To begin… what is Google My Business, you ask? Google My Business is an easy-to-use FREE tool that helps businesses and organizations manage their online presence across Google. You can help customers find you and let them know all about your business by verifying and editing your information. This is especially important for businesses with a physical location because Google My Business allows you to manage how your business appears on Google Search and Google Maps. 

Now that you know what Google My Business (GMB) is… let’s dig into what it can do for your business.

Help customers find your physical location. 

By having a GMB profile, you will be able to verify your business’s street address, allowing customers to know exactly where to find you. On a side note… businesses that verify their information with Google My Business are twice as likely to be considered reputable by consumers.¹

Increase your visibility on Search.

GMB helps you show up when customers are looking for what your business offers. Think about it… when someone googles “best pizza near me”, they most likely are hungry and ready to purchase a pizza from the best pizzeria near them, not searching for a blog post about making pizza. If you own a pizzeria and keep your business information up to date and verified on GMB, odds are, you will show up on that search list and some very hungry customers will be heading your way. 

Read and respond to you reviews.

While GMB lets you add useful information such as your business name, what you do, your phone number, hours of operations, website, location and pictures, it also makes it super easy for customers to leave reviews and for you to manage those reviews. No matter what, customers are bound to leave reviews about your business on Google, good or bad, and GMB makes it easy to manage those reviews all in one place. So no need to search forever to find reviews, they’ll be right there waiting for your response. Oh, and don’t forget to answer to both positive AND negative reviews; you want to make sure your customers know you’re listening and want to help resolve any issues or give a simple thank you. 

In today’s world, everyone is constantly on their phones looking for instant gratification when a “want” or a “need” arises. Be sure that your business is there on Google Search and Maps, ready to satisfy the customer when they start googling! Set up your Google My Business account today! Need help or more insights on GMB? We’re here and ready to help at TechKnow Solutions. Give us a call today at 618-526-1600!

¹ Google/Oxera, The Benefits of Complete Business Listings, Dec 2014