What is Google My Business and Why is it Important?
Google My Business provides you with the ability to list your business location on Google Maps and local search results.
You can display important information about your business, including the opening/closing times, contact phone number and a link to your website.
Creating a GMB account on Google makes it easy for you to promote your business and provide crucial information to your target market.
The listing is free and should be regarded as a necessity by all businesses. If your business is an online business and you don’t have a physical shop then you should still consider having a Google My Business page.
64% of consumers have used Google My Business to find contact details for local businesses. BrightLocal
What does a Google My Business listing look like?
When you search Google for a business with a Google My Business account, it will show up in the search results like this…
You can also show up in Google’s local results (the three-pack that appears above organic search results when you do a local search), as shown below.
There is also the ability to be displayed directly on Google maps when someone searches your name as shown below:
If a customer types in a service you do in their area you will also appear in maps as shown below:
What are the benefits of a Google My Business listing?
A GMB listing is a huge benefit to any business. By having a profile you can reach more potential customers, increase your brand awareness, increase visits to your website, and increase the calls.
A verified business profile
The first step is to verify your GMB listing. This is a fairly simple process and is required to add any new listing. This will ensure that you can set up all the correct details for your listing.
When setting up a listing, the easiest option is to be sent a letter from Google which includes a verification code. All you need to do is enter the code in your account and your listing is verified.
Online exposure
Research from the Google My Business Insights Study from BrightLocal found that, on average, a local business receives 1,260 views each month. They receive 943 on Search and 317 on Maps. That is a lot of people viewing your business details.
Increased calls
The same BrightLocal study showed that 16% of businesses receive more than 100 calls each month from their GMB listing. Better yet, a further report found that 64% of consumers have used Google My Business listings to find a local business’ address or phone number.
Apart from your contact details, you can also use your listing to post about events, products, and even your customers can post an image to your profile.
Free reviews platform
With all GMB listings, you can collect reviews, for free. People can go directly to your GMB listing and leave you a 1-5 star review with a message, and even include photos. These reviews will show directly on your listing and help give a strong trust factor to your listing.
You can also reply as your business directly to any review you get on your listing, positive or negative. When it comes to negative reviews, it is always better to reply. Among consumers that read reviews, 97% read responses – so why not show both points of view?
82% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses, with 52% of 18-54-year-olds saying they ‘always’ read reviews. BrightLocal.
Still looking for help?
We are completely transparent at Amplio360 and wouldn’t charge you to simply set up a free product. However in order for Google My Business to work effectively it needs to be set up correctly and optimised for success. By doing the necessary optimisations it will improve your local business ranking and make you more visible for potential clients. an optimized Google My Business listing is 70% more likely to attract location visits and makes a business 2.7x more likely to be considered reputable.
If you would like more information on how we can help you set up and optimise your GMB listing effectively please click here. Otherwise don’t hesitate to get in touch!