If you’re a relatively new business or you’re thinking about starting a new venture, one of the most beneficial things you can do online is to create a Google My Business listing.
If you’re not sure what a Google My Business Listing is, let us explain….
Its a free and easy to use tool for businesses to manage their online presence enabling customers to find you and find out more about your business and services.
If you were to conduct a quick Google search on us right now, you’ll see an example of what we mean. Go ahead, we’ll be here when you get back…
The Benefits of a Google My Business Listing
What you see on the right hand side of the page above is our Google My Business Listing in action. Its a featured spot with links to our website, directions to our office, our hours of operation and of course, our phone number.
By listing your business, you also have the opportunity to encourage customers to review you via Google.
The beauty of a listing is that it not only appears if someone types your business name into a search field, your business will also appear if someone is searching for a query relevant to what your business does. For example if someone searched for “digital agency berwick“, you’ll see from the screenshot below that we feature.
The Benefits of a Google My Business Listing
A listing not only helps advertise your business but also increases your organic rankings on search engines too. Google’s algorithms give more preference to mobile usage and having a listing can provide you with the platform to be seen by more people on the go searching for businesses near them at a precise moment in time.
An example of this would be if you were out with the family at the weekend and were looking for a cafe to stop off at, you could jump on your phone and type into google “Cafe near me”.
Your phone picks up on your location, as does Google and serves you with search results based on your location. With a Google Business listing, you’d be able to see the most popular cafe in that location and read reviews as well as check opening hours and menu items, all without even having to visit the cafe’s website, assuming they have one.
Its all about making your business as accessible as possible in as many places as possible, and with Google being the market leader in search engines, what better place to list your business?
With that in mind, here are some quick tips on things to bear in mind when creating a listing for your business:
Claim your listing
Your business is probably already on Google Maps, so make sure you claim it and own it. Avoid having duplicate listings on Google.
Make sure the location is correct
Be precise and up to date with your address and contact information. Make sure the location pin is exactly where it should be. People use listings for directions so don’t send potential customers to the wrong place!
Ensure your contact details are up to date
Check that your phone number, email address and opening hours are up to date and accurate. There’s nothing worse than making a trip to visit a business based on the opening hours presented on a listing, only to find they’re incorrect and you’ve got there 5 minutes after they actually close.
Remember with a Google listing, users have the power to review a business, by keeping your listing accurate and up to date, it will hopefully discourage any negative reviews.
Brand your listing
Add your company logo, internal and external images in a bid to really showcase your business online. For new customers, its a great way for them to see what they can expect if they decide to visit your business.
Add your services
Google will cutomise the listings based on type of business so make sure that your business is correct.
For example, if your business is a restaurant, you have the ability to add a menu to your listing. Google will also take this into consideration when using this to show your location in search results. Give the listing the time and attention it deserves as it can have a real positive impact on your SEO.
If you’re looking to raise awareness of your business online and aren’t sure where to start, a Google My Business listing would be the perfect place. Get in touch with us today and we’ll help you get seen online!
