Have you signed up for Google My Business? If not, you should! If not, this article will walk you through the process of listing your business and managing it. Learn how to add photos, categories, and more! Once you’re listed, it’s time to get creative and promote your business to the world! And don’t forget to follow up with your customers! After all, they might be looking for your product or service! So get started today!
List your business on Google
The first step is to create a listing on Google. You can also create a listing on another search engine like Yahoo or Bing. To list your business on Google, you will need to create a Google account. You will need a Gmail account if you do not have one already. To create a listing, you will first need to ensure that your business is not already listed, as duplicate listings can result in massive penalties. Next, you should think about the keywords customers will use to find your business. Once these keywords are added to your listing, they will show up in Google Maps when they search for them.
You can use Google My Business to add your business’s location, services, and other information about your company. You can even list the hours you’re open, which can help attract more customers. You can also add special hours for holidays and closures. Make sure that your business has an SSL certificate to protect sensitive information from being posted. The more information you provide, the more likely people will be to find your business. After adding your business on Google, be sure to check your listing on a regular basis.
Besides attracting more customers, you can also boost your listing by adding information on Google. For example, you can promote your product category on the listing. People searching for these products will see your listing in the For You tab of Google Maps. In addition to promoting the services and products of your business, you can also use GMB to provide updates and news about your business. Once your business is listed on Google, you can also receive feedback from customers by using the Google My Business platform.
Manage your listing on Google
If you are looking for ways to manage your business listing on Google, you should make sure the information on your listing is correct. In 2017, more than 97% of consumers used search engines to find local businesses, and nearly 12% of those looked online every day. A GMB listing with an incorrect phone number can cause lost sales. Here are some tips to optimize your listing. Read on to learn how to manage your listing on Google.
The GMB app is a helpful tool to manage your listing on Google. This application is tailored towards small businesses, and allows you to control what Google users see and read. It allows you to add your logo, update your listing with relevant content, and even turn on messaging. Once you have the app installed, it’s time to make any changes to your listing. After reviewing your business listing, make sure to post updates and photos.
If you have your business verified, you can add images and videos to enhance your profile. Photos and videos help potential customers better visualize your business, and they encourage people to engage with your listing. Since these photos and videos appear in search results, businesses with photos and videos enjoy a 35% higher website click rate. To manage your business’s reputation, you can invite customers to leave reviews. Make sure to respond to each review you receive.
Add photos
Once you’ve created your Google My Business profile, you can add photos to show off your business. You’ll need three main photos and two additional ones for different categories. Google recommends adding new photos at least once a week. Update your photos regularly with the latest photos of your business, employees, or any changes that have occurred. Regularly updating photos shows Google that you’re active and up-to-date, which is essential for getting the best SEO results.
It’s important to note that Google doesn’t force you to display these photos on your listing. Photos are not required to appear on the first page, and Google has yet to demonstrate a correlation between photo impressions and ranking. However, the messaging from Google itself suggests that photos do improve your listings. This isn’t a guarantee of success, but it’s worth a try. The benefits are clear: Google provides insight on the quality of your images and your listing’s performance. It shows how many photos you have in comparison to businesses that are similar to yours.
Ensure your Google My Business profile is visually appealing by uploading high-quality images. Professional headshots add an extra touch to your profile. High-quality photos will help your business stand out from competitors. Make sure to take team photos of your employees. You never know who might be interested in hiring you. Lastly, make sure that you’ve optimized your photos for Google. You’ll increase the chances of getting more customers.
Add categories
If you own a business, you may be wondering how to add categories to Google My Business. Categories are descriptive words or phrases that describe the activity of your establishment and define the query for your store in a search. A main category is the label shown on Google Maps, and must concern the entire establishment, i.e., a hospital with a restaurant should not add a category for a restaurant. Each establishment must have at least one primary category and up to nine secondary categories.
One way to come up with a good category idea is to spy on your competitors’ listings. Look for their primary category and position your mouse cursor adjacent to it. Right-click their Google Maps listing and open a document search box. Enter the keyword “primary category” in the search box. Scroll down through the source code to find any other categories the competitors may have chosen. This can provide you with several new ideas.
Google takes your business’ category into account when it searches for keywords. You want to choose the category that best reflects what you have to offer. For example, a bakery might choose “bakery” as its category, while a wedding bakery would select “wedding cake”. While this may be a practical strategy, it’s not always practical. Instead, Google recommends choosing the category that best describes what you do, and it’s updated monthly.
Request a quote
The request a quote feature is limited to businesses with a Google My Business listing. The feature is available within the Google Maps and GMB apps and can be helpful for generating more leads. The feature also works within Google’s service ecosystem, meaning you can monitor messages and respond promptly if needed. The best way to generate more leads is to craft your message so that it stands out from the rest of the noise.
The message feature of Google My Business lets customers message businesses directly through the listing. The messages appear in chronological order. You can also set an automated welcome message for potential customers. You can also post a photo or link to a page on your website so that the prospects can see how your business can help them. Finally, you can connect the ‘Request a Quote’ button to the messaging feature within Google My Business. Using this feature, a customer can initiate a live chat conversation with a business representative to learn more about their needs.
Once you enable the “Request a quote” button in your Google My Business listing, you can increase the number of quotes you receive from local inquiries. The more quotes you receive, the better. But one drawback is that this feature may reduce your qualification rate, and it might increase your customer service costs. It’s important to remember that instant interaction can reduce your sales qualification. A website should have key information for prospects, but a request a quote button can make it more difficult to filter out unqualified leads.
Respond to negative reviews
While you may feel uncomfortable reading reviews of your business on Google, it’s necessary to respond to each and every one. This is especially true if you’ve recently had a negative experience. As much as possible, try to make your response as personal as possible, as this will help you convey a human side to your business. If necessary, you can offer an apology for the customer’s bad experience or sympathize with their frustration.
The most common mistake made by businesses is that they think that an apology is the most appropriate way to address a negative review. While this is generally true, it doesn’t mean that you should apologize if the review isn’t entirely accurate. While it’s perfectly acceptable to apologize for something, people will feel offended if you take the company’s apology too seriously. To avoid this, make sure that you’re not using a cookie-cutter response. Instead, share details about what went wrong with your customer’s experience, and communicate changes you’ve made in response to that feedback.
While a negative review may seem like a problem, it is beneficial to your business in other ways. For instance, if a customer is unhappy with your services, it’s likely that the review will be honest and helpful. It might even compel the disgruntled customer to change their review if you show that you’re concerned about their feedback. You can also respond to reviews that mention your business’s upcoming products.