Guide to Google My Business
Having a Google My Business profile can be a great way to improve your online presence. Not only can you manage your business’s opening hours, track organic traffic in Google Analytics and respond to negative reviews, but you can also verify your business.
Create a profile
Creating a profile on Google My Business (GMB) is a great way to build an online presence and generate new leads and sales. However, it’s important to keep your GMB profile up-to-date with the latest information about your business. You can also customize it and add additional features.
One of the first things users will see on Google is your business category. You should provide a brief description of your business to give consumers a taste of what they’ll be getting when they visit. You can also include a picture of your store or office to help customers connect with you.
Once you have your profile set up, you can respond to reviews and make announcements. You can also manage your GMB listing by messaging customers directly through the app. You can also control the type of message your customers get from you.
Adding photos can also make your business look more real. You can post pictures of your store or office and of your employees. You can also include videos that show what your business offers.
You can also add other factual attributes to your business, such as free Wi-Fi or wheelchair accessibility. Your Google My Business listing will appear in the Google Maps and SERPs.
To create your profile, you will need to sign in with your Google account. You will also need to update the business’ contact information and location. Then, you can start modifying your listing.
You will need to create a cover photo for your profile. This photo should be a large-format photograph with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The photo should accurately showcase your business. You can also choose to use a business logo.
Manage opening hours
Having accurate and up-to-date business hours on Google My Business is an essential part of optimizing your profile. This allows you to ensure that you are providing your customers with all the information they need to make an informed decision. It also helps to reduce the chance of your listing receiving a negative review.
To update your business hours, you’ll need to access the GBP dashboard. From here, you can click the “Edit” link. This opens a new window. From here, you can change the hours of operation, add special events, and more. This is a great way to optimize your listing without having to wait around.
If you’re looking for the best way to get your business on Google Maps, you’ll want to know the benefits of having a business profile on Google. In particular, you should know that your listing will show up in the local pack and in Google’s maps. This will give your customers a sense of when you’re open and when you’re closed. In addition, it will help you to get more exposure.
Google My Business also offers the ability to set special hours. These can be useful for certain occasions, such as a holiday or for marking the start and end of a special event. However, it is important to note that these are only available for a limited time period.
Adding special hours is a great way to show customers that your business is open and available. But, you should be careful not to add hours that are too unusual. This can result in your listing being left out of Google’s recommendations, and your customers might be less likely to trust you.
Verify your business
Having a verified Google My Business profile helps consumers trust your business and know more about you. This can lead to more customers and sales. A verified business is also twice as likely to appear in search results. Here are a few ways to verify your business on Google.
A verified business has a unique verification code, which is different from other businesses. It can be given to you in an email, by mail or via text. If you receive an invalid code, you can request a new one.
The verification process is based on your business’ geographic location. For example, if you’re a storefront business, you’ll need to get a postcard in the mail to show where you’re located.
When you’re ready to get your business verified, start by clicking on the verification button in the Home section of your Google My Business profile. After you click the button, you’ll be taken to a setup wizard. There, you’ll be asked to enter your business’ name, address and a few other pieces of information. After you’ve entered these details, you’ll be redirected to the GMB dashboard.
Once you’ve completed the process, you can edit your business’ profile. You’ll be able to add pictures, videos and special offers. You can also add attributes such as wheelchair accessibility or LGBTQ+ friendly.
You’ll need to add a phone number and a real physical address. A real physical address isn’t just a post office box, it’s a location that you actually own or occupy. If you have more than 10 locations, you may qualify for instant verification. This isn’t for all businesses, however.
When you’ve completed the verification process, you’ll need to wait about 48 hours before you can start seeing your verified business on Google. Your verified business will be listed on Google’s local search result pages.
Respond to negative reviews
Whether you’re a new business or an established company, responding to negative reviews on Google My Business is something you should be doing. It helps maintain your online reputation and showcase your customer service skills. It’s also a great way to build trust with potential customers.
It’s important to remember that every review site has its own set of rules. A little research on the web can help you understand the best response for each situation.
When responding to negative reviews on Google My Business, it’s also important to be courteous. Some reviewers are upset because their experience was negative, and they want to be heard. Be sure to listen to them and try to fix their problem. This can lead to some positive reviews for your business.
You may have to wait awhile before you can respond to a negative review. However, once you do, you’ll be able to show customers that you care and that you’re willing to make things right.
You can use a template to get you started. The Google My Business website has a “Reply” button below each review. You can click on this and edit your response, including the reviewer’s name.
When responding to negative reviews on Google, you should focus on two main areas: what you can improve and what you can do to keep your customers happy. By responding to reviews, you can show Google what your business is all about and you can convert a potential customer into a loyal one.
To summarize, a good response to a negative review on Google My Business should acknowledge the reviewer’s frustration, be concise, and include a few specific examples.
Track organic traffic in Google Analytics
Using Google Analytics to track organic traffic is a useful tool for tracking and analyzing your site. By combining data from your website’s search queries and landing pages, you can see the most common keywords driving traffic to your site. In addition, you can view the organic traffic for individual landing pages.
In order to get started with tracking organic traffic, you will need to log into your Google Analytics account and click on the Reports tab. From here, you will be able to find reports that can help you understand your audience and trends. You can also view organic traffic for a specific date range.
Once you are logged in to your Google Analytics account, you can look at the Acquisition table to see the breakdown of traffic sources. You can see different channels of traffic, including referral, paid, display, and organic.
You can also see the percentage of your overall traffic that is organic. This will tell you how much of your total traffic is coming from organic search. By understanding how your traffic is segmented, you can make more informed decisions.
You can see the metrics that are most important to you, such as bounce rates, conversions, and page views. These metrics will help you to optimize your content and generate more leads.
You can also use the primary dimension to see which search engines drove the most traffic to your website. By changing the search engine’s name, you can change the data table. You can then drill down to the landing page where your visitors are most likely to land. You can also change the timeframe.
Another great feature is the Advanced Search link, which is located above the data table. This lets you choose a search engine to track. You can enter the search engine’s name in the session source dropdown menu.