Many businesses that serve customers at a physical location, go into customer homes, and provide services to customers online gain exposure for their businesses through Google Business profiles. While Google often creates listings automatically, you must claim and manage your profile for maximum visibility. So, how do you manage and modify your Google Business listing to attract customers looking to do business with you? In this blog, we will go over the basic steps to do just that.
Step One: Create a Google Account
If you do not already have a business Gmail account, you should set one up. It is best to create a dedicated email address for your business to keep personal and Google Business communications separate. You will do this at accounts.google.com. Using the name of your business in your email, set your password, and then follow through the rest of the setup until your account is confirmed.
Step Two: Go to Google.com/Business
Now that you have a Google account, sign in to google.com/business, and search to see if Google has already created a listing for your business by typing your company’s name into the search box provided. If you find an existing listing, request access/ownership. If there is not an existing listing, continue on to the next step. You will then be prompted to choose your business type (online retail, local store, service business), and remember that if you serve customers in multiple ways – you can select multiple options.
Step Three: Choose Your Business Category
Begin typing words and categories that you believe your business fits into. Google will helpfully make suggestions.
Step Four: Establish Your Physical Location, Contact Information, and Service Area
This is a straightforward set of screens where you will enter your business address and contact information, including your website if applicable.
*If your business visits customers in their homes and you selected “service business” as your business type, you will be asked, “Where do you serve your customers?” To answer, you may select up to 20 specific cities and zip codes. Per Google’s terms of service, please do not select areas further than two hours away from your business.
Step Five: Verify Your Google Business Profile
Google wants to make sure you are authorized to manage your listing. Therefore, you must be verified before you can take full control of your Google Business profile. There are several methods available including by phone, by video, or by receiving a postcard from Google in the mail. To complete the verification you will enter a code Google sends to you through your chosen verification medium in your Google Business account.
Step Six: Add Services You Offer
Now that your Google Business profile is verified, you can begin managing it. Add suggested and custom services to your listing so customers can easily understand what you offer to them.
Step Seven: Adjust Your Business Hours
Letting customers know when you are open throughout the year is one of the key ways they will do business with you. Adjusting your open hours for holidays or time off through your Google Business profile is straightforward but something Google asks you to take seriously. Do not be tempted to show you are open all day, every day unless it is true.
Step Eight: Turn On/Off Messaging
Google Business profiles allow customers to directly message you during your open hours. Messaging is turned on by default but you can turn this feature on and off. The ability to speak directly to customers and answer questions increases engagement with your business dramatically. But if you feel you will not be able to respond in a timely manner, you should turn it off because Google will turn it off for you.
Step Nine: On-going Management
Now that your Google Business profile is complete, you can edit your business description and add images. Consider ongoing Google Business profile management like telling your customers about your company. How you are different, your history, what it is like to be a customer, and sharing any other information you think prospective customers might find useful.
Google Business profiles are very powerful for companies looking to be found on and offline. Sharing authentic information about your company and maintaining accurate public information will engage with customers and encourage them to do business with you.
Need help creating and navigating your Google Business profile? Look no further than ConnectNow.Agency!