Google My Business is a free web tool that helps customers who Google your business find your info, like your phone number, email, website, address, review rating, hours, etc., in one simple location. According to some statistics, 97% of people learn about a company online compared to elsewhere, and 46% of all Google searches have local intent (even a small local store can benefit). So you don’t have to be a mega-corporation; GMB is for everyone!
The benefits of GMB:
- Google My Business is a free tool.
- Put your business on the Google map.
- Become a part of Google’s 3-pack.
- Build trust and credibility.
- Increase your website traffic.
- Provides more information about your customers.
- It’s the ultimate first impression.
1.Google My Business (GMB) is free.
The first benefit of GMB is that it is a free service that actually can make you money. Google My Business is one of the highest specific Google services you can sign up for. Here is what you have to do:
- Go to google.com/business
- Click “Start now.”
- Then type the name of your company and see if it is listed.
- If not, create one and fill in the relevant information.
Once you do that, you can be seen by tens of thousands of people in your area.
2.Put your business on the map.
The last time you looked for a local business, you probably scrolled through Google Maps – it lets you know what is local and what is not. Using Google My Business allows you to pin your location in Google Maps, and in this way, people can always find where you are. This benefit serves two purposes:
- It’s a passive form of advertising directed toward local customers.
- It helps people get to your store.
3.Become part of Google’s 3-pack
Another benefit of GMB is that Google’s local search results show organic results in a first—page preview. That means that searchers are presented with a local 3-pack: the top-three best businesses in the area.
Registering with GMB boosts your chances of being included in Google’s local 3-pack. In addition, it boosts your impression share – more search hits, more views, and more sales.
4.Build trust and credibility.
As you probably know, Google is a trusted website, so if you feature in their results, you are trustworthy. And this is one of the most critical benefits of Google My Business.
Typically, businesses that appear on Google are just about3 times more likely to be seen as reputable by consumers. The reason is that Google checks and verifies all businesses using GMB, so customers can search safely knowing that all listings are reputed and reliable.
5.Increase your traffic.
Like SEO increases traffic through blog content, Google My Business can also help you increase traffic to your website. However, increasing traffic to a specific website can challenge many small businesses. And here is when GMB comes to your aid. With Google My Business, you can pull in up to 35% more clicks to your site.
The most interesting and impressive fact about this benefit is that such traffic also translates to the real world. So, having a listing and appearing in local searches on Google can increase your potential customer in-store visits by 70%.
6.It provides more information about your customers.
Another benefit of GMB is that it provides information about the demographic of your customer base and the way they are engaging with your business. You can generate accurate and reliable information about your customers with Google My Business. You need to know that these valuable analytics would normally cost a fortune in surveys. But Google offers it completely for free.
Tip: Harness the wealth of analytics to improve your marketing and boost sales.
Here are the insights that you can get:
- Views – Google My Business shows you how effective a marketing campaign was. With GMB, you can see the total number of views you are generating for your profile, posts, photos, etc.
- Search queries – GMB allows you to generate a report to understand the keywords visitors input better to find your listing. You can use those long-tail keywords, significantly increasing your website traffic and attention.
- Audience: GMB provides information about your profile’s customers, such as age, gender, country, etc.
- Engagement: You can also find out which posts people share and what comments they leave. This provides a better idea about your business’s success & reputation.
7.GMB is the ultimate first impression.
It is essential to promote your business – so, if you have got great Google reviews, flaunt them. Or, if you are proud of your business/store, showcase it. Through GMB, you can captivate customers with photos and videos of your store/products. You can add at least 5-10 pictures and videos of your business, but first, make sure they are high-quality.
Another thing you can do is provide a business description, and in this way, there will be no uncertainty about who you are and what you care about.
