, coupons, and additional information. You can mention details such as menus, product lists, hours of operation, accepted payment types, and special offerings such as "Has Wi-Fi" and "Offers outdoor seating.”
9. Embed Google reviews on your website
You can also embed Google reviews on your website to further build credibility. So when people visit your website, they can see what customers have already said about your business and its service.
10. Include relevant keywords in your listing
It’s essential to include the right keywords in your profile so that customers can find your listing when they search for your products and or services nearby. According to Google, the key ranking factors for Google Business Pages are the following:
- Relevance: how well a local listing matches what someone is searching for. Adding complete and detailed business information can help us better understand your business and match you to relevant search results.
- Distance: how far each potential search result is from the location term used in a search.
- Prominence: how well-known or prominent a business is. This is determined by your online reputation across the web (like links, articles, and directories)
