What is Google My Business & Why Does Your Business Need It?
When you’re looking to buy something, where do you begin your research? You most likely jump on Google. 80% of business decision-makers prefer to get company information from a series of articles versus an advertisement through a search engine. And, 71% of shoppers say they use their mobile device to complete tasks such as reading reviews from businesses on Google.
So, what does all of this mean for your business? If your business isn’t popping up on Google through your Google My Business profile, you’re most likely not being found as often as you could be. Those hopeful customers who are reaching for the internet and are trying to make a purchase decision aren’t finding you as an answer and that has to change!
Think about it for yourself for a minute. You’re in a new city and you’re hungry for breakfast. What do you do? You probably Google “Best breakfast spots near me” and restaurants pop up! You read reviews, click on the menu, find the address and go.
We use Google for everything nowadays, so if your business isn’t, you need to fast forward into 2020. In this blog post, we’ll help you out. We’re going to be discussing Google My Business, the benefits of having a profile and your first steps into creating your own profile!
The digital-first world of 2020.
A common question among business owners is whether or not they should take their business online. There are some brick-and-mortar stores that aren’t aware of the necessity of an online presence in today’s digital-first world. If you’re one of those companies, you’re missing out on a wide scope of potential clients online.
Here are some reasons you need an online presence:
Establish brand authority
Level up your local business
Provide a place for positive reviews
Market your company to a wider audience
Make it easy for people to reach out to your business
Provide better customer support
Create an online community of existing and potential customers
Having a Google presence is a must-have tool to help turn potential customers into quality leads and sales. It’s time to leverage Google in your online marketing strategy to optimize your visibility and to gain the competitive advantage of taking offline business online.
Google My Business specifics
Google My Business allows you to create a business listing on Google for free. It will allow you to showcase company information customers need when visiting your site or store, contacting you or reading reviews.
Google My Business profiles pop up on the right hand side of Google when someone Googles your business. It features a number of things:
Website link
Direction Link
Google review rating + Google reviews
Business address
Hours of operation
Phone number
Your Google My Business profile is able to be constantly updated. This is a wonderful way to update things like holiday hours! Google My Business also indexes the content you provide for consistency across Google Maps, Google+ and Google Search.
Why do you need a Google My Business listing?
Yes, it’s another thing to add to your marketing to-do list, but you’re not going to want to put this one on the back burner! When people Google businesses, they expect to see them online. If they Google your business and a Google My Business listing doesn't show up, it will push the online lead to Google another similar company, which means you lose them as a lead. People expect a Google my Business profile to show up on the right when they Google something.
Simply put, if you don’t have a Google My Business listing, you’re missing out on the greater opportunity to generate more traffic and business and to differentiate your business in Google. And do you really want to miss out on that?
Utilizing this search platform feature allows you to manage your company’s appearance on Google search results. It ensures that leads will have the relevant information about your company when they find your business on Google.
Here are some specifics Google My Business helps with:
Reach and engage with your target market for free
Earn trust from customers
Showcase your Google rating and reviews
Get your business on Google’s local 3 pack feature
Level up your Google marketing today
Google My Business is one of the most powerful ways to boost your company’s online visibility and local search optimization. By creating your profile today, you’re one step closer to saying hello to new leads! To start creating your Google My Business profile today, simply visit business.google.com to create yours.
If you’re interested in receiving more focused, 1:1 digital marketing help, BNL is now offering our Digital Marketing Empowerment Course. This course is 8 weeks long. You’ll receive THREE 1.5 hour phone calls with me, Megan, the Founder and CEO of BNL Social, every 2-3 weeks. We’ll focus on all assets of your business and how to level up your marketing. I’ll conduct a complete audit of your digital marketing, we’ll do an intensive on Instagram and we’ll talk about how you can scale your business online both organically and paid!
Finally, you’ll receive 2 full months of email access to me and the BNL team to offer support as you weave through all your homework.
We absolutely love this program and have seen such success with businesses who have joined.
Are you ready? Reach out today and let’s get started!