How Google My Business can help small entrepreneurs?

The pandemic has brought forth the need to innovate and enter the digital sphere, especially for small business owners. But, you can turn this challenge into an opportunity. How? By embracing Google My Business.

Google My Business is a listing where you provide information on who you are, and what you do. Today a majority of customers search for products or services on Google. So, listing your business on Google My Business means placing it on the customer’s radar.

Benefits of a Google My Business Account

From Questions and Answers to Google Posts to Photos and Reviews-there are many features inside the Google My Business (GMB) dashboard. You can use these to showcase your business on Google and make it easier for customers to discover you. If you don’t have a GMB presence, you can lose customers.

The pandemic has changed the rules of business all over the world, and India is not an exception. There are no regular business hours, and movement is severely restricted. In this scenario, you should communicate the health protocols that your business is taking, or any change in your working hours, to your customers. This is where Google My Business steps in.

Google My Business Features

Your free GMB listing can help to get your small business found in more local searches and get selected by more consumers. Some features in Google My Business will help your small business get a high ranking.

1. Business Title

According to the latest Map Pack/Local Finder Ranking Factors survey, having keywords in your Google My Business title is an influential factor to rank a business listing on Google Map. Let us have a look at an example. Let us suppose you own air-conditioning repair business in Bengaluru. So, you should put the word ‘A.C. Repair’ in your business title. Also, you must put the location keyword ‘Bengaluru’ in the title.

These will make your business relevant when someone is searching for ‘A.C. repair, Bengaluru’. Google uses the clicks on your profile to rank you on it. The right keyword on your business title can put your business at the top.

2. Business Category

One of the most important decisions you need to take when creating a GMB listing is choosing a business category that best represents your activity. This is because according to the Map Pack survey, Google categories have the most impact on rankings on Google Search.

As of 2020, there are nearly 4000 business categories to choose from, and Google adds new ones regularly. Though for certain businesses it is as straightforward as choosing electrical works or plumbing, for others it can be difficult. Every business can pick a primary category and nine additional categories which will influence your rankings.

3. Update your profile

If you want to maintain your search rankings at the top, you have to update and maintain your listing, just as you would do on your website. You should include all relevant information in your Google My Business account that your customers might need. It should be given in an attractive format so that a customer should feel interested enough to click on it.

GMB allows you to update your businesses’ hours, categories, images, location, products, phone number, and more. This will make it SEO-friendly, and provide accurate information to your clients.  If your business has been affected by the pandemic, your first task will be to inform customers about the change in working hours.

4. Google My Business Photos

As per Google’s data, businesses with photos get 42% more requests for driving directions in Google Map and 35% more visits to their websites. If you look good online, you can capture the attention of customers. The height and width of the photos should be at least 72 pixels each.

The cover photo is the most important because people will see that first. You can upload images like exterior and interior shots of your establishment, pictures of products, and your team members. Your profile photo is used to show your identity when you upload new photos or post comments.

5. Google My Business Videos

You can add videos that are 30 seconds or longer, but the file size must be less than 100 MB. The resolution should be at least 720p or higher. Including videos will increase the visual appeal, and they will appear in local listings and search results.

Videos will make your GMB profile interesting, and make you stand apart from other businesses in your category. Videos can appear on Google Maps also and will help you to drive more sales. Business owners can view videos that are of a maximum length of 30 seconds, added by customers.

6. Put Your Business on the Map

Google maps app is an important link in local marketing and can be managed through your GMB listing. It can be downloaded on mobiles and tablets through the Google Play Store, and customers can search for a business through this app. However, this feature is not available on computers.

You can use its API interface to integrate Google Map to your website and be found by customers. Your followers will be visible to you through this app, and you can follow their locations through its GPS. Another advantage of Google Maps is the opportunity to advertise-you can expect good business from it.

7. Direct Messaging

Now, customers can message you directly on your phone, or email you, through the GMB interface, like Google Maps or Google Search. This helps them to get in touch with you in real-time, and they no longer have to go to your website to contact you. The messaging feature is similar to Facebook Messenger, and initially, it used SMS.

8. Customer Reviews

You can respond to customer reviews on your GMB profile, giving you greater credibility than crowd-sourced websites like Yelp. Responding to customer reviews promptly will lead to positive reviews. As per research published by Joy Hawkins, Google reviews play a significant part in how a local small business page ranks. This study, available on Search Engine Land, shows that businesses that lost some of their reviews following a Google update, all dropped in their rankings by an average of two positions.

The 2020 Map Pack Ranking Factor Survey also confirms the fact that reviews are an important factor to determine your ranks, even though their weight has dropped slightly over time. Reviews are also the number one influence in consumer buying.

9. Website Link

The website feature in Google My Business allows you to connect your listing to your website. There is a strong correlation between how well a Google listing ranks, and which web page or landing page of your website your listing is associated with.

The keywords in the title of that page along with external links pointing to it will be used by Google to rank your listing. In most cases, you are likely to associate your listing with the homepage of your website, as it will be the most relevant page.

10. GMB for restaurants

There is good news for restaurant owners! Google has added a new tab, called the “food ordering tab” to the Google My Business console menu. This allows restaurants to manage how customers order food online based on their profile on Google My Business. You can directly add ‘place order links’, or use a third-party provider to integrate with Google My Business.

For a potential customer to find your business should be a breeze. As a marketer of a small business, your job is to make your task easier. Listing your business on Google is a sure-shot way to achieve that.

Also read:

1) How to Use Google Adwords for Digital Marketing?
2) Tips & Tricks to optimise the Google Maps Listing for Your Business
3) Is Market Research Useful for a Small Business?
4) Top-10 Things & Technologies that will be trending in the year 2021
5) OkCredit: Simple, Paperless & Secure solution for businesses

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FAQs

Q. Why is it important for you to provide correct information on GMB?

Ans. A study by BrightLocal has found that 68% of consumers avoid a local business if it provides incorrect information, like phone numbers.

Q. How can you verify your business on Google?

Ans. There are several ways to verify your business like postcards, phone, or email. You have to make sure that your business address is correct.

Q. Can I make changes to my Google My Business account?

Ans. Yes, you can. Just go to ‘Info’ on your GMB account, and navigate to ‘Edit’.

Q. What consumer insights can I get from my GMB account?

Ans. You can get useful data like on what day a customer called you, or researched on you. This will help you in your social media strategy.

Q. How does Google rank a business profile?

Ans. Google will rank your profile based on the SEO quality of your content.