Why you need a ‘Google My Business’ listing
One thing I’ve found repeatedly with my clients is that they are missing a huge marketing opportunity and they don’t even know it. One of the best ways to secure new clients and help previous purchasers return is by setting up your free Google My Business account and listing. Why should you set it up?
Let’s set the scene:
You’re looking for a toy store to grab something for your niece’s birthday. You’re heading to a different neighbourhood for some other errands today too, and figure there might be something you could pick up while you’re already there. So, you grab your phone and type into your Google Search:
Toy store [‘neighbourhood name'] or Toy Store Near Me
What shows up?
A list of toy stores in the neighbourhood! How convenient! And the first three businesses have photos of their place, and directions on how to get there, and reviews, and ‘Oh wow! This would be perfect for my niece - please take my money now so this is done with.”
What happens if you don’t have a Google My Business listing?
This is my real life example: I had been to a specific toy store before, but I couldn’t remember its name, or how far down the long street it was. I knew that I wanted to return specifically there, because they had the wooden toys I knew I wanted.
So I jumped on Google and tried to search it. And what came up? All of it’s competition. That didn’t have what I wanted.
So what did I have to do?
I walked alllll the way down that long-*ss boulevard, asking other random stores if they knew which one I was searching for (they didn’t). I found it and realised they were still closed as I was too early. So I waited until it opened, and you best believe I showed mom of the ‘mom-and-pop shop owner team’ the page for Google My Business, and told her to set up her free account and listing. I’m not sure if she ever did, but you can see why she should - because if I wasn’t determined to get there, I would have bought elsewhere. And I was a client looking to buy specifically from them.
Lesson: Make your sales frictionless, so buying from you us by far the most convenient and enjoyable!
Who should set up a ‘Google My Business’ account?
So, really anyone who has a business or organization. 91.38% of internet users use Google as their search engine tool. Let that sink in. Almost everyone is frequently using Google to find what they need, and having a Google My Business (GMB) listing is like an instant boost on the search engine - if you fill out your listing properly, you can highly increase your odds of showing up first for your customers searching.
Do I still need a Google My Business if I’m not a business?
Short answer, YES.
Long answer: YES YES YES YES YES YES.
Okay, but really, please still create a Google My Business Account regardless of what you offer.
Do you already have a website? GMB will help direct people to your website, where you can offer more information on what you offer.
Do you want people to find your organization on a map? The first.
Want people to find your business in general? Consider this your free step stool to get higher up on Google Searches. The top 3 Google search results get 75.1% of all clicks, so this is worth fighting for. Why do these ones rank so well? Mostly because the 5 five usually appear before you need to scroll down (#lazy).
Still need convincing that your organization needs it?
I just got this email from a previous nonprofit client of mine that I helped set up their Google My Business account.
That’s 5000 views total on the photos I uploaded. That’s also 244 views of the photos in ONE WEEK. If you want people to find you, you need a Google My Business listing.
Do I still need Google My Business if I don’t have a physical location (office, brick and mortar, etc)?
Yes again! You’re not required to set up your account with a physical address, you can simply target the general area that you work in, and you’ll still show up as offering services with a listing. This is another opportunity to set yourself apart and at the top of the game!
What does the Google My Business Listing Include?
Google My Business provides a lot of options to include information, and the more you include, the better, but here is a brief overview of the most important items to fill out in a GMB listing:
Your Business Name:
Some of you are saying “Obviously!” but one important tip: Spell your business name consistently across all digital locations. Don’t abbreviate it in one place and not in another - the more your name appears exactly the same in different places, the more Google will consolidate it and treat it as ‘valid’. So stay consistent!
Photos:
Taking the time to provide a few bright, well taken photographs of your business makes a huge difference. When a searching customer sees something ‘real’ and ‘tangible’ about your business, it builds trust with you without even meeting them yet. Try including photos of you and/or your friendly staff. Don’t forget to include photographs of the outdoors and indoors of place, so customers see more about what you offer, and also feel confident they will identify your place when they arrive in the area.
Logo:
Include your business logo so that customers will quickly recognize you if they’ve already seen it somewhere else. The more you can do to make yourself easily identifiable, the more you will stand out.
Description:
Time to describe your business for those still wondering if you’re the one! If you’ve already had SEO written for your site, you’ll want to use something like the home page SEO description, as the more you use those keywords, the happier Google will be with you. Don’t understand that last sentence? Don’t worry!
Focus on describing exactly what your business does, who it focuses on, and how you solve a problem. Need help zeroing in on this?
Buttons: (including a link to your website)
Don’t miss out on a chance to connect with your customer before they head out on the road to check your competition. Please - take the chance to upload your website! I almost always click through to the websites to get more information and be sure that I want to visit somewhere before I leave the door. You can also use this as a chance to check how long it will take to walk, drive, or bus to you. Also, on mobile, this will show your phone number here too - take the chance at it!
Hours:
Adding your hours is one of the best ways to ensure you get the visitors who are searching. There is nothing worse than my example above of traveling specifically for something and then realizing you’re at the wrong time. A caveat: Don’t add your business hours if you know you won’t be consistent with them. I correct my statement above - this is even worse than not having them at all. One awesome feature is that Google will email you after you set up the account to ask you about your hours for specific holidays, so that is a good chance to review your information.
Google Reviews - the Holy Grail of getting to the top of the list:
Let me say this LOUD AND CLEAR:
Positive Google Reviews are one of your BEST chances at getting to the top of the search ranking.
You want people to choose you first? Show them that you’re worth trusting and visiting. And while we’re on the topic:
COLLECT THOSE REVIEWS. Shamelessly ask your favourite clients for them. Like, directly ask them face to face or via email - “Would you mind adding a Google Review of my business? It really helps others looking for my services to find and hire me, and would help my business a lot!” If you’re brick and mortar, place a small sign by the till. If you’re digital, put a link in your email signature. Ask, ask, and ask again, because the more positive reviews you have, the higher you’ll jump on Google.
Read this blog post about How to Direct Link to Review for Google MyBusiness
Don’t forget to update your Google My Business listing frequently!
Once you add this information, take the time to add a task to your calendar reminding yourself to check your details every few months and ensure everything is correct. Full transparency - I’ve been so busy managing my client’s accounts that I realised while writing this article that my phone number was out of date. Guess what I’m adding to my calendar?
A few minutes can make a world of difference for your customers finding you. Ready to start? Head to Google My Business or follow the instructions here, and let me know how it goes!
