Google My Business Combines The Power Of Search, Google Maps And Google+
Neglecting your Google My Business profile is akin to leaving your name and phone number off your own website.
No one has to tell you how important Google is. With so much at stake, Marketing-wise, it just doesn’t make sense. It’s the gold standard of search. In the last several years its map function has earned supremacy over older models and its social media platform is slowly growing to prominence … and more importantly, now affects search results.
Increase Your Visibility
If you think about it, you’ll realize you’ve already seen Google My Business in action plenty of times. When you perform a search on your computer targeted to businesses in your area (i.e. “hair salon,” “bookstore” or “cured meats”), multiple results pop up. Toward the top, however, you’ll notice a series of listings from your local area, with names and addresses to the left and little map markers that correspond to the map on the right. These listings are examples of brick-and-mortar establishments that are using Google My Business.
Even more importantly, considering the growing importance of mobile searches (mobile use has now overtaken fixed Internet use), these results show up on mobile devices as well. Customers who see these results can use them to call your business or easily get directions and drive to your location. Plus, reviews you get on Google+ show up next to your other information, adding valuable social proof to the equation. If you serve local customers, you simply can’t afford to miss out.
How Do Google Map Rankings Work?
Once you claim your Google My Business page, you will begin to appear in these Google Map searches. So how does Google decide rankings? As it explains on its help page, “Google Maps search results are based primarily on relevance, distance, and prominence.” Relevance is used here in the same context as in a regular search, i.e. the closer your business matches what a user is looking for, the more relevant. Distance is self-explanatory, while prominence means how well-known a business is. This can either reflect online popularity (links and articles) or offline (a city institution or landmark).
Reaching Customers
Google My Business allows you to reach customers in multiple ways. As we’ve discussed, it helps you show up in local search results and in map search results. However, it also increases the likelihood of standing out on Google+, because a business more likely to show up in search results is more likely to receive patronage and therefore more likely to get reviews that prop up a Google+ profile. In turn, a good Google+ page makes it more likely your business will be deemed relevant, and therefore found. It also helps you connect with customers through shares, responses to feedback and follows.
Building Your Profile
Before you can build your profile, you need to be on Google. If you have a business Gmail account or Google+ page, then congrats: You’re on! The steps to get on Google My Business are simple, and you can find them here, but keep in mind that slapping up a profile and making sure it achieves your goals are two very different things. Chances are, when starting out, you will want professional help to ensure you build a complete profile that accurately reflects your brand and helps you engage with the customers you really want to serve.
Ready to get started? Just call us at 770.893.2443, or connect online.
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