[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]Google My Business is a great way to show up on Google searches. Generally on the right-hand side of the page on the regular search page and on maps. A whole rectangle devoted to you and the details about your business a customer might want to know like your hours, images of your business, link to your website, and a phone number. This is also where people can see your reviews.
Getting Started
To get started with a Google My Business account Click Here and click on the ‘Start Now’ button in the upper right corner.
Google will walk you through the signup process collecting important information along the way. You will also have the opportunity to upload images of your products and services, your team, your building/office, and your logo.
Google will verify your location using a postcard. It generally takes 2 to 3 weeks to receive the card and once you receive it simply log into your account, go
down to your locations, click “get verified” and once that’s open enter the code. Hit submit and you’re done.
My Business is a great way to keep up with your customers and has some great features, like verifying holiday hours, My Business Posts, my business insights, and My Business Chat.
My Business Insights
Insights are a great way to see who’s searching for your business, when customers are calling, and other ways customers are interacting with your listing. Here are all of the ways Insights helps you see how customers interact with your my business listing.
Hours
Holiday Hours change. Maybe you’re going to be open this Veterans Day, but last year you weren’t. Don’t surprise your customers. Use your My Business account to get the word out. Simply log into your dashboard and go to the options pane on the right that says verify holiday hours. There will be a list of holidays for you to choose from and it only takes a minute to record your hours for the next several months.
Chat
Google My Business allows you to chat and message directly with customers who find your business listing on Google. This messaging feature is displayed
beside your other contact information. This is another way for customers to reach you in a place they are already looking.
Posts
Go to your Google My Business account and on the left, click posts. You can add a post title, an image, up to 300 words, and have options for a call to action button. This is a great way to announce a sale, event, show off top products, and more.
These posts are free to create and are a great way to draw more attention to your business and what you have to offer. Remember though these posts expire after seven (7) days. Google does not want their customers feeds becoming full of expired and useless information. So you will need to plan accordingly.
Updates, Changes and Moving Forward
Google is updating My Business all the time. Here are some more ways Google has updated their My Business service in 2017.
Google My Business is a great way to show up in search results and doesn’t require a huge amount of time and commitment. However, if you don’t have time to set up your account contact Prairie Giraffe today and let us complete the process for you. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
