Why Is Google My Business Important for Your Business?

You have probably heard of the famous mantra of the contemporary era that states: “Pics or it didn’t happen.” Well, and what if I say: “Either your business is present online or it does not exist.” Indeed, even a tiny local business has to be represented on the web nowadays if you want it to achieve success.

Probably one of the most efficient ways to boost the online presence of your business is to use nothing else but a Google My Business tool. But what is it, how does it work, and why is it relevant? Keep reading this article to find out the answers to these Google My Business-related questions.

A side note: To enhance the readability of the article below, let us agree upon a “GMB” abbreviation of a “Google My Business” phrase.

Google My Business in a Nutshell

Above anything else, let us define Google My Business (GMB). In simple words, it is a special tool that allows you to manage your Business Profile on Google in an efficient way.

An important note: A Business Profile, in its turn, is the term that denotes Google’s business listing. When speaking about the benefits of a Business Profile, it does not only increase the visibility of your business in Google Maps but also raises it in the result of the local Google Search. Usually, a Business Profile on Google contains the following details on your establishment: Its name, geographical location, and niche. As well, it allows your clients to ask and respond to inquiries, add related to your company photos, and write customer reviews on what you sell or offer.

Here is how your Business Profile account is related to your Google My Business profile:

• In order to gain visibility on the web, you would probably have to create a Business Profile on Google. However, the setup of a business listing will allow you to neither manage nor edit it.
• Therefore, there is a high chance that you would also need to set up a Google My Business listing that will give you the possibility to edit, customize, upgrade, and acquire the owner’s rights over your Business Profile on Google.

So, please keep in mind that you would need both a Business Profile and a Google My Business page in order to promote your business via the Google search engine and manage your Business Profile for the advantage of your business.

Google My Business: How Does It Work?

The central function of a Google My Business account is to run your Business Profile on Google. When being more precise, here are the four main things you can do with the help of a GMB profile:

• Keep in touch with your clients. With the help of a GMB profile, you will be able to react to the reviews your clients leave on your Business Profile, reply to their questions, respond to reviews, and exchange direct messages with them.
• Write and publish posts to your Business Profile. By means of having a profile on a Google My Business listing will allow you to work with publications on your Business Profile, just the way you would do it with the posts on your social media accounts.
• Add business information and other important details to your Business Profile. As well, a GMB profile will serve as an instrument to enhance your Business Profile and fill it with such details on your business as your working hours, your website’s link, the most essential data on your products, and other things that make your business stand out.
• Edit your Business Profile and update the details on it. One more crucial thing you can do with the assistance of your Google My Business listing is to apply changes to your Business Profile and update it regularly.
• Analyze the data related to your business. The Google My Business page has a special “Insights” tab, where you will be able to find the detailed information related to your Business Profile on Google. For instance, you might be able to check out the search queries Internet users use to look for your products or services, the channel your target audience has found you by (like Google Maps or local search), and the number of clicks on your Business Profile.
• Perform a local search engine optimization for your Business Profile. Google My Business might also serve as a local SEO tool for your Business Profile. The thing is that Google has its own algorithms for not only ranking websites but also rating search results of Business Profiles. Thus, Google My Business is considered to be a great opportunity to add the needed keywords and optimization settings to the profiles of local businesses.

Therefore, GMB serves as an efficient way to maintain, optimize, and promote information about your business. As a result, your product or service has a high chance to arrive at the top of local search results, become noticed by your potential consumers, and overcome other local businesses that belong to your competitors.

What Are the Main Benefits of Google My Business?

Check out the list of the main benefits a Google My Business listing might provide you with by going across the information below:

• Edited with the help of a GMB account Business Profile implies a complete overview of your business, together with its overview, geographical location, reviews, photos, and other essential characteristics directly on the search engine results page. Thus, the usage of GMB will boost your brand visibility, increase your online presence, and build trust within your potential customers.
• As we have already briefly mentioned above, GMB might work as a great search engine optimization tool for your Business Profile on Google. So, the possibility to fill in the information on your company, optimize your account, and update it on a regular basis is probably one of the most essential benefits of GMB listings that will bring you higher positions in search results.
• One more worthy benefit of GMB is the possibility to represent an online business that does not have a physical store. Just imagine: You sell your products only online, so the only way your potential customers can get to know you is while surfing across the web. So, you would definitely need a well-optimized and “selling” Business Profile on Google to receive sales.
• An opportunity to stand out with the help of the “Posts” tool that Google My Business provides. If you want to get noticed among the great number of other search results on Google, you might take advantage of the “Posts” tool offered by GMB. This way, you will be able to notify your target audience about special offers, discounts, and updates from your side in a highly visible way.
• Also, GMB listings provide your business with a free website. In case you are still working on the development of your own website, you might take advantage of a free one that is provided by GMB. Moreover, you can benefit from the possibility to select your temporary website’s layout and call to action button.
• Etc.

The above-mentioned benefits are merely the main ones. However, Google My Business offers a whole bunch of other possibilities to its users.

Are There Any Drawbacks of Google My Business?

Even the best things in the world have their drawbacks, as nothing is ideal in this world. So, check out the list of the main disadvantages of Google My Business:

• Lack of professional client support (mainly because GMB is a free service);
• Frequent delays in the verification process and pretty strict posts’ policies;
• Limited functionality and non-intuitive interface;
• Etc.

An important note: The above-mentioned GMB drawbacks can be overcome with the help of an online advertising specialist who will set up and professionally support your account.

A Bottom Line

All in all, Google My Business is an important tool in the sphere of digital marketing, as it serves as a working tool that promotes your local business on Google efficiently. So, try it yourself and help your potential customers find your business easily!