Use these tips for Google My Business to spread your business across Google Search, Maps, and SERPs.

Use GMB for free to engage with your customers.

Yes, believe it or not, registering for Google My Business is free. Using these Google My Business Tips, you will appear freely on the web via Google Search and Google Maps at no cost. Thus, GMB will make your website or business visible to your customers in a way you may not have imagined yet, and enhance your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) value. You can start your Google business profile by typing “How to Create My Business Listing on Google” on your browser and signup or update your business profile on Google. Whether you are an online professional, marketer, content developer, business agency, or an online e-commerce company, you can have a natural “google my business login” or update your “google my business information anytime you want. Signing in with GMB can help you with additional support options to promptly resolve your online visibility issues, enhance your SEO value, and rank in the search engine result pages or SERPs.

Google My Business or GMB is a simple and useful tool for businesses, organizations, professionals, and online marketers in optimizing their online visibility across Google Search, Google Maps, and other search engines. When you can verify, add or claim and update your “My Business” information on Google, you allow your customers to easily match their search queries with a click to find your business. Tell your customers of your business story in a way far different from traditional companies. Otherwise, when you do it the old way, you may miss the holistic approach of scoping and extending out business information to your potential clients online.

Start putting in place your business in the ways adhering to the new normal. Even those conventional companies that have a physical location, selling their products or services either in person, by mail, or through the phone are now shifting towards the new normal. These companies offer or sell their physical products or services off the digital platforms before the new normal comes. One of the options they could best choose is the free use of GMB to engage with their incumbent and potential clients and rank high on the SERPs.

Do you know why your GMB information or GMB account matters?

When you register, signup, or update your GMB Information, you can get Google support to focus on your business-specific and content marketing needs. This GMB account structure is designed to manage all your website dependencies and agency-specific needs. Your GMB information will catalog the third parties, manage teams, and all their listings under one account. Your GMB account will help provide a structure that’s designed for third parties to manage all their listings under one account that has an impact on your website content or website SEO. Social media-wise, your business profile also matters to widen your “My Business” services on Google.

We have prepared a dozen useful GMB or Google My Business Tips on this article. You can adapt or integrate these tips with your own GMB listing when you register and make use of your “My Business” Account on Google. Mind you, and it would surely benefit you to get more than just a business listing over Google platform. When you do it well, your free GMB account allows you to easily connect with your customers across Google Search, Maps, and other search engines.

google my business profile

1. Sign up for Google My Business

Google can help your business find what you need,  especially when you own a small business, Google can help you attract customers and get ahead of the competition. Google can help your business to organize it efficiently and establish its visibility on Google search and maps. GMB is a great starting point for your website or business. Signup using your computer, sign in to GMB, and on your Google Account. Of course, you have to create one if you have none yet. Type your business’ or business chain’s address. You can choose if you want your business location to appear on Google Maps. Look for the choices and select a business category. Check if a listing for an old business is present at the same location where you are doing the registration of a new business.

Please do not attempt to claim the business in existence in that location. Instead, suggest an edit to have it marked as closed. Then, proceed with updating/ adding/ claiming, creating, and verifying a new My Business information or GMB listing on Google for your website or organization – Please start your GMB account here. Again, ensure to have in mind that you would not miss generating and driving more traffic to your website. All the more, intensify your business reach-out, and enable differentiation of your SEO value in the Google platforms, among search engine result pages.

2. NAPW (Name, Address, Phone, Website)

One key essential aspect of SEO is that your NAPW – name, address, phone number, and website – are all consistent across the online directories to stand out in your Google Business Profile. Discrepancies in your NAPW would lead to lower rankings and even take part in your site users’ pain points. Highlight anything that is new on your My Business information in Google to guide your potential customers to your business.

Ensure that once you are done verifying the accuracy and consistency of your NAPW information across all channels, you ensure your GMB listing is verified and at its full optimum level to increase your chances for both local SEO citations, and even international SEO success. Make your NAPW as one key of your local ranking strategies to stand out and top the online search platforms. Please bear in mind that your incumbent and potential clients are possibly using apps, mobile devices, and the internet on their smartphones to search for their services or service providers.

Make sure to differentiate your website or Google My Business information such as your NAPW from your competitors to drive customers to your website. Your NAPW is key to the intent of the site user or searcher, and better make sure that Google is following and understanding this all, and that your site loads quickly, mainly when users use their mobile devices locally to search for your NAPW.

3. Ensure your Google My Business information is accurate

Ensure to fully and accurately optimize your Google My Business listing. You need to review not only your Google Business Profile but double-check as well the accuracy and correctness of the following information:

  1. Verify your GMB listing
  2. Complete all pertinent fields
  3. Service Area Business
  4. Phone Number
  5. Photos, Videos, and Posts
  6. Business Name and Shortname
  7. Business or Operating and Holiday hours
  8. Description
  9. Services
  10. Reviews
  11.  Q&A

All of these are great ways to fully optimize your “My Business” listing on Google. But one of the most important things to remember once you can optimize it is to adhere to Google’s policies for representing your business on Google. Otherwise, it would result in having your GMB listing flagged or suspended and would result in your listing being removed entirely.

Double-check your adherence to Google’s policies, no matter what you see. You have to verify and confirm that the information on your GMB account is correct. Please take note that when you verify your business information, see to it that everything is ready to appear to customers across Google Search and Google Maps. You have to edit and either claim or create your GMB listing and verify your business information on Google. When you are done verifying your GMB account it will be eligible to appear across Google platforms.

Try looking for a business on Google Search, such as ITDwebdesign.com and SEO Agency. Please take note of the small profile on the right side of the search results. This is the Google My Business information.

4. Ask your customers for reviews.

First, ask your customers for their consent before sending a review request at the right time. Make your customer feel that you are asking them a “favor” and do it at the peak of their happiness with your product or service. Let them know how long the review will take.

Subsequently, send them your “Thank You Pages.” A simple gesture that counts the SEO value proposition when done correctly at the right time. There are no other means than allowing your customers to tell a story about your business, and seeing it through the great user-experience your customers have gone through. Make use of your different spaces to encourage your customers to leave a positive review whenever possible for them. Simply optimize your content, especially your GMB listing or “My Business” information on Google, to make it customer-review-ready.

You can ask for good reviews at the right moment with that information on your GMB account to meet them where they are during their Google Search. Most customers read Google reviews before taking any orders or purchases online. All these reviews are essential for a business or company in persuading potential customers who are still on a decision making stage of whether to use your business or not. When a searcher or user finds you on Google platform, and your business has earned positive reviews and good ratings, it can help you earn a new customer.

There are a lot of ways, too, to create SEO value on your customer reviews. You can create incentives, reasonably handle, and respond to every customer review – both positive and negative ones deserve a polite answer. Share positive customer reviews you have already received, as well as those negative customer reviews with effective responses you have handled well. Doing these will show your customers your commitment to ensuring a complete user experience and letting them feel you are there whenever they need you.

The results of Google reviews are one of the SEO factors of local search ranking. Hence, the more reviews and positive ratings your website earns, the more it will increase its chances of optimizing your local business ranking. Your ranking will position you in SERPs, another SEO factor that highly applies to local search optimization. The more positive reviews, the more click to likely drive traffic to your website, and brings a lot of credibility to your business. When you are an e-commerce website, you can also integrate Google Customer Reviews badge on your website to display your rating and link to your seller ratings landing page. This badge lets you show to your searchers what other customer reviews about their experiences on your site.

Lastly, check that you have the right domain name or company on your My Business listings on Google, and proofread your GMB account to make sure it matches your customer review when it happens at the right time.

5. Choose the correct business categories

Google has over 3,000 business categories, 3,942 to be exact as of 2020, that allows a selection of up to 10 category choices for any GMB account. Examples of these business categories include consultant, advertising, branding, public relations, government agency, financial institution, investment bank, association, publisher, and a lot more to choose from Google’s business categories.

However, you can only select one (1) primary category, which is Google’s algorithm priority for ranking on its SERPs. Choosing your correct business category to describe your business and connect you to customers searching for the services you offer. For example, if your primary category is “computer shops,” Google may show your business information in local SERPS to people who search for “Shops,” “US Shops,” or “Computer” in their area. Keep in mind that your category is just one of many SEO factors that can affect your local ranking on Google search engine results pages.

Your business category may also be used to assign a “place label,” depending on the type of business you operate. Place labels are a feature of Google Maps that can display business information. These are great GMB listing content such as landmarks, businesses (building names), and tourist attractions on Google’s base map data that you can zoom in on.

6. Make sure your hours are correct

Ensure that your business information on your GMB account is correct and up-to-date. When there are changes in your business information, update your GMB listing to ensure Google gets accurate information to share with potential customers for your business. Also, Google may tend not to accept changes if they believe it is inaccurate. Google is one of the first platforms that customers would head to check whether or which businesses are open nowadays. That is one reason you need to make sure your business hours on your GMB are correct.

Plan and prepare ahead, operating your business during a holiday or tightened movements can be tricky and confusing as there are a lot of factors or details and limitations that you have to consider. One of these factors is your business’s open hours and special days, but it will ease your online traffic with the help of GMB. Google search engines allow your business listing to post your operating hours on public holidays, community restrictions, and special events before they even transpire.

Your operating hours are one of the business information that you need to keep your customers informed so that they can follow your business opening hours as well as your closing hours and special hours, such as holidays or events. It is more important that you provide your customers with accurate business information during this uncertain time. On this new normal transition, online businesses are one of the thriving arms of the global socio-economic capacity to survive in the current crisis. It needs to value field data or business information as well as closer customer communication. So, make sure to add correct hours on your GMB account. You have to turn on each day of the week that says your business is open.

Allowing your customers to know what is going on in your business is the key to prevent uncertainties. Notifying your customers of correct business hours is one of the best customer relations practices, letting them feel how you value their role in your business. You can also update the customers of your correct hours through your GMB posts. Doing this will place loyal and potential customers at the front and center of your business progress. In the advent of the rising demand of businesses changing their hours nowadays, GMB is prioritizing the updates of GMB listing for health-related businesses first, and all other businesses or industries to follow after that, thus, may experience such delays. All requests for edits or updates will still be reviewed for quality purposes and can take up 3 days or more to be published on your GMB listing.

7. Add new images often to your GMB account.

When you upload photos to your GMB account, you should first make sure that your images adhere to Google’s photo guidelines. You should reach out to GMB support if your images are still not appearing, and raise your concerns about the issue.

You can add any photos or videos to your business listing on GMB to visualize your products and services, providing more information about your business and its features (i.e., storefront, new launchings, events, etc.). Adding an exterior photo to your GMB account is also a good idea in providing the essential business information that will guide searchers so they can easily recognize your business when they visit your actual location. You can find the image you want to resize by percentage or by pixels. Once you have chosen the photos or videos you want to add to your Google My Business listing, ensure that:

  • Photos are of the correct size for faster page loading
  • Photos and videos follow Google’s content format-specific criteria policies
  • Photo format is either JPG or PNG type
  • Photos and video title/ URL reflects your focus keywords, and
  • Videos follow Google’s guidelines on duration, file size, and resolution; and.
  • Both photos and videos are clear, well-lit, and have good framing.

For photos you want to add to your GMB account, the size should be 250 x 250 pixels (minimum 120 x 120 and maximum 5200 x 5300) for a Profile Photo, while the size of a Cover Photo should be 1080 x 608 pixels (minimum 480 x 270 and maximum 2120 x 1192). The photo file size should be between 10 KB and 5 MB. Make sure to upload clean and fresh photos. Learn how to add photos to your GMB account through this video.

8. Publish new posts often to your GMB listing

Create new posts every seven days or every week on your GMB Posts to show off your business in a unique way at the right time when a searcher or user is looking at your business information online. This is one great way to indicate to Google that your business, product, or service are in use frequently over the internet, and is seen to have good results and improve the rankings of your business subsequently.

Also, you need to note that your GMB posts should be updated weekly, as Google tends to remove every Google post after seven days when these posts are first published. Your posts should at least highlight or introduce what is new on your business, essential events, offers, new products or services, share high-quality pictures or videos, and make it short and simple. Optimize your posts with your call-to-action or CTA, landing page, image, a URL that you can use to link to a landing page, or your website content.

Ensure that each of your posts complies with the limit of 300 words, especially that only the first 100 characters or even fewer will appear in your GMB’s knowledge Panel. Make your posts as professional as possible, but it is insanely high-quality content to make lasting impressions when it appears and can stir up interactions among user communities. Make your post become a brand source for reporters and bloggers to mention your business brand, making it a “skyscraper” content. Make great business posts to transform your GMB account to become a fresh and up-to-date authority resource page. The best way to update your business information is to publish posts more frequently.

When you share a post, your users will see it in Google SERPs and Google Maps. Your post will appear in the knowledge graph to the right side of the search results on both mobile and desktop versions when they search for your brand. Your GMB post can work towards improving your overall SEO strategy, and it is a great way to help you generate more organic clicks on CTA buttons, which in turn, build up your page rankings.

9. Respond to reviews

Any review deserves a response, be it from Google’s, a positive or negative review from your client. Start by thanking your customer for their review, even neutral or negative ones is always the right place to start. You can repeat the positive aspects of the review. Doing this will show them the depth of your gratitude for their taking time and effort to leave you their awesome review. Emphasize your business acumen and commitment by letting them feel the trueness of your response. If you need to apologize for or explain any dissatisfaction or pain points, they have experienced it in your business.

Generally, thank the customer for the positive review and be specific to let them know how the review made an impact. Mention on your response the entity or business name and keywords in your review response to their good review of your business, as well as allow Google search engine to index such review to add value to your local search ranking. You can add a bit of content marketing too, as well as include an invitation to customers on what they can do in your response or invite them back. You can make a standard response or templates, but make sure to indicate a human touch into it.

Here’s a customized response that you can follow or start upon “This review made our day [mention the entity or business name]! Our gratitude for your efforts in taking the time and in imparting such an amazing review. Thank you for motivating us with your honest and kind words.” Though there is nothing wrong with a simple “thanks” or “thank you” to a customer, however, making it in a tone that sounds more formal, casual or informal can impact their preference of whether to use your business or not. It depends on the depth of the relations you were able to build with your customers when you first did your content marketing with them.

10. Update your Google Business Profile more frequently

Keep in mind to update or edit your business information on Google for any changes. Make it accurate by editing such business information either through a computer or mobile device (android or iPhone/ iPad) more frequently. You can remove or change your business information such as your address or location, business operating hours, contact details, menu/ services, phone, photos, and other essential information to help guide your incumbent and potential customers find you and learn more about your business. According to Google, when you remove information from Google’s active servers, it may take up to 60 days and stay in Google’s backup systems much longer. Please note that you cannot remove information that is also publicly available or emanate from other sources.

Further, you cannot edit editorial summaries or keywords from the web that appear next to your business. Updating your business information or Google Profile more frequently can be done for multiple locations of the same business: You can even upload and edit business information in bulk. Make sure to mark your business, either closed (permanently) or moved to another business location (or website). You can even report any problem or issue with someone else’s business, as well as any error on the map. You can use Google Maps for this.

google map pack

Please do not forget to verify your business profile to make it legitimate to appear on Search, Maps, and other Google services. You can also edit your business information without the need to verify your business. After the approval, Google will publish such changes on your business information before it is verified on Google Search and Maps. In some cases, Google may require users to verify their business information before they can edit any information on their GMB account.

11. Login to your GMB account regularly

Ensure that you are logged-in with your GMB account, you can look for your business name on Google Search to do this. Click the “Edit Info” option on the simple menu right above the search results to add or correct your business information. You can click the “Create post” option to post this business information on Google and stay engaged with your customers. You can also share photos that can highlight your business on Google searches by clicking the “Add Photo.” Click the “Reviews” to view and respond to customer reviews, and add personalized updates and suggestions to optimize your visibility. Only the owners and site managers of the Business Profile can see this dashboard.

Regularly log in to your GMB account to manage your business profile via Google Search, and at the same time confirm that your business information is up-to-date and accurate.

A site manager can look for the “signup link” on the Business Profile of the claimed chain locations on Google Search and Maps. The site manager can verify it when new users sign up for a GMB account and existing users who try to access their claimed chain listings. This signup link allows owners and site managers to manage their google business listing and operate their managed or claimed locations efficiently. Site managers can verify Google to ensure their business profile data is accurate. Owners and Site Managers can add or remove business information listings or manage user access through their GMB account.

12. How to get your GMB Account to appear on Google search engines

Your GMB account can be shown in many locations across Google Search and Maps. You can further improve the local ranking of your business by using GMB and make your business information available for ten or more locations at once. You can create a bulk upload spreadsheet on this, though, so that your GMB listing can appear to local search engine results for people who search for businesses and places that are proximate to their location. They’re shown in many places across Google Search and Maps. You may have experienced when you have tried to see local results when you search for a “Computer Shop” on your mobile device, for instance. Google will try to show you the kind of nearby shop that you would like to visit and provide you an index or array of choices which the “computer shops” category belongs to.

When you use Google My Business, you can improve your business’s local ranking and let your customers find your business with ease. You may also find that your business doesn’t appear for relevant searches in your area. You can make the most of your customers for your Google business listing on local search engine results. Make sure to complete the tasks specified in the Google My Business to provide and update business information in your Google My Business Listing to help your local ranking on Google and enhance your online presence in Google Search and Google Maps.

a. Google Search – SERPs

An essential first step in any local SEO strategy is to claim and verify your local Google My Business Listing. Allowing your GMB to stand out, can help you appear in Google platforms – Search, Local Pack, Local Finder, Maps, and organic rankings. When you qualify your local business on Google, it can claim the free business listing. Further, it can include field data or business information about your organization, such as brand name, business location or address, phone number, business operating hours, currencies, and payment methods. Google has made some boosts by adding some great features to GMB that you should take advantage of to optimize your Google My Business Listing to rank on SERPs. Also, it helps grab attention from the users and web crawlers — and optimize your ranking in local search engine result pages or SERPs.If you haven’t claimed and verified your Google My Business Listing yet, that’s the first step. To get started, visit https://www.google.com/business.

b. Google Maps

Your business listing enables Google Maps to provide users the business information they are looking for easily and quickly. Anyone can add a business listing on google maps without a cost. Ensure to include your business information when you sign in and pin your GMB account on Google Maps. Do not limit it to your business name, business address, business category, updated operating hours, SEO optimized photos, pin for your business, and confirm this information and other details. Verify your business with Google search engines. Consolidate your business listings as much as possible. Get Google as well as your customers and partners to review your business regularly.

Leverage your website content and posts and link them to your GMB account to stay on top of Google Local Updates. Look for location or directory citations and mention your business information on your GMB account to your site or third-party domains. Your website content and GMB information play an essential role in improving your visibility on Google Maps. So, make it a habit to make your business information as accurate as possible on your GMB account. Also, ensure that your website has local landing pages to enhance your chances for local search rankings. Lastly, do not overthink!

The Perks Of Using Google My Business

Is Google My Business all worth the effort? The honest answer is, YES.

Your GMB listing is part of your local search ranking and takes an integral role in a comprehensive digital marketing campaign for your business. Thus, making your Google My Business a wide and continuously improving SEO Value of your business.

Your Google Business Profile or GMB provides your loyal and potential clients with easy real-world insights and field data access to your GMB listing. Your Google My Business information, such as the hours of operation, phone number, email address, website, and other essential information such as location or directions with a click of a button, and without having no cost at all. Your free GMB account also gives customers an in-depth look at your business process and interfaces through insights that are useful in your hectic hours and adequately review your ratings. When you are in Google My Business listing, any relevant field data or information that you want to communicate to customers or clients will succeed in crossing that information exchange in the SERPs. Clients will get in touch and feel the need to visit your website, e-commerce, or online store, contact you, or your business agency, and directly avail of your products or services and make a purchase.

So, get your GMB account linked effectively to your website content or business information to top on Google Search and Maps without paying for it. Choose your target “long-tail” keywords carefully as this can be one of the easiest ways to rank your GMB account on the first page of the SERPs without paying. Optimize your heading, title tags, and content with your focus and related keywords, add LSI keywords to your content, enable your image SEO, and enrich your Google My Business listing with these SEO optimization tips and SEO best practices you have from other web resources to boost your Google ranking. Indeed, your Google My Business helps your business as well as other companies and marketers, such as a business agency, online professionals, and digital marketing platforms, to reach out to more clients.

If potential customers would search for your business and they do not see a Google My Business listing, well, that can be a problem for your business to face. Providing relevant field data on your Google business profile with real-world insights on how your business operates will certainly engage your business online. Taking good care of your customers and understanding how they behave can enable your business to understand and engage with your loyal and potential customers over the internet. Make your Google My Business do it for you more effectively in the new normal.

We hope you have enjoyed these Google My Business Tips. Leave a comment below or contact us if you need help getting your own Google My Business listing optimized for local SEO.