Are you wondering if you should set up Google My Business? The answer is a resounding yes! Google Plus seemed like Google’s answer to Facebook when they launched in June of 2011. At this point, it doesn’t look as much like that was their main objective. It leaves a lot of people scratching their head because it seems like a huge flop, but it is essential for ranking your business especially in a local capacity. It provides a lot of opportunities to easily rank your business in local search results and Google Maps. Let’s get into how you can get started with Google My Business.
Select the correct type of business. Choose accurately from the following three options: storefront, service area, or brand. Storefront refers to a physical location from which you sell products and/or service. Service area is a business without a storefront such as a plumber or HVAC tech. A brand refers to everything else like websites, artists, etc.
Make sure your NAP is accurate across the web. NAP is your business name, address, and phone number. This should be accurate and consistent for your business across the web. If you have your business listed at 100 Any St. on your website, it should be listed the exact same way on your Google My Business page rather than variation like 100 Any Street.
Create and join Communities to network. This is one of the most powerful features of Google My Business. You can network easily with other thought leaders in your industry and gain insight through meaningful discussion.
Curate great content with Collections. Create Collections containing industry-relevant content that your followers will find useful. Remember, your job is to solve problems and answer questions.
Use images. Just like with other social media networks, images are a huge way to increase engagement with your audience. People react much more to images than just plain text posts across the web as a general rule.
Get reviews. It can be hard to get decent reviews online unless you really make someone angry. To get some good reviews for your Google My Business page, create some simple postcards with a QR code link to your page where customers can leave a review. Hand these out in your physical location or on service calls. You can also do something similar on your website.
Wrap Up
These tips will get you up and running with Google My Business. I think you’ll find it really beneficial for search engine ranking purposes. It is also powerful when it comes to mobile search in your local area. If you run a small local business,Google My Business will be more beneficial to you than any other social media network. Let us hear from you the comments!
