Did you know that, according to Fundera, there are over 30 million small businesses in the US? These businesses make up 9.99% of all businesses in the US.
Considering how many small businesses there are in the US, you as a business leader need to use all the right strategies to get more customers.
One of the best ways to do this is by optimizing your business’s Google My Business.
But what if you aren’t sure how to set up your Google My Business account? And once you have, how do you optimize it?
It can be challenging to get started. That’s why we’ve put together this article. In it, we’ll review everything you need to know about how to set up and optimize your Google My Business account.
Finally, you can put your business on the map and get more customers. Read on to learn more.
What is Google My Business?
When you use a Google My Business account for your business, it makes it easier for your customers to find you online. This makes you more discoverable because searches will find your Google my Business page on both Google Maps and Google Search.
Especially if you run a brick-and-mortar shop, this is important, because you’ll end up in local business search results.
With an account and Google My Business listing, you can also provide your customers with all the information they need. They’ll learn about your business’s opening hours, address, and more straight from the source.
Finally, when you have a Google My Business page, customers are more likely to trust you. In fact, your business will be twice as likely to earn customer trust if you have a complete listing on the Google My Business website.
Quality Google My Business reviews will also be impressive to customers. They’ll show that many other customers before them have enjoyed your business’s services or products.
Setting Up Your Google My Business Account
To get more customers with your Google My Business account, you first have to set it up. To do this, you have to go to www.google.com/business. Whether you’re running a small- or medium-sized business in the US, it’s the same link for all businesses.
When you sign up, use the email domain associated with your business.
Add Your Business
The next thing you want to do is add your business to the account. If you don’t see it in the menu that appears, click on “Add your business to Google.” Then, select the business category relevant to your business’s industry.
Put In Your Location
Do you have a brick-and-mortar store? If so, click “Yes” when Google asks you if you want to put in your store’s location. If you don’t have an actual location customers visit, but you have a service area, you can select this area.
Put In Your Contact Information
Next, you’ll put in your business’s contact information. This might include your business website or number. If you use Facebook for your business instead of a website, put in your Facebook page information.
Finish and Verify
Now, Google will ask whether you want to receive notifications and updates. Click yes if you do. Then, click the Finish option. The next step is to verify your Google My Business account. This takes several steps.
First, you’ll sign into the account you created. Then, you’ll select the Google My Business account you want to verify.
There are three ways you can verify your business: by postcard in the mail, over the phone, and over email. Choose the one you want to use. Remember that the information has to be completely correct! It never hurts to double-check.
Once you’ve finished the verification process, you’re ready to optimize your Google My Business account to get more customers!
How to Optimize Your Google My Business Account
There are several ways to optimize your Google My Business Account. These include putting in all the details, using photographs, posting extra info, and asking your past customers to leave you reviews. Let’s get started.
Put In All the Details
First, you want to put all the details into your account. By doing this, you make it easier for people searching your website to find you. Google ranks businesses with more information higher because they match up more with what people are looking for.
This is also referred to as SEO, short for search engine optimization.
Fill out everything, including attributes, category, and contact details. Do some keyword research so that the keywords people are often typing in are included in the content you put in.
Use Photographs
Photographs will make it easier for your customers to find you when they’re completing their search. By including your logo and recognizable brand colors, they’ll know yours is the exact business they’re looking for when they find your business.
Using photographs also makes it easier for customers to imagine what your business looks like and what they do.
Do you serve mouth-watering grilled cheeses? Post pictures. Do you run a salon? Show people just how relaxing it is to get their nails done in your beautiful spa-style interior.
Post Extra Info and Ask for Reviews
A great way to get more customers walking in through your door is by posting about special offers, updates, and news about your business in Google My Business. This is a great marketing technique that will drive sales up.
Once your customers have gone through your door, one of the best things you can do is ask them to leave a review. Once you have a large number of positive reviews, this will help the number of customers grow exponentially.
Your Google My Business will have such a high rating and so many positive reviews that potential customers will trust your brand much more and want to have the same positive experience.
Need More Information?
Now that you’ve learned about how to use Google My Business to get more customers, you might have additional questions. Maybe you want help crafting that perfect business description with all the necessary keywords.
Or maybe you want advice on how to get great reviews from past customers.
Whatever information you need, we can help. At HAYS Digital Marketing, we’re experts when it comes to digital marketing. We also offer digital marketing services. To learn more about how we can help you, contact us now.
