Google My Business and How to Navigate It

You probably see it all the time when you’re going about your daily life. Whether you’re trying to figure out where to go for dinner or a place with a reasonable price for a haircut, you do a quick Google search to see what comes up. However, how much have you really thought about whether or not your business is one that comes up when somebody searches for your specialty? When you first type something into the Google search engine, the first things that come up aren’t always the direct websites of those services or businesses. The immediate results are the accounts that are connected with Google My Business, as seen below.

Those businesses don’t magically appear there because they already exist. The business owners had to go in and register for a Google My Business (GMB) account. It’s a short, painless process that is fully attainable for any small business owner. Here are only a few of the incredible benefits of being signed up with Google My Business:

• Cost-effective (free!)
• Visibility on Google Search and Maps
• Google Posts
• Messaging with customers through GMB
• Menus for restaurants
• More!

With that, continue reading to get a tutorial on how to make your business one of the first ones seen by potential customers! Step 1: Create Your Account You can create your GMB account by signing into Google (use your business email domain) and adding your business along with its location and contact information. Choosing the category that your business falls into can be challenging; we recommend identifying relevant search phrases for your business and researching your competitors prior to selecting it. Be sure to update your category regularly as needed and add a secondary category!

Step 2: Verify Your Account Once the account is all set up, you’ll need to verify the business. This usually involves a postcard, but your business may be eligible for a phone or email verification instead. The postcard you receive will have further instructions on how to verify your business’s account.

Step 3: Claim Your Business Finally, your account is made and verified! However, you may need to claim the business as your own so you can have jurisdiction over it. You have several options for how to do this: 1. Log in to GMB. Search for your business and select it. Then follow the steps to confirm that you are the owner. 2. Look up your business listing in Maps and select “Manage this listing” 3. Look up your business listing in Google search and select “Own this business?”

And there you have it! Your business is all set in GMB so potential customers can easily locate information about what you have to offer. You can go through to edit and adjust any information you would like through your account so that the information is up to date at all times. This is an incredibly useful and effective tool for your business to get its name out there, so don’t pass up this opportunity. Register your business today!