My name is Gayla Zoz and you are listening to Simple Marketing Academy Podcast Episode #2.
Today’s episode is part of my Low Hanging Fruit series where we talk about things that are good to do, easy to do, don’t cost anything to do, and can bite you big time if you don’t do them.
I’m 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 aren’t eligible. eCommerce and Online-Only Businesses are one. It’s because they can’t 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 won’t allow you to create a verified listing.
You can’t create a listing for the properties you’re trying to sell. And, if you conduct business by meeting your customers or clients at a location you don’t personally own, Google won’t allow you to create a listing. Even though you may be meeting face-to-face with your customers, since you don’t have a physical address, it’s a violation of Google’s guidelines and requirements.
Coworking spaces serve as a special exception to Google’s 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. Let’s 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 don’t realize that you can claim these listings. Or if they are aware, they don’t think it’s important enough to do anything about.
You’d 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 they’d claimed their Google listing.
They hadn’t.
I see it all the time. Just about every day, I’m 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: “Own this business?”
Seeing these three words is a dead giveaway that the owners of this company aren’t on top of their marketing. They’re 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. They’re leaving money on the table.
But that’s 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 profile—to a sinister end.
So. Everybody. Listen up. If you have a business with a physical location, claim your Google business listing. It’s easy. And it’s 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 it’s 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 won’t 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 you’re still not convinced that this is worth your time, let’s talk about what could happen if you don’t.
First, claiming your profile allows you to control the information that Google displays. If you don’t claim your listing, Google tries to provide the best information about your business, which isn’t 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 don’t claim your Google business listing, you won’t know what people are writing about your business. Your Google My Business profile is where your customer reviews live. If you don’t claim your business listing, you won’t 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 Google’s 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 “near me” search on Google Maps? If you have, you’re not alone. Almost everybody does this. If you’ve claimed your business listing, your business is right there in the Google Maps search results. More than 70% of all searches going through Google, that’s a lot of opportunities for prospects to find out about your business.
Finally, claiming your Google business listing can help increase your website’s search engine optimization, or SEO. By claiming your Google business profile (and the GMB counterparts at Bing and Yahoo), you’re 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? It’s easy. I’ll walk you through the steps.
First, search for your business on Google. Keep in mind that if you’re an online business, you probably won’t have a listing. I’ll cover that in another episode.
If your listing pops up, click on “Own this business?”. You will be prompted to sign into your Gmail account. If you don’t have a Gmail account, create one now.
Once you’re signed in, you will be taken to a map. Search for your company and find the correct listing on the map. If your listing doesn’t appear, choose the “Add Your Business” 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 doesn’t let you claim your listing unless they verify that you’re who you say you are. It’s 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 you’re in. You’ll see a message about verifying your listing. Click the button labeled ‘Enter Code’. 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 ‘Submit’ and the verification process is completed!
Once you’ve claimed your Google listing, don’t just sit back and relax. There’s 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.
Here’s the key takeaway. If your business has a physical location, you—YES, YOU—need 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.
That’s it for this week’s episode of the Simple Marketing Academy podcast. I’ll catch you next time.