My name is Gayla Zoz and you are listening to Simple Marketing Academy Podcast Episode #2.
Todayâs episode is part of my Low Hanging Fruit series where we talk about things that are good to do, easy to do, donât cost anything to do, and can bite you big time if you donât do them.
Iâm going to start with a really basic question.
Does your company have a Google business listing?
If you run a brick-and-mortar business, you probably have one. You might not even know that you have one.
Go ahead. Google your business right now. See what happens.
When people search for your company in Google, a Google listing will come up on the right-hand side of the page. This listing comes with Google reviews, the ability to put pictures and information on your listing, and a Google map so your customers can locate you.
Before I go on, you need to know that Google is very particular about the types of businesses that can have a business listing.
If your business has a physical location, or you conduct business by visiting the physical locations of their customer, you can have a listing. If your business is mobile, you still have to have an office location that customers can go to if need be. Individual Practitioners are also allowed. This includes doctors, lawyers, or accountants, and real estate agents, with the exception of those that only have a virtual website and no office. So long as you have a physical location that customers can go to, Google will allow you to create a business listing.
Some business types arenât eligible. eCommerce and Online-Only Businesses are one. Itâs because they canât physically interact with their customers. Virtual Offices are another. Even though virtual offices may have phone numbers, operating hours, and even a mailing address, since there is no one at the physical location to interact with customers, Google wonât allow you to create a verified listing.
You canât create a listing for the properties youâre trying to sell. And, if you conduct business by meeting your customers or clients at a location you donât personally own, Google wonât allow you to create a listing. Even though you may be meeting face-to-face with your customers, since you donât have a physical address, itâs a violation of Googleâs guidelines and requirements.
Coworking spaces serve as a special exception to Googleâs guidelines provided that you must rent and occupy office space, you must be present during the listed hours of operation, and you must list a phone number that puts customers in contact with someone at your business.
Okay. Letâs move on to my next burning question for those of you who quality for a Google business listing. Have you claimed your Google business listing?
A lot of people have no clue that Google automatically generates business listings for brick-and-mortar companies. Even more donât realize that you can claim these listings. Or if they are aware, they donât think itâs important enough to do anything about.
Youâd be surprised at how many businesses make this mistake.
Are you one of them?
Not long ago, just for fun, I googled one of my healthcare providers to see if theyâd claimed their Google listing.
They hadnât.
I see it all the time. Just about every day, Iâm searching online for something and I see the three words that are like a beacon in the night announcing that this business is clueless about their online presence.
Those words are: âOwn this business?â
Seeing these three words is a dead giveaway that the owners of this company arenât on top of their marketing. Theyâre missing out on one of the most basic things they can do to appear as a credible business. To get in front of potential customers. Theyâre leaving money on the table.
But thatâs not the worst of it.
This healthcare office had 21 Google reviews on their unclaimed business listing. How easy would it be for an unscrupulous competitor to come along and claim that profileâto a sinister end.
So. Everybody. Listen up. If you have a business with a physical location, claim your Google business listing. Itâs easy. And itâs free. In fact, claiming your Google business listing is one of the easiest and fastest things that you can do to improve your online presence. And itâs the only way to make sure all the information that Google is putting out there about you is 100 percent accurate.
Even if you are philosophically opposed to Google, even if you see them as an invasive big brother, a privacy violating, contact-selling, soul-crushing behemoth, even if you see them as a pox on humanity, you need to claim your dang listing. Hold your nose if you must. Just do it. Your business will get more visibility in the search engines and it wonât cost you a dime.
Check right now. Google your business by name. If an information box about your business pops up, look to see if it says, "Own this business?" If it does, click on that link and claim that profile before somebody else does.
If youâre still not convinced that this is worth your time, letâs talk about what could happen if you donât.
First, claiming your profile allows you to control the information that Google displays. If you donât claim your listing, Google tries to provide the best information about your business, which isnât always correct. By claiming your business listing, you can verify and edit all the information about your business as it appears on Google.
Second, if you donât claim your Google business listing, you wonât know what people are writing about your business. Your Google My Business profile is where your customer reviews live. If you donât claim your business listing, you wonât be notified when someone submits a review of your business. By claiming the listing, you can monitor and respond to reviews. Think about it. Reviews are an integral piece of Googleâs algorithm. What that means is that business profiles with more reviews, especially more positive reviews, are favored in a Google Search and pushed higher up the search results food chain. Plus, everybody reads reviews these days. More and more people are turning to third party sources for recon before they make purchasing decisions. I know I do.
Third, Google business listings allow you to appear in a geographical search. Have you ever used a ânear meâ search on Google Maps? If you have, youâre not alone. Almost everybody does this. If youâve claimed your business listing, your business is right there in the Google Maps search results. More than 70% of all searches going through Google, thatâs a lot of opportunities for prospects to find out about your business.
Finally, claiming your Google business listing can help increase your websiteâs search engine optimization, or SEO. By claiming your Google business profile (and the GMB counterparts at Bing and Yahoo), youâre adding quality web links that lead consumers back to your website. These are called backlinks. When these backlinks come from respected websites like Google, your business looks better in the eyes of search engines.
How do you claim your Google business listing? Itâs easy. Iâll walk you through the steps.
First, search for your business on Google. Keep in mind that if youâre an online business, you probably wonât have a listing. Iâll cover that in another episode.
If your listing pops up, click on âOwn this business?â. You will be prompted to sign into your Gmail account. If you donât have a Gmail account, create one now.
Once youâre signed in, you will be taken to a map. Search for your company and find the correct listing on the map. If your listing doesnât appear, choose the âAdd Your Businessâ option and enter everything they ask for.
Double check to make sure everything is correct.
Next, you should be directed to your Google My Business page. This is where you can manage how your business information appears across Google, including Search and Maps. Edit any of your incorrect information now.
Google doesnât let you claim your listing unless they verify that youâre who you say you are. Itâs a hassle, yes, but be thankful that Google requires this. Otherwise, somebody else could claim your profile. So, choose your verification method and follow the instructions.
If you choose to verify by mail, make sure to be on the lookout for a postcard from Google. It usually takes a week or two to arrive. When it comes, follow the steps on the postcard to finish your verification process. This will involve logging back into your Google My Business account. Once youâre in. Youâll see a message about verifying your listing. Click the button labeled âEnter Codeâ. That should lead you to a screen prompting you to enter the code from the post card you just received.
Once you enter the code, click âSubmitâ and the verification process is completed!
Once youâve claimed your Google listing, donât just sit back and relax. Thereâs more to do. Think of this as your storefront on the internet. Add your logo, pictures of your staff, your products, your services, your location, your business hours, whatever. Put your best face forward.
Even more important, encourage your best and happiest customers to leave you a review on Google. In the world of customer sentiment, Google reviews are the gold standard. Try to get as many positives ones as you can. Your search engine rankings will thank you.
Hereâs the key takeaway. If your business has a physical location, youâYES, YOUâneed to have a Google listing. Without one, you will be missing out on hundreds, thousands, and maybe even millions of potential customers in your city, people who are searching for products and services just like yours.
Thatâs it for this weekâs episode of the Simple Marketing Academy podcast. Iâll catch you next time.
