Google My Business, what is it?

Google My Business: introduction

Let's take some time to think about this object that has disappeared from our lives. The phone book. In it, businesses were listed and their customers could find their contact information easily.

With the advent of digitalization, Google My Business is now taking over! 

It is an improved version of a phone book, in the form of a virtual data sheet. Consumers can find the address of a business, its opening hours or even its customer reviews.

So when users make a query on search engines with a specific keyword, the Google my Business listings of businesses are displayed on page, in the upper right corner of the search engine.

You know, those listings that instantly make you want to go to a restaurant... Or not. You can consult the reviews, the pictures of the place. And in a few clicks, you can form an opinion about a place.

For example, with the query "Italian restaurant Paris", it is obvious that the best rated restaurants will attract the most attention from customers.

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Who can create a Google My Business listing?

As soon as you own a business, you can benefit from this service. Self-employed, craftsman, SME, large company... Any entrepreneur can create a Google My Business listing.

The service is free for businesses. It is therefore strongly recommended to use it because it is a key tool if you want to work on your local natural referencing.

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Why create a Google My Business listing?

The figure is convincing: 97% of Internet users perform a Google search to find nearby businesses!

This is the first reason why you should take care of your Google My Business listing as a company. Almost everybody does a Google search, if he or she wants to find out more about a store nearby, or about the services of a craftsman.

Specifically, when a user performs a search on search engines, Google knows the precise geographical location of the person. Especially on mobile. Thus, you are offered search results based on this location.

Google's algorithm for ranking GMB listings in your search results is based on several points:

• The distance to the search result in relation to your geolocation;
• The level of relevance between the keyword typed and the registered company;

The popularity of the business which is measured by its activity, the number of interactions it has with its customers via its Google My Business page or its reviews submitted by its customers

Undeniably, it is a tool for your local SEO but also to improve your e-reputation. Indeed, you will be able to communicate about your brand, your services and your products via this online space. 

💡  Read also: Develop your business online: our tips

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How to create a Google My Business listing?

First step for a Google my business listing: create an account

Don't worry, creating a Google My Business listing only takes a few minutes and is available to anyone.

To do so, the first condition is to create a Google account. If you don't have an email address that ends like this: "@gmail.com", you must go through this step.

Creating an account is very simple, you can follow the method to create a Google account here.

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Second step: create a business listing

You now have a Google account? Great! 

1. Log in and start creating your company's business listing.

2. Go to the Google Business interface and fill in the required information.

3. First of all, you will have to fill in the name of your business. It is possible that Google already knows your business if you are listed on Google Maps. Then you will have to fill in your business category. It is important to choose it well so that you appear on the right Internet queries!

4. Then, it's time to tell Google if you have a business that is open to the public. For example, a consultant who offers services and works from home should not check this box. If you are a merchant with a physical place, it is better to mark it!

5. You will then have to fill in your contact information: category of your business, website if any, address, contact phone number.

6. Finally, the last step before creating your listing for Google My Business is to choose the validation method.

If this is unclear, feel free to check out Google's help page which details each of these steps in detail.

💡To choose the right business category, don't hesitate to take a look at your competitors' listings! We recommend that you choose one main category and several sub-categories. 

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Tips to optimize your Google My Business listing

After having put your business listing online, you must now follow some recommendations to take full advantage of this tool!

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Fill in all the requested information 

The more precise you are about your business, the better the Google ranking because it will be able to present you more accurately to your prospects.

So, go through all the categories visible on the interface and fill in your company information:

• In the "Info" section: include the categories of your business, your address, the areas served by your business, your opening hours, your phone number, website, the services or products you offer, the description of your company (include keywords that your prospects are looking for and don't limit yourself, you have 750 characters for this description!)
• Then, add your first photos to showcase your store or your products

After these few steps, your profile will already be much more optimized.

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Publish news regularly

The most complete profiles also take advantage of another Google My Business feature: writing news.

These news will be visible to your customers and prospects as soon as they do a local search and find you via your GMB listing. So don't hesitate to publish them regularly: they show your recent activity and reinforce your local referencing. Start out by publishing news once a week.

To do this, go to the "Posts" tab. You will be able to create 3 types of news: news, offers (ideal to reference a marketing offer) and events.

At the end of each post, you can add a link to an external web page. Take advantage of this to highlight your products or pages of your website.

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Share photos or videos

Images play a huge role on the internet! When consumers are looking for information about your business, they want to see the products you sell, your store and your team members!

In short, images build trust. 

For example, a craftsman would be well advised to share pictures of his tools and images of him creating his products. A restaurant owner will be able to showcase new dishes along with images of the dining rooms.

💡  To start sharing your best photos and videos, click on the "Photos" section. It will also be possible to upload videos to your listing.

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Collect customer reviews

For an optimal business listing, consider reaching out to your best customers to leave good reviews! 

The testimonials of your customers will be a real sign of confidence for your prospects. It's also an opportunity to take care of your customer relations.

To do this, in the main menu on the left, click on "Home", then click on the "Receive reviews" section. You can then share the link to your Google My Business page.

When you have collected your first reviews, remember to answer them, even if the review is positive! This is also important for the Google algorithm. 

For a negative review, remember to answer in a constructive way, tell your customer that he/she can contact you or that you will come back to him/her.

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Analyze your web statistics

With Google My Business, you will know for example how many qualified contacts your listing has generated: calls or visits to your website.

You will also be able to compare yourself to similar companies that offer the same type of service and/or products.

Take advantage of the numerous data points available on this page and adapt your digital strategy accordingly.

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List your website

On your business page, you can put a link to your website. It is important to do so because it is an essential SEO boost for a company.

If you don't have a website yet, include a link to your social networks.