If you own a business, you need to have Google My Business registered, verified and optimized.
Google My Business is Google’s online directory of business listings. You may have seen these listings when doing a search using Google Maps. A bunch of business listings show up on the map, which display contact details and a link to their website. This is controlled by Google My Business listings. These listings used to be called Google Places and Google+ Local.
In an average Google search page, Google My Business listings show up just below Google Ads paid advertising locations and above organic (non-paid) search results. Depending on what keyword you’re looking for, you may or may not see a Google My Business listing.
These are the most important reasons to register and optimize your Google My Business listing:
#1. Free Google Website Visitors
Google My Business listings show up very high in search results and give you free website traffic. Once verified, you can add the link to your website to redirect visitors to find more information about you or your company.
#2. Google Reviews
Once you register and verify your listing, you’ll have the ability to have your customers write reviews about your company to improve your online reputation. This is an important factor with Internet marketing. Some buyers do all their research online and have already scoped out which company, location, or products they want to purchase or work with before making any contact with you.
#3. Google Ads Location Extension
If you are running online advertising via Google Ads Pay Per Click advertising, you’ll be able to import your Google My Business listing directly into your advertising. This also imports the reviews on Google My Business directly into the advertising. This gives you a far better click-through rate and a competitive edge on your competitors.
#4. Control What People See
If you are a home office and you don’t want to show your home address, it’s totally okay. You can select a zone or list of cities that you service/work in. Feel free to check out what I’ve done with my Google My Business listing for example. Google My Business also displays on Google maps, so it shows when your business is open or if you’re still open at the moment the user is searching. If your hours change, you can update it right within your Google My Business dashboard and let people know.
#5. Control Your Target Locations
In Google My Business, you can tell Google which areas you service and your listings will show for those areas more prominently. This will help with lead generation, so you have the right people finding your website.
Google is doing a great job of making websites be found online. Get your Google My Business listing verified as you are missing out on website visitors if you don’t have this setup.
