What Google My Business Is And How To Use It
We all know Google and the role it plays in our day to day activities. The tech giant has its roots deep in the IT sector - and operates through various channels which continue to add value for its customers.
One tool that it provides, is Google My Business. It is a business listing tool on Google which allows users to display their company information through Google on a variety of search results. Google My Business, or GMB, can be a crucially important tool to utilise when wanting to increase the visibility and credibility of your business.
In this article, we will learn how to use it and discuss its features in detail. By the end of this post, knowing all the advantages of GMB, you’ll be ready to set-up your own Google My Business Account!
Why is Google My Business Important? 🤷♂️
1️⃣ Google My Business generates leads
In recent years, the number of people using Google has increased drastically. According to Google Search Statistics, the platform handles 7 billion searches every day. This shows how crucial Google is in the lives of people across the world.
Whenever there are ‘near me’ searches taking place in any device, Google My Business comes into action. It displays your business information accurately so that the customer approaches you. For local searches, Google always displays Google My Business profiles - which is why it is highly important for businesses to create and maintain up to date accounts. By having this, businesses can enjoy the advantages offered by Google and can gain numerous customers without any efforts.
This is how Google My Business creates lead towards their customers and generates additional revenue for the business.
2️⃣ Customer interaction
Google My Business proves to be helpful in several ways. One such feature of this tool is its ability to allow customers to request questions and get answers from the businesses. At any
point of time, customers are able to ask questions about your business on your GMB profile.
Businesses are given an opportunity to provide satisfactory answers to any question which their customers have in mind and resolve their queries. This proves to be an effective promoting tool and can drive more customers towards you. Do make sure that you answer all the questions posted on your profile, to get the maximum results from this. Customers can also suggest edits and recommendations to your profile which enables you to look through the customer’s eyes and make recommended changes.
3️⃣ Information about customers
In addition to the wider visibility that it gives you, Google My Business allows you to track the customer activities happening in your profile. It gives you all the valuable information which helps you know your customers better.
For instance, you can track information about the number of people searching your business - things like what are they searching for, incoming calls, etc. It reveals whether the customers are looking for directions or not, and how far they are coming from. If you have a website, then combining this information with your Google Analytics data would create a powerful overview of how your customers are finding your website, and the actions they take afterwards.
This information would be extremely useful in understanding your customers and their problems, and you’ll know where you need to improve, in order to further grow and improve your business!
4️⃣ Google Posts
Google My Business also gives you the power to promote your products and services.
On your GMB profile, you are able to put up offers and various promotions about what makes your business unique and stand from others. For example, if you are running a car wash company and a person searches ‘cheap car wash services near me’, then your company profile would be among the first ones to appear.
With various promotions, a business can also upload photos and videos to make their profile more appealing. This makes the tedious process of finding the right provider more fun, which in turn, encourages the viewers to spend more time in the business’ profile.
5️⃣ Reviews
Reviews have a major role to play in the growth of your business. A high percentage of customers say that reading positive reviews was an important factor in the decision-making process of selecting a business to purchase from.
Generating quality reviews and responding to them has been shown to have a significant impact on the increment of rankings and clickthrough rates. Because of this, it is essential to ask your customers to leave positive reviews in your GMB profile. Through this, new customers get a clear idea of the work done by your company and how other customers perceive it.
Read this article on importance of using GMB to know more about Google My Business and its advantages.
Is Google My Business free? 😃😃
Whether you’re a start-up or a well-established multi-million organization, Google My Business is entirely free of charge. The cost of setting up a GMB profile is none. This is the reason why it is so highly appreciated in the corporate world. Read this blog for further details on charges by Google My Business.
Unlike other platforms, Google My Business doesn’t operate on a premium business model. The tool has zero levels and limitations, which mean, you have access to the exact same resources as your competitors. Which is great!