Google My Business (GMB) was extremely important for businesses in 2018 and it isn’t slowing down anytime soon! Having a digital presence is becoming crucial to businesses’ success, which is why you should understand how Google My Business works.
So, how can you become a Google My Business expert? In this blog, I’ll be talking about the different aspects of the GMB dashboard along with some tips that can help you stay ahead of the competition.
How to Become a Google My Business Expert
Before I dive into the specifics, it’s important to note that you must create a Google My Business profile first if you don’t have one or claim an existing one! Our previous blog covers the initial steps you need to take.
After your profile is created or claimed, it’s time to head to the GMB dashboard. Within the dashboard, you’ll find several buttons.
Let’s break each of them down:
- Home. Similar to home pages on other sites, the GMB home page is where you can see an overview of your business listings and take a quick look at customer photos and your posts.
- Posts. This is where you’ll add new posts to your Google My Business listings.
- Info. When you need to update your business information, you’ll need to click the info button. You can change the basic information, such as the business name, address and phone number as well as the hours of operation and attributes.
- Insights. Data is important to businesses, which is why the insights section exists! This allows you to view how your business is doing based on searches and viewers. Check out this detailed walk-through if you want to learn more!
- Reviews. Reviews can make or break your business, but Google My Business allows you to easily manage your reviews in one spot. It even separates them by new reviews, ones that have been replied to and those that are waiting for a response.
- Messaging. Communicate with your customers through the Google My Business app! You’ll be able to manage your listings and respond to messages or questions from your customers.
- Photos. You know photos are important for several aspects of your digital presence and GMB is no different. Photos and videos are encouraged, whether you’re posting them or your customers are.
- Website. If you don’t have a website or are in the middle of creating one, the website function in Google My Business is extremely helpful. This gives you the opportunity to have a Google-built website. However, this isn’t a permanent option and we advise you to have a professional, locally-optimized website created.
Now that you know where everything is in Google My Business, I want to discuss some tips that can help you use it to your advantage:
Tip #1 – Use Posts to Promote Special Offers, Events and New Content
I mentioned earlier that you can create posts for your Google My Business page, but you don’t have to think of them like traditional social media posts.
You can post anything that your potential customers want to know about your business, which can include your products and services.
However, you can also post about any upcoming events, special offers or new content your business is pushing out, such as blogs, news articles or downloadable resources!
Tip #2 – Update Your Business Hours for Holidays
If a holiday is on the horizon, make sure you update your hours of operation on GMB! You will only be able to set special hours if you already have regular hours provided.
Updating your hours gives potential customers a warning that you’re operating on a different schedule. You wouldn’t want customers to show up to your business and not be open, right?
Click here for step-by-step instructions on how to update your hours!
Tip #3 – Ask Customers for Reviews
Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been in business for a while, it’s important to ask your customers for reviews!
Most people depend on reviews nowadays when choosing a business. If your business has very few reviews, potential customers may go to a competitor instead.
Normally, if you ask your customers to leave a review, they will! You don’t have to make it an in-depth process.
During check-out or before they leave, simply ask them, “Hey, would you mind leaving us an online review on Google to tell us about your experience today?” They’ll either say yes or no and go on their way.
Remember, after they do leave a review, you need to respond to them! To help you respond, head over to this blog for response suggestions based on the type of review they left.
Final Thoughts
Google My Business is a helpful tool that your business can use! The next step is for you to jump in and start using it. Refer back to this blog as a reminder of what each section of GMB offers. Don’t forget to use our tips to your advantage, too!