What is Google My Business Listing

What is Google My Business?

Google My Business, also known as GMB, is a tool that helps you create & manage your business listing online, provided you serve locally.

If you are into a business that serves people in any area, it is crucial to have your presence on Google. The reason being, Google is a default search engine on the majority of mobile devices, and 46% of all the searches that happen on Google are for local search. Examples of local search queries could be

1. Medical shop near me
2. Mc Donald’s near me
3. Travel agency in Andheri
4. Best Chhole in Delhi NCR
5. Bakery shop near me etc.

This is why having a Google business listing could prove beneficial to your business.

What is Google Business Listing?

Google business listing or GMB account is a listing created using the GMB tool. This listing includes information about a business such as:

1. Business Name
2. Business Type
3. Working Hours
4. Address
5. Contact Number
6. Photos
7. Reviews & Ratings

This is how a Google Business Listing looks like

Where Does My Google Business Listing Appear?

The first thing you might want to know is how Google My Business works and where your GMB listing appears. To understand this, let’s dive into the sections on the search engine. On any Google Search Engine Result Page (SERP), the top section displays ads. This section is devoted to displaying paid ads for business or Google Business Listings. Below this section, you can find the Local Pack.

The Local Pack is ideally the first section where your GMB or Google My Business Listing appears. This section only displays the local listings that rank among the top 3. The goal of any business is to aim that your GMB listing has a good enough ranking to be displayed in this section. Below the Local Pack lies the link for “more places”. This Google for business listing section then expands the Local Pack to show the users all the other business listings based on their search query. If your Google business listing isn’t displayed in the Local Pack, this section is where it can appear next. However, if your business has been on the top of the market in the user’s location, then your GMB listing can also appear on the right-hand side on its own on the Google SERP, which can be the best place for your listing to appear. These are all the places where your Google business listing can appear on the SERPs.

Is Google Business Listing Free?

Google My Business or GMB allows you to create a Google business listing so that you can get your business on Google with minimal efforts. All you need to do is create a Google My Business Account and get going. Creating a Google My Business account is free. Businesses of any type and size can get themselves a GMB account.

How to create a Google Business Listing or Google My Business Account?

Setting up Google My Business Account is easy. Follow this step by step guide to create a Google My Business Account:

• Visit Google My Business Site. Or click on this link https://www.google.com/intl/en_in/business/
• Click on Manage Now button, which is placed at the top right corner.
  

• Upon clicking on it, the page will ask you to register your business with an email ID. You can either use a domain-based email or a simple Gmail account.

• After logging in, click on “Add your business to Google.”

• Write your business name. Your business name should strictly include the name of your business only. Do not include location or other details in this section. E.g., If you run a cake shop or you are a fish seller, you will write “Shelly’s Cake Shop” or “Andy’s Fresh Fish” and not “Shelly’s Cake Shop Mumbai” or “Andy’s Fresh Fish Bangalore” since this is not considered as a good practice.

• Choose your business category.
  

• GMB, then asks you to add a location where customers can visit, like a store or office. Google will show this location on Google Maps when customers will search for your business. If you want people to visit a business place, choose yes otherwise no. However, most of the time, the business would choose yes, unless for other reasons.

• If you click Yes, you will have to fill in all the details:

• If you serve outside your location where your business is located, then you can choose Yes otherwise No.

• If you serve outside your location by providing the delivery services, it is required to specify the location. E.g., a business sells fishes in Kurar Village, Malad East. However, they also provide delivery to other places like Orlem & Palm Spring area, which are nearby. Hence, the business would have to specify all those locations where they service.

• Once you add all the list of places where you serve, next comes contact details, add your contact details like phone number & website.

• Add your contact details; that’s it. Now you will have to verify your business.
  

• Verifying Google business listings can easily take up to two weeks. You will receive a postcard on your business address, which comes with a code. Once you add this code to your listing, your listing goes live. You can also verify your Google My Business account later,  however, it doesn’t give you full control of your listing till then. The best and recommended next step would click on mail.

• Once you click on mail, all you have to do now is wait for your postcard to arrive. The postcard will include a code in it which will verify your business location.
  

• Once you receive the postcard, it includes a code, use it to confirm your business listing.
  

• Once you enter the code, your business listing becomes live and visible to the people you serve.
  

What to do after my business listing is live?

Once you verify your listing, you will have to optimize it for better reach. To optimize your business listing better, you need to do the following:

1. Add pictures and videos to your listing (Video’s need to be shorter than 30 seconds, less than 100MB & resolution to be at least 720p or higher)
2. Add Ratings & Reviews of your customer.
3. Write an attractive description of your business and list out the variety of products or services your offer.
4. Create a post and share it on your listing for any offers or updates.
   

Also Read:

• A Guide to Local SEO

• How to Optimize for Google My Business Listing

Benefits of Google My Business Listing

Helps to show up in Google Local 3-Pack

One of the benefits of a Google My Business listing is that it increases visibility and allows customers to locate the business geographically. The local 3-Pack is for searches with local intents. Being included in the local 3-Pack is an aim for many businesses as they employ more and better SEO techniques to appear in it. It appears before the results of the organic search and increases search engine rankings.

Trust from customers

It must be noted that the search is digital. Customers are keen on researching who they do business with. It is pivotal to build a loyal customer base as that keeps business constant and also helps to gain popularity. Opting for a free Google My Business Listing will help to keep customers informed and up to date with one’s services. Google My Business Listing includes contact information and other details that gain the trust of customers. Google already comes with the inherent trust of users and with a Google my Business listing, websites have the advantage of appearing foremost in search results. This goes a long way in boosting consumer confidence.

Ratings help to get more customers

It is known that ratings and reviews boost business or help in convincing customers to buy a
product or invest in a particular service. Local businesses often face high competition. Google My Business Listing helps by providing the customers with the ratings on one’s business. As long as quality products or services are being consistently delivered, websites garner better ratings. Ratings reveal not only the positive side of a business but also the sectors that need work and attention.

Increase engagement

More than customers merely clicking on a website, they should engage with the site. Providing customers with the comfort and reliability of personal contact puts out a good impression and helps boost SEO scores. Google My business provides customers with easy ways to access websites like links, contact information, chat boxes, or even facilities to book a service beforehand.

Increase traffic and sales

A Google My Business listing can boost traffic and sales by increasing the Google My Business ranking of a website and thus, increasing visibility by getting Google to suggest it.

Customers are more likely to trust and buy from sites listed on Google My Business. A high Google My Business ranking increases quality website traffic. It helps websites appear high on local searches and, as customers click on the site, traffic increases, thus increasing the chances of successful sales. Businesses attract more local traffic from browsing potentials.

Local SEO service has become a crucial part of Search Engine Optimisation service. Local queries have taken searches by storm in a very short period. Queries with “near me” or “close by” have grown over 900 times in two years, and 72% of consumers that made local searches visited the store within 5 miles. With an aggressive rise in the number of local search queries, it has become essential for businesses to have a GMB account. You can also read about the Benefits of Local SEO to get more understanding on the same.

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