Every month, there are billions of searches made on Google for different types of businesses. If you’re running a business today, it’s crucial that you make sure it’s listed with Google.

Google My Business provides a listing of your company’s operating information, posts, reviews, and a lot more. However, you shouldn’t simply register your business and then call it a day. You have to make sure that you provide regular and accurate business updates so that your customers are well-informed.

Interested in learning more? Continue reading and we’ll walk you through the top tips for Google My Business that you need to know about.

1. Provide Regular Business Updates

All of the information on your company’s profile needs to be accurate, reliable, and up-to-date. The most important information that you need to provide is:

• Name
• Phone Number
• Description
• Attributes
• Address
• Website
• Category

Your company’s address, phone number, and name will be used for Google Search, Google+, and Google Maps. This is going to provide the foundation for your local SEO.

The information you provide should match the information that’s on your company’s website. In fact, if the information doesn’t match exactly, your search rankings will be negatively impacted. Make sure that you check with your hosting company to ensure everything matches properly.

It’s also better to use a local phone number instead of a call center number or a national one.

2. Get Reviews (And Respond to Them)

Reviews are crucial when it comes to local searches. Good reviews mean more sales. And more good reviews mean even more sales.

Practically everyone today checks reviews before patronizing a business. In fact, 84% of people trust reviews as much as they trust close friends.

So how do you get good reviews? You ask people!

Send your customers a link through text or email and ask them to write reviews for your business. But don’t stop there.

You then have to respond to these reviews. Every single one. Whether the review is good, bad, or neutral, you need to respond to it.

Customers like to see businesses respond to negative reviews. It humanizes the company and shows that the negative experience may just have been a fluke instead of something that regularly happens.

3. Speak to Your Customers Via Google My Business Messages

If a customer can’t find certain information on your website, they’re going to want to contact you. And while you may think having your phone number is enough, you could actually do more. Many people prefer to message instead of having to call.

Luckily, Google offers its own messaging service. With this feature, you can chat one-on-one with customers as a way to answer questions and increase loyalty. Google My Business messaging lets customers send you questions through SMS texts.

And the phone number they text isn’t made public. Customers simply click a button that says “Message.”

Make the Most Out of Google My Business

Google My Business is a powerful tool. And when you make the most out of it by providing accurate business updates, responding to reviews, and utilizing its communication features, you can truly expand your business’s horizons.

Are you looking to increase your digital marketing game or improve your web design? Contact us today and see how we can help you!