What is a Google My Business listing?

The NUMBER ONE thing businesses are missing out on and it’s FREE.

Don’t miss out on the biggest marketing advantage!

You may be asking, what is a Google My Business listing and why do I need it? The number 1 most valuable and important tool in the digital marketing realm that many businesses are missing out on is Google My Business and it’s free. Through creating a Google My Business (GMB) listing, a business will begin to pop up on Google SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). 

Think about it like this: It’s dinner time and you go to your Google app to search “restaurants near me”. You will see business recommendations pop up near you. Those are Google My Business listings. When someone searches for the keywords associated with that business’s industry in their area, the business’s GMB listing will pop up. The listing will contain information about that business and link to it’s social media sites, website, contact information, and more. Businesses use this platform to get raw, local, organic leads. When someone in a business’s area searches for a keyword associated with that business, they are generally looking into purchasing that product or service. 78% of local-mobile searches result in offline purchases according to Search Engine Land. This is WHY businesses must use this tool, otherwise a potential client is going to pick one of the many competitors. Many businesses are missing out on this free platform and in turn, potential clients. 

However, it is not just about creating a Google My Business listing… You must have the knowledge of the necessary steps to get your business ranking, a form of Local SEO. Search engine optimizing your Google My Business listing is a process and commitment, which is why Meraki Marketing Agency offers this service with any digital marketing package. Let’s start with the basics.

What is a Google My Business (GMB) listing?

“Google My Business is a free and easy-to-use tool for businesses and organizations to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. To help customers find your business, and to tell them your story, you can verify your business and edit your business information.” About Google My Business, Google My Business Help

A Google My Business listing is easy to claim as long as your business has a registered address or phone number that can receive mail or be verified. P.O. Box businesses cannot claim a Google My Business listing (in this case, we recommend that you find a physical address to register your business at). After you claim your Google My Business listing, and complete the necessary steps to verifying it, you can begin to fill out service information, service area, FAQ’s, photos, ask for reviews, and more. Interested in claiming your FREE Google My Business listing? Click Here

How do I rank my business on Google search engines?

You have completed the first step and claimed your business, maybe even begun to fill out generic information for your listing. Now you may be asking yourself, “How do I rank my business on Google SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages)?” There are many strategies and ways to do this, a huge part being the SEO in your website. For now, we will share some basic tips that you can do to optimize your Google My Business for search results. 

• Constantly keep your listing up-to-date. Update hours, services, service location, contact information, photos, etc.
• Fill out your services with keywords associated with your business. 
• Fill out products offered with keywords. (Add a menu for a restaurant.)
• Upload pictures to your Google My Business listing.
• Answer questions, before they are asked. Ask your GMB listing FAQ’s and answer them with keywords associated with your business.
• Publish Google My Business posts, optimized with keywords and NAP (name, address, phone #) at least every other day - try for every day.
• GET REVIEWS! This is so important. We understand that it can be awkward to ask for a review. Set-up an automated system that sends a review email after someone purchases a product or service from you. 
• Reply to reviews, every single one, even the negative ones. Yes, this helps to rank your Google My Business as Google will see that you are active and engaging.
• Take advantage of your Google My Business website and link it with keywords back to your website. 

These are just a few of the many ways to help get your Google My Business listing ranking on SERPs. Interested in learning more ways? Schedule a GROWTH Strategy Session with Meraki Marketing Agency today. Not enough time to run a business and manage a Google My Business listing? We offer Local SEO & GMB Optimization services. Click here to read more.

If your business has been thriving off of word-of-mouth only, first-off, go you! However, you may be missing out on a HUGE opportunity to grow and expand. Through getting your business information out through a Google My Business listing, you will have an advantage to collect organic leads that wouldn’t have been reached by word of mouth. In a recent 2020 Local Consumer Review Survey, “In 2020, 93% of US consumers searched online for a local business. From these, 34% searched every day, while 73% searched weekly (up from 70%).” This proves that the old ways of finding a business through Yellow Pages and other outlets are beginning to fade away to finding businesses online through Google, social media platforms, and more.

Not sure how to get started with creating and optimizing a Google My Business (your most valuable marketing tool)? Meraki Digital Marketing Agency is here to help you! There are many trade secrets to getting your GMB search engine optimized and we have them all. Not only that, but we understand that it takes time and can be a hassle keeping up with your GMB. Let us do the work, behind-the-scenes, and watch your business take off!

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