Why is Google My Business Important?

You’ve heard of Google – it’s probably one of the most widely used words today. In fact, it’s become synonymous with “search.” If you ask someone a question nowadays, and they don’t know the answer, you are very likely to hear “just Google it” in response.  In the same vein, if you yourself wish to know something about anything, your first port of call will likely be Google. 

With that said, if a person wants to find out more about you and your product, the most common place they will look is Google.  But it’s not that simple.  They may come across your website in the search engine, but there’s more to it than that.  There are benefits to you and to your potential customer to be had by using Google’s tools. 

Google My Business Is Yellow? 

Google My Business has taken the place of one of the mainstays in global society for generations. Forty years ago, if you wanted to find a business you licked your fingers and opened the Yellow Pages. With entries listed in alphabetical order, you could sift through and eventually find what you were looking for. Google My Business will now do all of that for you. 

The potential benefit to the customer is the Google My Business interface that appears when they type your business name in the search bar. On the side, all your business essentials will be listed – your phone number, address, hours of operation and even a map to show exactly where you are in the world will be listed. You can even include some photos of your storefront if you’d like to help your customers find you even easier. 

The Yellow Pages stopped printing in 2019, which makes Google My Business the go-to place to find local and online companies that provide the services customers are looking for. 

Google My Business Is Updateable 

From time to time, businesses need to make some changes to their existing info – for instance, opening hours. Some businesses have been forced to temporarily close due to the COVID-19 pandemic or adjust their opening hours. There’s nothing worse than a potential customer driving all the way out to your business only to find a handwritten sign on a locked door. 

You may also relocate or change your phone number for any reason. With the old Yellow Pages, you would have to wait an entire year or so in order to update these crucial pieces of information for your potential customers. Keeping people informed puts you three steps ahead of the game. 

GMB Lets You Set the Proper Category

Google My Business allows you to choose the proper category in which to place your business. This is especially helpful to ramp up those local rankings. Setting the category your business falls under ensures that you’ll show up when that category is searched. For instance, if a searcher types in “casual dining in Glasgow ” all of the restaurants who chose that category would come up in the search. 

There are also secondary categories you can choose to help refine and optimise the search. Every little bit helps, and GMB leaves no stone unturned! 

Google My Business Give Directions 

That’s right… with one click, GMB will give your potential customers exact directions from where they are to your doorstep.  This saves a tonne of time and frustration. No longer will they have to call you to get proper directions. It’s better for them and better for the business owner to not have to take time out of their day to try to figure out where they are coming from. Not that any business owner would mind, but if there are a lot of inquiries, those phone calls can slow down productivity. 

Speaking Of Calls…

One of the greatest features on GMB is the “click to call” button. If you have your phone number updated, your potential customers can connect with you in one click (or tap) on their phone. This streamlined process eliminates the step of manually remembering the phone number, tapping it in and pressing dial. 

This may seem like a small thing – perhaps even inconsequential – but it isn’t. It is extremely powerful. How so? The simple answer is that your potential customers won’t have time to look somewhere else. It keeps them on your Google My Business page. The time it takes for them to find a pen, write it down, and then dial is an eternity – a period in which your competitor’s entry may catch their eye instead. 

Email and Messaging Too!  

GMB supports not only calls, but email and even messages to your company phone. With one click they can be taken to your website or given your email address – no more fumbling around trying to type it all in. One tap or click and they are instantly there.  

When it comes to communication, Google has thought of everything. These simple options, if taken advantage of, can make a huge impact on getting customers to your front door. And that’s the goal, isn’t it? 

Customer Reviews

There is absolutely nothing more powerful in today’s world than word-of-mouth advertising, especially in times where anyone can get on the Internet and make claims about how great their business, brand, product, or service is.  

Think about the last time you bought something from Amazon or another online seller platform – did you read the product reviews before ordering? I’m here to tell you that most people do. GMB business reviews gives your satisfied and happy customers a megaphone to shout your praises and it doesn’t cost you a penny.  

Now, some may think this can also be damaging should a customer leave a bad or nasty review. On the contrary, this is a great opportunity to see where you may be falling short and how you can improve your service and turn those upset customers into loyal ones. It can show the rest of your customer base that you do listen to them and that their patronage is important to you. 

There are many, many other benefits to listing your business on GMB. For instance, it can assist in SEO and ranking. This post has hopefully given you a decent idea of how important Google My Business is and how beneficial it is to you and your business to keep it updated.  

Here at E2E, we are experts in small businesses and how they operate and here to take the strain from your shoulders when it comes to getting an online presence that works for you. We are a team of dedicated small business specialists who know precisely what it takes and have the tools, the skills and the passion for helping your business succeed online.