Not so long ago, if you needed a professional in any field (construction, health, gardening, automobiles, etc.), you would turn to the phone book or newspaper advertisements in order to find a company. These days, however, as the internet has taken on an increasingly important role in our lives, if we need to find local services, it’s commonplace to use a search engine (with Google at the top of the list, handling more than 90 percent of all search traffic). Google has become an integral part of every internet user’s day-to-day routine, whether through a mobile device (smartphone, tablet, etc.) or a desktop computer. Worldwide, Google receives 80,000 inquiries every second. This is the equivalent of 6.9 billion inquiries per day, and approximately half of these are local searches.
Google’s search engine provides access to local information by means of user geolocation, displaying the ranked search results on a map. These search results for a product or service correspond to Google My Business (GMB) listings; therefore, these listings offer companies excellent visibility.
What is Google My Business?
It’s nearly impossible not to have seen a GMB listing! They occupy such a predominant place on Google that you can’t miss them!
Google My Business is an indispensable tool for companies that wish to improve their SEO. The platform enables merchants, artisans, organizations and companies of all sizes to manage their internet presence at the local level. GMB permits professionals to create a listing that displays all of the most important information on their company, including the following:
- Address
- Telephone number
- Business hours
- Photos
- Customer reviews
The listing will show up in geolocation search results on Google and Google Maps. Thus, it provides internet users with pertinent information on a company quickly and clearly.
Currently, more and more companies (over 65 percent) have created Google My Business listings. Since these listings are free and unlimited, they’ve become an indispensable marketing tool.
A GMB account carries a lot of weight and importance when it comes to marketing! As a result, certain fraudulent agencies won’t hesitate to pass themselves off as Google representatives. Their goal? To gain access to other companies’ business listings in order to take control of them. Check out our article on the topic.
What’s the purpose of a Google My Business listing?
A GMB listing is a powerful local marketing tool that provides numerous advantages at no cost.
Improving your internet visibility 👀
With a GMB profile, you’ll let internet users know that you’re present and active by providing essential information on your company. You’ll make a good first impression, which is a guarantee of quality to your current and future customers, who will be able to find you easily during a search on Google or Google Maps. As a result, you’ll be encouraging them to visit your website.
Acquiring new clients at no charge 🧲
With GMB, you will not only enable internet users to access all of the information regarding your company, including your distinctive advantages and the testimonials of your clients, but also communicate with them easily in order to propose complementary offers, share the latest news on your products and services, give them the opportunity to place an order or ask a question and much more.
Increasing your local search results 📍
GMB makes you visible and offers you an undeniable opportunity to improve your local SEO. In fact, GMB enables you to achieve an excellent ranking in Google Map search results in your service area or near the location of your prospects. To learn more about all of the possibilities and advantages of great local SEO using GMB, you can rely on our professionals!
The importance of customer reviews! 🗨️
Thanks to your GMB listing, you can gather reviews of your company from your clients, whether in the form of ratings (up to five stars) or testimonials.
These reviews will inform your prospects as to the quality of your service and will help establish your reputation and consumer awareness of your brand. Did you know that over 60 percent of internet users read reviews on GMB before contacting a company?
To learn more about the importance of customer reviews, check out our article Why customer reviews are a highly effective marketing mechanism (available in French only).
In order to maintain your online reputation, it’s also very important to respond to all of your customer reviews, including those that are negative or fake.
Are you convinced of the value of having a Google My Business listing? Here’s how to sign up.
By following a few quick, simple steps, you’ll be able to create a GMB listing.
- To get started, you must have a Gmail account and be online. Next, you need to go to the GMB home page and click on “Manage now.”
- Provide the name of your company. If it appears on the list, claim ownership of the listing and then click on Next. If the name of your company does not appear on the list, click on the option “Create a business with this name” and fill out all of the required fields.
- Indicate exactly which category best describes your business activity. The categories are important, as they’ll enable internet users searching for your products or services to find you.
- Add the areas you serve in relation to your activities.
- Finally, add your contact information.
Google will then create your listing, which you’ll be able to manage from your dashboard. You’ll be able to add photos, your business hours and supplemental information, view your statistics and access multiple features.
Would you like to get help to create your Google My Business listing and grow your local search results? Call on the experts at BJMédia! Their team of specialists in marketing tools and strategies will be happy to assist you!
