Place Your Business on the Digital Map

By: Contáctica

Did you know that 73% of consumers use search engines before making an online purchase? The Google My Business platform can insert your business in that digital universe and take it to a new level. The best part: it’s free. Here’s what you need to know.

Google is the world’s #1 online search engine with 5,800 million daily searches. 90% of people who use the internet to find something use Google.

Have you searched for your business on Google or Google Maps? Registered businesses have a panel featuring a map, their hours of operation, phone number, address, images, and more. With Google My Business, you can claim this space and make the most of this search engine’s power to provide updated information, increase traffic to your business, and measure your digital ad campaigns’ success.

According to Google, there are three important factors to consider when it comes to “near me” business searches: distance, prominence, and relevance.

• Distance: The closer the location is to the customer, the more likely it is to rank.
• Relevance: The more relevant your business is to the customer’s search query, the higher it will rank.
• Prominence: Businesses with good reviews and brand authority usually appear closer to the top in search results, so having an online presence is essential.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) increases a website’s visibility in the online search engine results section. 68% of clicks go to the top five organic search results on Google. If your business has multiple locations, Google My Business allows you to integrate them under your brand on Google and Google Maps. In addition, you can:

• Receive reviews from your customers and have conversations that help you improve their experience.
• Get real-time reports on searches, visits, calls, and reviews.
• Add multimedia content directly to Google with the free posts option.

Displaying your business and creating new locations on Google My Business is very easy. You can manage it from Google Search. Follow these steps:

1. Go to google.com/business and click on “Manage Now.”
2. Search for or add your business.
3. Choose your business category. Keep in mind that some categories have additional features (like a menu, in the case of restaurants).
4. Add the business’s information, location, and contact details.
5. Choose a verification method to confirm that the location is indeed your business. Verification methods include:

• Mailed card – You receive a card with a unique code via regular mail.

• Email, phone, or instant verification – If the registered email, phone, or website has been verified by Google as belonging to the business, this process can take as long as sending an email or even a few seconds.
6. Activate your profile and update your business’s information. Complete the information for each one of your locations. This will help generate increased trust and give customers more options to communicate with you.

Google My Business is your online business card and can help you gain greater visibility among people searching for your product or service. It also allows you to interact with your customers and share your company’s information. If you have an optimized profile on Google My Business, you are 70% more likely to have someone searching on Google visit your site instead of your competitor’s.

Three important advantages

• Stand Out – It allows you to distinguish your business by integrating all the information on hours, phone, address, photos, website, and social media. The posts feature allows you to update content and upload texts, videos, GIFs, and photos to keep your customers up to date and deliver content directly on Google. Certain categories have additional options, such as scheduling appointments without leaving Google.
• Interact – Google My Business allows customers to leave reviews about your business. Reviews foster conversations to thank, congratulate, or understand the reasons for negative comments. Customers can also interact with your business through calls and messages. They can even book tables, make appointments, and review additional information from the platform.
• Attract new customers – Google My Business’s analytical capability shows how customers search for your business, the hours they search the most, and the most effective keywords to find you. You can even verify the number of calls or requests for your business’s address generated from the platform. For a modest price, Google My Business can integrate with Google Ads to create local advertising campaigns and reach new audiences, find new keywords, and promote your business on Search, Display, and Maps, as well as in YouTube.

Now that you know all the advantages of Google My Business and how to register your business, what are you waiting for?

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