If you own a business in today’s society, you must be listed on Google Maps. No matter what you do, people need to be able to find you. Even those who have iPhones use Google Maps.
Some recent changes made to Google’s platform for business have caused confusion among businesses that market themselves online. This post will help you understand how to properly list your business on Google Maps so that your customers can find you both online and in person.
What is Google Maps?
Google Maps is an online mapping service that Google developed. Google Maps offers detailed information about places around the globe, such as road maps, satellite images, 360-degree street views, real-time traffic conditions, and much more. Google Maps will help you plan your route, whether you are traveling by car or public transport, and it can give you live updates as well as an estimated time of arrival.
Google Maps is more than just a way to get you where you want to go, particularly for local and small businesses. The meta description of Google Maps on the SERP actually puts local businesses first: “Find Local Businesses, View Maps and Get Driving Directions in Google Maps.”
You might think that Google will recognize your business, and it will appear in Google Maps automatically, but this is not the case. To appear on the map, you’ll have to create a Google My Business account.
What is Google My Business?
Google My Business, formerly known as Google Places, is your one-stop shop for everything related to listing your company on Google. Google Maps is included, as are Google Search and Google+. Google Maps is the same as Google Places or Google My Business as far as business is concerned.
Google My Business is the profile you’ll use to be listed across all Google platforms. It is especially important for small business owners, who are the ones for whom Google My Business was created. Google My Business profiles help your business gain visibility because they allow users to find you more quickly and easily.
Your profile should not replace your main website. It cannot provide all the information your website can. It will direct users to your website and allow them to find out your contact information. We will discuss later how you can customize your Google My Business profile.
Google Pages are different from Google Maps.
What is Google Page
Google+ pages are local business pages created on Google+. Google+ was designed as a reaction to Facebook. It would be best if you treated your Google+ pages the same way you would your Facebook page. Google My Business allows you to manage how your company appears on Google and can be found, while Google+ lets you interact with customers.
Choose between a Google Brand Page or a local business page. You can even create both. But remember that Google+ Pages are virtual communities that must be managed like your Facebook Page.
We’ll walk you through the process of setting up your Google My Business account.
Create a Google My Business Profile
Create an Account
You will then search for or add your business to Google’s system if it is brand-new. Your business will be literally placed on the map after you input all the information.
Verify your account
You will be asked to confirm that the information on your page is correct and that you own it. This can be done via email, SMS, phone call, or mail. Mail may take a week to arrive, but you can still set up your profile.
Fill in the Categories
You can start adding information after you have verified and created your profile. Google My Business asks you to choose a business category to connect with customers searching for the services you provide. Choose one category and be as specific as possible. Do not add more categories, as this may harm your search engine results. If you want to add more categories later, go ahead and do so.
Add a Cover Photo and Profile Picture (your Logo)
You can choose a photo related to your business and add your logo so that users will recognize your brand and link your logo to the services you offer.
Add your hours
Your hours will also be displayed on Google Maps, which is a great way to inform your customers when you are available. It will appear on Google Maps. If you change your hours, close for a special holiday, etc., make sure to update them.
Add A Link To Your Website
Include a link to your website in your profile if you want to direct traffic there. Google Analytics will track the traffic to your website via Google Maps if you add UTM codes to your link. If your business has more than one location, you should use location pages to let customers know where they are.
Add Your Services
If you have a large number of services in a single shop, then list them. This allows you to add more specificity without affecting your SEO.
How To Create A Featured Post
Google Posts, a recent addition to Google My Business, allows you to create unique content that will appear on SERPS as well as under your profile on Google Maps.
What is a featured post?
A Google Post or featured post is a short description you can add to the Google My Business listing of your business. These posts will appear on the right side of a desktop or mobile browser and above your business listing on the SERP.
Why is it important to have a featured post?
You can create timely, specialized content with featured posts that you can present directly to your customers. Google Posts lets you create 300-word messages, including a message and call to action. It is a great way to let your customers know when you are having a sale or an event.
Create a posting schedule.
You will have to update your featured posts regularly, as they will expire in one week on the desktop. This can be done by creating a calendar of content and a publishing schedule in your Google My Business account. You can manage your content, schedule your posts, and avoid having to check the expiration dates every week.
Your featured posts should be aligned with your promotional calendar. You should highlight any special events or sales in your featured posts to inform people who are searching for you.
You can use this guide to get your business listed on Google Maps and add some special features. You can do a lot more with your Google My Business account, including boosting your local SEO and reaching more customers when they search for you. But having your business listed on Google Maps should be the first step.