Do I need a Google My Business Listing?

The short answer, yes! A Google My Business listing is one of the most powerful and important tools when it comes to being found by your customers. Customers who are looking for a product or service will perform what is known as a discovery search, this means they haven’t yet chosen a business and this is when having a GMB comes in handy. Did you know there are 3.5 billion searches performed on Google every day? You do now and this is a fantastic reason to get started on your listing and grab a slice of that 3.5 billion search pie.

How do I set up a Google My Business Listing?

Well firstly you’ll need a Google email account, preferably one that is associated with your business, but if not you can set up a brand new one, it’s free and very simple. Once you have your email account you’ll need to go to the My Business section here; https://www.google.com/business/. You’ll be prompted to follow the steps and fill in some simple information about your business. Once you have filled in your company information you’ll be required to verify your business, this will be through either a phone call or a postcard sent to your business’ registered address. The postcard will contain a code that you’ll need to confirm on your listing to verify your account.

How can I optimise my Google My Business Listing?

There are a few things you can do to make sure your GMB is in tip-top shape, the first and most important thing is to make sure that the address on your listing appears in the same format as the address on your website and any other places such as Bing, Yelp, Facebook and more.

Next, you’ll want to make sure your business description uses relevant keywords for instance, a bakery may use key terms such as “freshly baked cakes”, “baked good” “local bakery”, these all help Google’s algorithms figure out what type of business you are and who is searching for you.

Add photos, this will give your customer a more realistic expectation of your business. Snap some photos of the outside of the premises, this helps customers get familiar with your shop front before they visit and may help them find your location easier if it isn’t very straightforward to find.

Ensure that your business hours are kept up to date and update the hours for special days such as bank holidays or celebratory days.

Lastly, start gathering reviews from your happy customers, this will not only help your business appear higher in the search rankings but also will make you stand out amongst your competitors.

How can I get more reviews for my Google My Business Listing?

Ask customers to leave a review on your Google listing. There are many ways to do this, such as face to face, via social media platforms, sending them an email or leaving information with their order or invoice.

Add a link in your email footer for customers to add a review to your Google My Business listing.

Offer an incentive such as a monthly or quarterly prize draw for those who leave you honest feedback or maybe a discount code for a percentage off of their next order.

Be sure to respond to all of your reviews, whether they are good or bad, this shows your customers that you care and you support their feedback.

Can someone manage my Google My Business Listing?

Yup! We can manage your Google Business Listing from the beginning. Our team can set up the listing for you and optimise it so that you have the best chances of being found by your customers. We can also keep an eye on your GMB for new reviews, reply to existing ones and tackle any negative reviews. We can also add new posts and content to your Google Business listing to keep it fresh and up to date for any customers looking for your products or services.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in, speak to our expert team today on 0800 0209 838.