Google My Business: An Essential Tool To Grow

Discover our practical guide to master your Google listing perfectly and develop your online presence.

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Why Use Google My Business?

The main reason for a business to use Google My Business is to increase its local SEO. With an optimized listing, you can appear in the top search results on both Google and Google Maps.

Google My Business also allows you to:

• Help your customers find and contact your business, generating more website visits, calls, or store visits;
• Collect and display more positive reviews to reassure potential customers and encourage them to use your services or buy from you;
• Retain your existing customers by responding to their reviews and regularly posting your news, demonstrating your commitment to customer relations and building trust with them.

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Is Google My Business Free?

Creating and using a Google My Business listing is entirely free.

However, you can boost your online presence efforts with paid advertisements linked to your establishment listing.

Google's Local Services Ads (a feature of Google Ads) allow service businesses to promote their services on Google Search and Google Maps. These ads appear above the organic results.

Using these paid options, you can reach customers actively searching for services around them and increase the number of appointments you receive.

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Where is Your Establishment Listing Visible?

Google regularly modifies the display of its many features, and Google My Business is often affected by these changes.

Generally, your business's Google establishment listing can be displayed on:

• The local pack: the section of the Google search results page that displays a list of local businesses related to the entered query;
• Info cards: the information box that appears at the top right of the search results;
• Google Maps: the listing can appear when a user searches for a business at a specific location or navigates a particular geographic area;
• Google Search: the listing can appear in the natural search results when a specific business or product is searched.

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How to Create or Recover Your Google My Business Listing?

Creating your business's Google My Business can be done quickly, provided you're well-prepared.

An essential prerequisite is having a Google account. It's through your Google account that you can create and manage your establishment listing. If you don't have one, creating an account is the first thing to do before getting started.

Does a Google My Business listing for your business already exist? It's entirely possible! Google can generate establishment listings without the manager's knowledge, especially if a user has reported that the business exists.

In this case, you need to claim ownership of the listing. This gives you the ability to update your establishment's information and respond to customer reviews.

If your establishment's Google My Business does not yet exist, you can create your Google listing in 5 minutes by following these steps:

1. Log in to Google My Business and click on “Manage”
2. Enter your business name
3. Provide information about your establishment

When creating your listing, you must necessarily provide the following information to complete the process:

• Add your main category;
• Indicate the address of your establishment or a service area;
• Provide your phone number.

Once your establishment listing is created, you need to request validation from Google for it to display correctly on search and Google Maps.

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Enter Essential Information for Your Business

Once your listing is created or validated, take the time to enter:

• Your opening hours;
• Photos of your establishment;
• A description of your activity;
• Your website.

These are key pieces of information that allow Google to understand what your establishment offers and help it to promote you when an internet user searches for a business like yours.

These details are also what potential customers look for in your business. A well-filled profile can make all the difference between you and another business.

How to Access Your Google My Business Listing?

Once your establishment listing is created or recovered, you can access it at any time in two different ways:

• From Google Search;
• On Google Maps.

Note: Some features of your Google My Business account may differ between Google Maps and Google Search.

For Google Search:

• Open a Google search window;
• Search for the name of your establishment or type "my business";
• In the menu above the search results, you have access to various features of your listing.

For Google Maps:

• Download the Google Maps app on your smartphone;
• Log in to the Google account you use to manage your establishment listing;
• In the Google Maps app, tap your profile picture and "Your establishment listing" in the displayed menu.

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How to Improve Your Local SEO with Google My Business?

To take advantage of your establishment listing as part of your SEO strategy, it's crucial to optimize it for local SEO.

Indeed, beyond the basic information to be entered when creating your Google My Business, you have the option to add:

• Secondary categories related to your activity;
• The different products and services you offer;
• Attributes (accessibility, type of clientele, payment methods, etc.);
• Special or additional hours;
• A cover photo;
• Links to your social networks;
• A logo for your business.

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Optimizing your Google My Business listing also means paying attention to the keywords you use in the description of your establishment, the description of your products or services, and the name of your business on the listing.

All this information must be entered carefully, but it's also important that they are the same on other platforms. Indeed, Google will regularly check if your information is consistent with what it finds elsewhere on the Internet (social networks, websites, directories, applications, GPS, etc.).

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Understanding Local SEO Criteria

When it comes to local SEO on Google, 3 main criteria are used to promote your business's listing at the top of local search results:

Criterion : Relevance

That is, how well your business matches the search performed by an internet user. Google will look at your establishment's category, description, services offered, and other factors to determine its relevance.

Criterion : Distance

That is, the geographic proximity between your business and the search performed. Google calculates the distance with the user (for example, based on GPS data) or according to the search term used.

Criterion : Notoriety

That is, whether your business is known and popular. Google will look at the number of reviews, ratings, links to your listing, or even mentions of your establishment on social networks to determine its notoriety.

So it's a combination of these 3 criteria that Google uses to determine your positioning in searches conducted by your potential customers.

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Best Practices for Managing Your Google Listing

Beyond optimizing the information on your Google My Business, the quality of your local SEO will also depend on your proactive use of available tools.

Indeed, being well-referenced will increase visibility, but the next step is ensuring that your business is the choice of internet users who view your GMB listing.

To do this, you should:

• Reassure your prospects by leveraging your positive reviews.
• Make your establishment attractive with photos and videos.
• Highlight your special offers and news.

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Collect More Positive Reviews About Your Business

Google reviews are among the information potential customers consider before using your services or visiting your store. A listing with a significant number of reviews and a high average rating reassures customers about the quality of your business and helps you build a strong brand image.

Customer Reviews: Key Figures!

• 70% of internet users read reviews of establishments they plan to visit.
• 60% of internet users feel that a rating below 3.5/5 is discouraging.

When you receive a review on your Google My Business, it is imperative to respond quickly. Whether the review is positive or negative, an appropriate response is important to protect your online reputation.

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Add Photos and Videos

Your business listing serves as a digital showcase for your enterprise. Just as you would care for the storefront of your shop or the decor of your premises, it's essential to complete your profile with photos or videos of your business.

"Establishments that add photos to their profiles receive 42% more requests for directions on Google Maps and 35% more clicks to their website than others." - Google

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Promote Your Products and Services

On your listing, you not only have the ability to detail your services and products, but you also have the chance to promote them through Google Posts. This is an opportunity to directly communicate with potential customers using personalized content (photos, links to your site) that can inspire them to visit or revisit your business.

Through Google Posts, you can add to your listing publications that showcase:

• Your special offers
• Upcoming events
• Latest news and updates

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5 Mistakes To Avoid With Your Listing

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Mistake #1: Not Claiming and Verifying Your Business Listing

One of the most common mistakes made by businesses is failing to claim their Google business listing when it already exists and to verify it to take ownership. As a result, the listing may display incorrect or incomplete information in search results, leading to potential customer frustration or confusion.

Mistake #2: Not Updating Your Business Information

For effective SEO, it's crucial to regularly update your business information, such as your address or phone number if they change. Opening hours are also vital information to specify and keep up to date. Failure to do so can lead to customers visiting the wrong address or coming when your establishment is closed.

Mistake #3: Ignoring Online Reviews from Customers

Customer reviews are a significant part of your establishment's online reputation. Businesses that ignore or fail to respond to reviews (especially negative ones) can damage their reputation and lose potential customers. Remember to respond to all reviews, both positive and negative, quickly and professionally.

Mistake #4: Not Adding Photos or Publishing Google Posts

By not making the effort to publish photos or Google Posts on your business listing, you miss the opportunity to showcase your products and services. Regularly adding photos and posts sends the message of a well-maintained and up-to-date listing, encouraging customers to visit your physical store.

Mistake #5: Violating Google My Business Rules and Guidelines

Be aware that businesses that do not adhere to Google's rules regarding the use of Google My Business risk having their listing suspended or even completely removed from the platform. Therefore, take the time to read these guidelines and continue to follow them to avoid any penalties.