What do people see when they search for your business online?
If you don’t know the answer to this question, it’s time to do some digging. In addition to your company’s website and social media profiles, it’s important for your Google My Business listing to appear in the search results.
Google My Business provides the opportunity to build visibility online by displaying the following:
- Photos
- Location on map
- Address
- Hours
- Contact information
- Reviews (more on this below)
Now, let’s examine three of the primary reasons why you need Google My Business:
1. People are Searching Online
Go back in time 25 years and most people weren’t using the internet to find a restaurant, plumber, electrician, or other type of local business.
Fast-forward to today and this has all changed. Get this: Google handles a minimum of two trillion searches every year.
If you want to get your piece of the “search pie,” you need to take full advantage of every tool that’s available to you. Google My Business is one of the best.
2. To Share Reviews
A Google My Business listing gives customers the opportunity to write a review about your business.
Your goal is simple: to provide high quality service with the idea that your customers will leave four or five star reviews. Over time, as you garner more and more reviews, your reputation within your space will begin to speak for itself.
3. To Prove Your Legitimacy
Let’s face it: some companies are here today and gone tomorrow. This scares people, as they don’t want to get involved with a “fly-by-night” business.
A comprehensive Google My Business listing, complete with positive reviews, can help prove your legitimacy and show customers that you’re here to stay.
Conclusion
If you already have a Google My Business listing, take the time to review the information for accuracy. Also, read through your reviews and make special note of any that are dragging down your overall rating (then avoid these mistakes).
If you don’t have a Google My Business listing, now’s the time to get started. You can begin the process online or by calling Google for help. Either way, you don’t want to wait another day.