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This kind of authority and visibility on a Google SERP is invaluable as a small or medium-sized business and can mean all the difference in terms of direct leads and the monthly volume of exposure to your brand. Sounds pretty great, right?! Learning how to set up Google My Business listings can be a key component of your business’s success. This is the first step in establishing your company as legitimate in the eyes of the Almighty Google, and to begin to get the word out to your local community that your business is here to stay. This dynamic listing will appear anytime a user searches for your business specifically, and sometimes even if they’re simply searching for the services or products you provide.
Once you’ve completed the set up of your listing, you can go on to learn how to optimize Google My Business to really work for you.
But first, let’s get the basics down.
Sign up.
Before you can do anything else, you’ll need to create an account. Be sure you use a G-Suite or Gmail account in order to take full advantage of the features Google has to offer their Google My Business owners. If you own or have previously opened this listing but no longer have access (or you’ve lost your credentials), be sure to contact Google for assistance, as you may need to re-claim your account.
Verify your local business listing.
Begin to set up a Google My Business listing by verifying your local business listing.
Usually this is done by phone or mail. To see which method is right for your business, check your “Verify Now” button in your account.
Then, ensure all basic information is correct.
The biggest piece of mastering how to set up your Google My Business listing is to ensure all your business’s information is correct. This includes…
Hours of operation
If your business is client-facing and you want your customers to be able to visit or contact you, you’ll want to ensure your hours of operation are correctly listed in your account. For more information, visit Google’s Help Center or contact your web design team at Lifted Logic.
Navigation
Check to make sure Google has correctly placed the marker of your business on their map based on the address you’ve input into your account.
First, ensure your address is displayed correctly and is consistent with what is listed on your website and other local listings.
Second, search the name of your business in Google Maps using a Private Browsing tab (called “Incognito Mode” in the Google Chrome browser). This will pull up a red marker in their map where it believes your business is located.
If this placement is incorrect, which often happens due to conflicting information or confusion about certain streets or shopping plazas, be sure to hit the “Report a Problem” button on the far bottom right of your screen, and submit a user report to Google. Google will email you once the report has been resolved.
Contact Information
(Even better, Google tracks these button clicks for you, so you can see how many people have interacted with your listing in the last month!)When a client or customer searches your business on mobile, they’ll be shown, among your address and business hours, a handy “call” button that immediately plugs your phone number into their dialer, as well as a website button which will link the user directly to the homepage of your site.
This is where updating the correct information like phone number and website URL is essential. If a customer or potential client does not initially find what they’re looking for via their Google search, these buttons allow them additional avenues to easily find information about you that may not be front and center, such as your products and services.
Other key information
Do you accept debit cards? Is your business handicap accessible? These are important snippets of information that will help paint a bigger picture for your potential customers of what to expect when they work with you. Be sure to accurately update all of this information in your listing.
Next Steps
Taking all of these measures to set up your Google My Business listing are paramount to the success of your local search results. These organic leads are free and easy to obtain; with a little bit of time and proper care, your results should grow with you.
So now you’ve got the setup of your Google My Business Account down pat. Your next mission, should you choose to accept it, is to learn how to optimize Google My Business so your customers begin seeing you more easily in their search results.
Lifted Logic provides free SEO training to our clients, and strives to post resources on the web to help local businesses thrive. Visit our website or schedule a free, one-hour website review.
Becca Stebbin, Lead Content Strategist
Becca was a Content Strategist before it was cool, building SEO best practices into digital marketing strategies for our clients well before it was an industry standard. Her experience at the forefront of digital marketing and SEO serves her well as the intrepid leader of Lifted Logic's Content Department.
