How a Google Business Listing Can Impact your Business

Google My Business is a free and easy-to-use tool for businesses and organizations to manage their online presence on Google, including within the “Search” and “Maps” features. By including your business information, you can help customers find you and tell them the story of your business. This tool allows businesses to not only manage how their information appears across Google but also interact with customers.

Why Should Your Business Have a Google Business Listing?

Creating a Google business listing isn’t difficult, but many business owners overlook it, making it harder for your influence to spread. If you want to be seen, you need to be where people are; and today, people are online. In fact, 84% of consumers use their computer or tablet to search for local business online, and 88% use their smartphone. In addition to validating your physical existence in a digital world, a Google business listing offers many benefits to your business, including more customers, more sales, a stronger online presence, and increased exposure. To get your business found as quickly and easily as possible, make sure you have a Google business listing, and that this listing is the best representation of your business.

How to Cater a Google Business Listing to Your Needs

To update your Google listing, you can follow a step-by-step instruction manual called Google My Business. The basic components of your Google business listing are the name, address, and phone number of your business. More specifics on a good Google listing are as follows:

• Be Accurate: Paint a clear and complete picture of your business to ensure a better online representation. Remove as many barriers as possible by presenting the most accurate information to increase a response within a Google search engine.
• Be Consistent: The more consistent your business listings are, the higher your website will rank on Google’s results page.
• Use Text: Google My Business, like many directory listings and sites, will allow you to upload a logo. A logo adds a nice visual element to your profile and a professional look to your business, but it should never replace text in online listings. The text is what enables people to search for and find your business.

How to Optimize Google Business Listing

Getting on Google My Business can increase your chances of showing up in Google’s Local Pack, Local Finder, Google Maps, and organic rankings in general. Additionally, over the past several months, Google has added some great features that enhances your listing, helps grab viewers’ attention, and can increase your rank in local search results. These include:

• Google Posts: These “mini-ads” or “social media posts” show up in a Google search through your Google My Business listing.
• Booking Button: This allows customers to book an appointment with your business directly from your Google My Business listing.
• Q&A: This allows people to ask questions about your business and receive an answer from your employees.
• Reviews: Google encourages business owners to ethically ask their customers or clients for online reviews, which appear next to your listing in Google Maps and your business’ Knowledge Panel in search results.

Why a Google Business Listing is Worth it

If you’re a business owner, creating a Google Business Listing and integrating it with your business’s Google+ page will not only improve your rankings, but it will also help you earn the trust of potential customers. It’s one of the best things you can do for your online presence! Evolve Impact Group now offers Google Business Listings Management as part of our Social Media Package. This is a great service for restaurants (easily advertising happy hours and other specials), boutiques or clothing stores and other B2C (business-to-consumer) companies. You can even argue that B2B (business-to-business) companies will benefit from enhancing their Google profiles by posting information about new services and specials. This excellent feature gives you the opportunity to share your competitive advantage with clients before they call you or even visit your website.

For more information on how Evolve Impact Group can expand your online presence, call us at 979-383-2965 or message us here.  

Sources: https://www.google.com/business/, https://www.socialreport.com/insights/article/360000566266-Schedule-Your-Google-My-Business-Posts-with-Social-Report?, tm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Weekly%20Newsletter%20%E2%80%93%204%2F20%2F18, https://moz.com/blog/how-to-optimize-your-google-my-business-listing