Top Tips for Google My Business

Searching for your business on Google will display a lot more information that helps people find you locally. For example, your location on Google maps is displayed along with a link to directions, hours of operation, photos of your store, and an interface to make appointments. Once you claim your business on Google My Business, you can customize your profile to attract customers and optimize SEO. If you’re running a brick-and-mortar or service area business, you know the importance of local search. After all, consumers usually search the web for products or services near them when they’re close to making a purchase. A high-quality online business listing can help you reach customers in your area, but setting one up can be daunting. Let’s get started! There are so many tools and services at your fingertips to help market your local business and engage customers in your area. If there is one Google tool that should be at the top of the list for local business, it is Google My Business. Google My Business takes former standalone Google services like Google+ Local and Google Places and merges them into one tool designed to help people easily find you online. In recent studies, it’s been proven that the site that got the most attention when searching was Google+ Local reviews tied into the Google My Business platform. Google My Business allows you to “claim” your business and build out a listing at no cost. You will have to choose one of the verification methods before you get started, but once verified, you have the ability to edit details about your business, hours, location, pictures, etc. Setting up a Google My Business account can really boost your business. Here are three benefits to consider: You’ll have more visibility in search results and on Google Maps To maximize how often customers see your business in search results, Google recommends using Google My Business to update and maintain your local listing. These updated details all factor into Google’s local search results, which present info to viewers based on relevance, distance and prominence. It’s a one-stop-shop for searchers Anyone searching for a restaurant who stumbles upon your listing will easily have all the information they need at their fingertips. They can see when you’re open, what’s on the menu, grab directions from their location, or give you a call directly from the search results. Convenience is key in today’s world, and preventing someone from having to dig through multiple web pages is a plus. You’ll learn more about your customers With a Google My Business listing, Google provides a handful of insights on those who are interacting with you. You’ll get a breakdown of how people found you and what they did when they saw your listing. Did they call? Did they click on your menu or go straight to your website? This information is readily available in your Google My Business dashboard. This should give you some other ideas on how to promote your business. You’re also able to see how often customers find your business on Google and spot any trends over time. Did you recently nab a great review in a magazine? Check and see if there’s also been an uptick in searches for your business. At no cost, Google My Business is a no-brainer for your restaurant. It’s an easy way to make sure you’re showing up when people are looking for you — and that you’re providing all the key information right when someone needs it. Whether you’re attracting new diners or making life easier on your current ones, investing time in this tool will only help to maximize your exposure in Google search.