Google My Business (GMB) is a free marketing tool that lets business owners be discoverable on Google’s Search Engine. It helps businesses to be discoverable when customers are searching for more information about the company. It helps in setting up the exact office location, working hours, customer reviews and ratings as well as photos relevant to the business.
Credit: Hootsuite Blog
Google has developed this free tool keeping in mind the interests of small businesses. Google My Business is the foundation of the digital marketing undertaken by the company. The setup and verification of GMB is simple and easy to operate task. bodrum escort
In this article, we will understand the steps, which a user can follow for GMB registration and verification for a new business.
New Business Listing
1. Signing in for Google My Business:
The first step in the journey is the signing in of the business. Users must sign into the GMB account with the mail id that they want to be associated with their businesses. Signing in with a business mail id is essential as prospective clients/customers will send upon their queries to this mail id. It is advisable to create a professional business email id before signing in for GMB.
Credit: Hootsuite Blog
2. Adding up the Business Details:
The next step involves adding up the basic business details like Business Name and the major category that it operates under. Select the category from the dropdown or add a new category onto the GMB portal. Importantly focus on the category that you are selecting.These categories are the detrimental bases upon which the search engine’s SEO algorithm works. Users can try and test the category option to attract maximum traffic to the business.
Credit: Flowmatters
Credit: Professor M
3. Setting up the Business Location:
In the next step, the business location should be set up. If the business model has the requirement of a physical office then, where a customer can visit then the general Yes option should be selected. However, if the business is a delivery-oriented one then the option “I deliver goods and services to my customers” should be selected. In this pandemic era, new entrepreneurs have emerged, which are currently working out their businesses through their homes. GMB has the option of “Hide my address”. This option hides the address of the business from the listing page. Delivery area preferences selection is the next step to be followed in this category. escort bodrum
Credit: Hubspot.com
Credit: Hootsuite Blog
4. Contact Information:
For businesses to get in customer inquiries, working and active contact details are a must. Businesses should input active contact information like phone numbers, company e-mail IDs, and fax numbers if available. In addition to this, the company’s website and social media pages can be added too. This would ensure a wider customer reach and engagement. Furthermore, it would allow prospective consumers to gather more information about the company’s offerings and also quick responses to their queries if any.
Credit: Hubspot.com
These were amongst the steps which are required to be followed for a successful business registration on the GMB platform. After the successful listing of the business, verification is also important to prove the authenticity of the operating business.
New Business Listing Verification
Google My Business provides many options to business owners for successfully verifying their listings. Postcard Verification, Phone and E-mail Verification, Instant Verification, and Bulk Verification. These verifications processes are elaborated below:
1. Postcard Verification:
GMB sends a 5-digit verification code via a postcard to the registered business address. Owners should make sure that the address to be verified and listed on the platform is correct and physically accessible. Once you receive the verification code, it is to be submitted onto the GMB platform, by clicking on the “Verify Now” option. This would verify the selected business location. The process is a bit longer than other verification processes as the postcard takes an estimated 5 working days to reach.
2. Phone Verification:
Google allows certain businesses to be verified via OTP (One Time Password) receivable on the registered mobile numbers. This is one of the fastest ways of verification as OTPs are instantly receivable.
3. E-mail Verification:
E-mail verification is almost similar to phone verification except for the fact that the OTPs are received on the registered e-mail ids of the company.
Credit: Honeypotmrketing.com
Credit: SE Ranking
4. Instant Verification:
Instant verification is provided to a select few businesses which are already verified on the Google Search Console This verification method is not available to all businesses, as per the internal guidelines followed by the GMB platform. For instant verification, a user has to sign with the same e-mail with which the business is verified on the Google Search Console platform. If eligible, the process will be completed in an instant, however, if not, then the business owner will have to try other verification methods.
5. Bulk Verification:
If the business owner operates in multiple locations and is not categorized under the service or delivery category, then it might become eligible for bulk verification.
Credit: Google Support
For Bulk Verification, the Chain option has to be selected. Thereafter, the multiple location address details should be added, the locations should be those which have to be verified. After the submission of the verification form, it can take up to a week for the review and processing of the claim.
Optimization
A simple Google My Business listing is not what the business owners should settle for. Optimizations send out a positive message amongst the audiences about the company’s activities and the general work environment it has. There are a number of ways one can carry on with the optimization process. Some of them are elaborated below:
1. GMB Photos:
Photos about the business location/ products offered, customer’s engagements, and local surroundings all greatly add up to the personalization feel of the GMB listing. GMB listings with a variety of photos grab the instant attention of the audience. It also helps in prolonging the audience’s page visit duration. This, in turn, can boost inquiries and possible positive business engagements.
Credit: ThriveHive
2. GMB Business Videos:
Google My Business (GMB) allows you to upload short business videos which are provide information about the business. Videos also add variety to the business profile.
Credit: Wave Video
You can upload a number of videos to the listing but you have to keep certain points in mind.
- Video duration has to be 30 seconds or shorter.
- The size of the video should be 100 MB or smaller.
- The minimum video resolution should be 720p.
3. GMB Reviews:
Reviews and Ratings are the most important customer engagement techniques that a business can employ. Reviews also help businesses to understand the audience’s sentiment for their offerings. They also serve as the necessary databases from where feedbacks about the company’s offerings can be sourced upon. Beta testing of a company’s offerings is another section where reviews can prove to be helpful. A business can also earn the trust of the customers by replying to the customer’s reviews with a positive tone. This engagement further enhances the business google profile and automatically pushes it up in the search results.
Credit: Blue Corona
Credit: Sweet Rose Studios
So, these are some of the Google My Business (GMB) optimizations one can go for. They can prove to be quite effective when it comes to providing better customer engagements.
Credit: Done Web Agency Luxembourg
With more and more businesses going digital, entrepreneurs must increase their business sightings to come up and over the other in terms of search ranking. GMB should be the first step towards making a business grow through digital platforms. It should act as the base for the company’s digital journey. GMB, is in fact, at the core of local SEOs (Search Engine Optimizations). Reports across industries suggest that around 40-50% of the consumers visit a new store or a business after searching for the same online. This all indicates the importance of Google My Business. Companies should register businesses on the platform as soon as the commencement of business to facilitate better opening sales.
To learn more about such useful topics, visit Techno Postings today!
