What is Google My Business?

GMB is a gratis tool that lets yous manage how your business organisation appears on Google Search and Maps. That includes adding your business concern proper name, location, and hours; monitoring and replying to customer reviews; adding photos; learning where and how people are searching for you lot, and more.

If y'all're but getting started with local SEO, your Google My Business organization list is a great place to focus your early on efforts. After all, when people search for a product or service near them, they're normally very close to making a purchase -- one in two people who conduct a local search (call up "lookout man repair near me") visit a shop that day. Then it's important the information near your business that shows upward when people search Google is as accurate, complete, and optimized as possible.

To learn how to create your Google My Business organisation account, verify your concern, and make its listing every bit strong equally possible, read on.

  1. Create an account and claim your business
  2. Verify your concern
  3. Optimize your listing
  4. Download the GMB app
  5. Know the departure between Google My Business concern, Google Places, and Google+

Is Google My Business gratuitous?

GMB is completely complimentary to use. The just requirement for using information technology is that yous must take some face-to-face interaction with your customers -- in other words, yous can't operate 100% online.

Create a Google My Business Listing

  • Step 1: Log into the Google Account you desire associated with your business organization (or create a Google Business relationship if you don't already have ane).
  • Step 2: Go to google.com/concern and select "Start now" in the superlative right-hand corner.
  • Step 3: Enter your business proper noun.

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  • Step 4: Enter your concern address.

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  • Step 5: If you go to your customers ' locations, rather than having them come to you, cheque the box "I deliver goods and services to my customers." And if you lot piece of work out of your house or another accost yous don't want publicly shown, Cheque "Hide my address (it'due south not a store) Only testify region." Finally, select your Delivery surface area.

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  • Footstep six: Choose your business concern category. Try to cull the most accurate category possible -- you lot're essentially telling Google which type of customers should meet your business list.
  • Step vii: Add your business telephone number or website.
  • Footstep 8: Choose a verification pick. If you're not ready to verify your business organization yet, click "Try a unlike method" → "Afterwards."

How to Verify Your Business on Google

At that place are several ways to verify your GMB listing:

  • Past postcard
  • Past telephone
  • By email
  • Instant verification
  • Bulk verification

Postcard Verification

  • Step one: If you aren't already logged into Google My Business, sign in now and cull the business yous want to verify. (If you're already logged in, yous'll exist at the verification step.)
  • Step 2:Brand sure your business address is correct. Optional: Add together a contact name -- that'due south who the postcard will be addressed to.

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  • Stride three:Click "Postal service." The postcard should reach yous in five days -- make certain yous don't edit your business name, accost, or category (or asking a new code) before it comes, because this could delay the process.
  • Step four:In one case you've gotten the postcard, log into Google My Business. If you have more than 1 concern location, select the location you want to verify. If you merely have one, select "Verify now."
  • Step 5: In the Code field, enter the five-digit verification code on your postcard. Click "Submit."

If your postcard never shows up, or yous lose it, you lot can request a new code by signing into Google My Business and clicking the "Request another code" blueish imprint at the acme of the screen.

Phone verification

Google lets some businesses verify their location by phone. If you're eligible, yous'll see the "Verify past phone" pick when you start the verification procedure.

  • Footstep 1:If yous aren't already logged into Google My Business organization, sign in at present and cull the business organisation you want to verify. (If you're already logged in, you'll be at the verification step.)
  • Step 2: Make sure your telephone number is correct, so choose "Verify by phone."
  • Pace 3:Enter the verification lawmaking from the text you receive.

Email verification

Google lets some businesses verify their location by phone. If you're eligible, you lot'll run across the "Verify by e-mail" option when you start the verification process.

  • Step 1: If you lot aren't already logged into Google My Business, sign in at present and choose the concern you want to verify. (If you're already logged in, you'll exist at the verification step.)
  • Pace two: Make sure your email address is correct, then choose "Verify by email."
  • Step iii:Become to your inbox, open the email from Google My Business organisation, and click the verification push in the electronic mail.

Instant verification

If you've already verified your business with Google Search Console (a free tool that lets you manage your website'southward search performance and health), y'all might be able to instantly verify your email.

  • Step 1:Sign into Google My Business with the same business relationship you used to verify your business with Google Search Console. (Some business categories aren't eligible for instant verification, then if you don't get a notification asking you lot to verify the listing, y'all'll take to apply a different verification method.)

Bulk verification

If you lot operate more than than 10 locations for the same business -- and you'renota service business or an agency managing locations for multiple businesses -- you might be eligible for majority verification.

  • Step i: If yous aren't already logged into Google My Business, sign in now and cull a location. Click "Get verified" next to its name.
  • Step 2: Click "Chain."
  • Footstep iii:Fill out the verification form with your business concern name (as well every bit the parent company, if applicable), country or countries where you operate, all contact names (i.east. everyone who will be using the Google My Business account), contact phone number, business concern managing director email (someone at the business concern who tin can verify you're a representative of that business), and the email address of your Google Account Managing director.
  • Step 4:Submit the verification form. It can take up to a week for Google to review and procedure your claim.

How to Optimize Your GMB Listing

Once you've verified your business concern, it's fourth dimension to finish fleshing out your profile.

Become to the Google My Business dashboard, click the listing you'd like to work on, select "Info," and so choose a department to fill out or update.

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Add as much information and media as yous can, including a business profile photograph, the surface area you serve, your hours, attributes (east.grand. "wheelchair accessible," "free wifi"), the day and year you lot opened, and a public phone number and website URL.

Anyone can "advise an edit" to your listing, so it's of import to A) get everything right the first fourth dimension (so you don't encourage random people to make their own changes) and B) periodically log into your GMB dashboard and brand sure all the details expect right.

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At any point in fourth dimension, you can edit your business contour by logging into your GMB dashboard, clicking on "Info," clicking the pencil next to the field you'd like to edit, making your alter, and so choosing "Utilize."

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Google My Business Photos

According to Google, businesses with photos meet 35% more clicks to their website and 42% college requests for driving directions in Google Maps.

Photos should be at to the lowest degree 720 pixels wide by 720 pixels loftier and JPG or PNG files.

Not sure how many pictures to add -- or what they should be of?

Cover photo

Your Google My Business cover photograph is one of the nigh important, as information technology shows up forepart and center on your listing.

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Profile photograph

Your profile photo is what appears when y'all upload new photos, videos, or review responses.

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Forth with your profile and cover photos, yous can and should upload other pictures to make your listing more informative and engaging.

Type Description Google-recommended minimum Suggestions
Outside The outside of your business from unlike directions.  3 photos Use pictures from different times of day (morning, afternoon, evening) so customers always recognize your business organisation.
Interior The inside of your business, with a focus on decor and ambiance. 3 photos Give customers an accurate idea of what it will expect like to stand or sit within your business organisation.
Production A representation of the types of products or services you offer. One photo per production blazon or service Prove the products you're known for and make sure the photos are lit well.
Employees at work "Action" shots of your employees delivering the types of services you offer. Three Try to capture your employees with satisfied customers.
Food and drink Pictures that stand for your most popular card items. 3 Consider hiring a food photographer -- these are tricky to get right! If that's not in the budget, use bright, even lighting (i.e. no shadows or dimness).
Common areas Photos of where your customers will spend fourth dimension (think a lobby or lounge). Ane photo per common area Represent the variety of amenities you offering.
Rooms Pictures of your different room and suite options (if applicative). Three Don't endeavour to mislead guests -- testify your wallet-friendlyandhigh-terminate options.
Team A shot of your management squad and staff. Three  Use pictures that prove your unique civilization and team personality.

Google My Business Videos

Y'all tin can also add videos. Videos must exist:

  • 30 seconds or shorter
  • 100 MB or smaller
  • 720p resolution or higher

Videos can add some diverseness to your profile and make you stand up out among other businesses in your category; however, don't worry if you don't have any -- dissimilar photos, they're not a "must have."

Google My Business Reviews

1 of the best ways to encourage future customers to go out positive reviews? Respond to electric current ones. Non just does leaving an appreciate response show the original reviewer you're thankful for their support, it also makes that positive review stand up out on your listingandinfluences people to leave their own reviews.

Hither's a sample reply to a satisfied customer:

Give thanks y'all for your business organisation, [name]! Nosotros're so glad you enjoyed [production, east.g. "the blueberry pie"] -- it'due south one of our favorites, likewise. Hope to see you back at [concern name] soon.

You lot should as well answer to negative reviews to show you take them seriously and placate the unhappy buyer. Just make sure you lot're extremely courteous -- attacking them back will only brand y'all look unprofessional and their review more credible.

Thank you for the feedback, [proper name], and I'm incredibly sorry [product/experience] did not meet your expectations. [If you've made a modify, mention information technology here -- due east.g., "Nosotros're now double-checking orders to brand sure anybody gets exactly what they asked for."] If you'd similar to come back in, nosotros'd exist happy to give y'all [production] on the house. In any case, thanks for your business, and I hope nosotros tin can do improve next time.

Google My Business App

Google My Business is too available in app form for bothiOSandAndroid.

Yous can use the app to:

  • Update your business organisation hours, location, contact information, and description
  • Post statuses and pictures
  • View search insights

You cannot utilize the app to:

  • Delete your business organisation list
  • Modify its settings
  • Give ownership of the listing to another user

Google My Business vs. Google Places for Business organization vs. Google+

If you're confused nearly the many names and options for managing your Google presence, you've got a correct to be. Google Placesusedto be Google's tool for owners to manage theirbusiness concern profiles, but it was retired in 2014. At present Google My Business is the primal hub to manage how your business appears on Google Search, Maps, and Google+.

So, what's Google+? Information technology's Google's social network (the closest example is probably Facebook). You can join or get-go Communities -- public or private groups organized around a theme, like Knitting -- and follow or create Collections -- call back Pinterest boards.

A Google+ account for your business organisation lets you interact with niche groups and post pictures and updates. In other words, it's like a Facebook page for your business. You can access your Google+ account from your Google My Business organisation dashboard (but a Google+ account isn't necessary to have a GMB business relationship).

Here's the TL;DR:

Practice you need a Google+ business relationship? No -- and if you're brusk on time, it might exist improve to focus on other marketing and/or social media channels.

Practise you demand a Google My Business business relationship? If you're targeting local customers, I highly recommend information technology.

Originally published April 27, 2018 6:30:00 AM, updated April 26 2018