Before I get into the why you need a Google My Business (GMB) account, for those of you that do not know, let me just quickly explain what Google My Business is.
Google has a free directory called Google My Business. It is a place where you can register your business online. You enter information such as your hours, contact information, location, website, a short summary of your business, and images. Customers can also leave reviews to help other potential customers learn about your business. This directory is only for businesses that have a physical location.
So now that you have a basic understanding of what it is, lets understand why it is so important.
In the US, Google is responsible for 58.5% of all search results *. What this essentially means is that you need your business to show up on Google when someone is searching, or you are losing out on a ton of potential customers. Google’s complex algorithm uses local search to help deliver the best results based on a specific geographic location. So, if you are searching for a place to eat pizza for lunch, a quick search on Google will show you what is in your area. Having your business listed with this information in Google My Business is what helps Google find you and then you show up in the search results.
How do you optimize your GMB account to help your listing?
Even if you have an account with Google My Business, you still need to make sure it is up to date and optimized to help your rankings. Here is what you can do.
- Verify your business – There is a way that Google will verify your physical address either with a call or post card. Get that done
- Make sure all your business information is correct
- Add all your locations if you have more than one
- Add categories – GMB lets you choose categories to help you describe your business. Make sure to choose the ones that are relevant
- Add a short description – any content will further help Google understand who you are so they can show your company to the right audience.
In short you should make sure that your profile is up to date and as complete and full of information as possible.
*https://www.statista.com/statistics/267161/market-share-of-search-engines-in-the-united-states/