What is Google My Business?

GMB is a free tool that lets you manage how your business concern appears on Google Search and Maps. That includes adding your business name, location, and hours; monitoring and replying to customer reviews; adding photos; learning where and how people are searching for you, and more.

If yous're simply getting started with local SEO, your Google My Business list is a great identify to focus your early efforts. After all, when people search for a product or service near them, they're usually very close to making a purchase -- one in ii people who conduct a local search (recollect "sentry repair near me") visit a shop that day. So information technology's important the information about your business that shows up when people search Google is equally accurate, complete, and optimized as possible.

To larn how to create your Google My Business account, verify your business, and make its listing as strong as possible, read on.

  1. Create an account and merits your business
  2. Verify your business
  3. Optimize your list
  4. Download the GMB app
  5. Know the difference between Google My Business, Google Places, and Google+

Is Google My Business free?

GMB is completely gratuitous to use. The only requirement for using it is that you must have some face-to-face interaction with your customers -- in other words, you can't operate 100% online.

Create a Google My Business Listing

  • Pace i: Log into the Google Account you want associated with your business organization (or create a Google Account if you don't already accept one).
  • Step ii: Go to google.com/business concern and select "Start at present" in the top right-paw corner.
  • Step 3: Enter your concern proper name.

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  • Step 4: Enter your business accost.

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  • Footstep v: If you lot get to your customers ' locations, rather than having them come to y'all, cheque the box "I evangelize goods and services to my customers." And if you piece of work out of your house or another address you don't want publicly shown, Check "Hibernate my address (it's not a store) Only show region." Finally, select your Delivery area.

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  • Step six: Choose your business category. Try to choose the most accurate category possible -- y'all're essentially telling Google which blazon of customers should see your business listing.
  • Step seven: Add your business organization phone number or website.
  • Stride 8: Choose a verification choice. If you're not ready to verify your business yet, click "Endeavor a different method" → "Later on."

How to Verify Your Business on Google

At that place are several ways to verify your GMB listing:

  • By postcard
  • By telephone
  • By electronic mail
  • Instant verification
  • Bulk verification

Postcard Verification

  • Footstep one: If you aren't already logged into Google My Business organization, sign in at present and cull the business you desire to verify. (If you're already logged in, yous'll be at the verification footstep.)
  • Step 2:Make certain your business address is correct. Optional: Add a contact proper name -- that's who the postcard will be addressed to.

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  • Step iii:Click "Mail." The postcard should reach you in five days -- make certain you don't edit your business proper noun, address, or category (or request a new code) before it comes, because this could filibuster the process.
  • Pace 4:Once you lot've gotten the postcard, log into Google My Business organization. If you have more than one business location, select the location you want to verify. If yous merely have one, select "Verify now."
  • Step 5: In the Code field, enter the five-digit verification code on your postcard. Click "Submit."

If your postcard never shows up, or you lose it, you tin request a new code past signing into Google My Concern and clicking the "Asking another lawmaking" blue banner at the top of the screen.

Phone verification

Google lets some businesses verify their location by phone. If you lot're eligible, you'll come across the "Verify by phone" option when you lot start the verification procedure.

  • Step 1:If y'all aren't already logged into Google My Business concern, sign in at present and choose the business organisation you want to verify. (If you're already logged in, you'll be at the verification stride.)
  • Step 2: Make sure your phone number is correct, so choose "Verify past phone."
  • Step 3:Enter the verification code from the text you receive.

E-mail verification

Google lets some businesses verify their location by phone. If you're eligible, yous'll see the "Verify by e-mail" option when you start the verification process.

  • Step 1: If you aren't already logged into Google My Business, sign in now and choose the business you want to verify. (If you're already logged in, y'all'll exist at the verification step.)
  • Step 2: Make certain your email address is right, then cull "Verify by email."
  • Pace iii:Go to your inbox, open up the e-mail from Google My Business organization, and click the verification push button in the electronic mail.

Instant verification

If you lot've already verified your business organization with Google Search Console (a gratuitous tool that lets you manage your website'southward search performance and wellness), you might exist able to instantly verify your email.

  • Step 1:Sign into Google My Business concern with the same account you used to verify your business with Google Search Panel. (Some business categories aren't eligible for instant verification, so if you don't get a notification asking you to verify the list, yous'll have to use a unlike verification method.)

Bulk verification

If yous operate more than 10 locations for the same business -- and you'renona service business or an bureau managing locations for multiple businesses -- you might be eligible for bulk verification.

  • Step ane: If you lot aren't already logged into Google My Business, sign in at present and cull a location. Click "Become verified" adjacent to its proper noun.
  • Stride 2: Click "Chain."
  • Footstep 3:Fill out the verification form with your business concern proper noun (as well as the parent company, if applicative), country or countries where you lot operate, all contact names (i.e. everyone who volition be using the Google My Business concern account), contact telephone number, business organization director electronic mail (someone at the business who can verify you're a representative of that business), and the email accost of your Google Account Manager.
  • Step 4:Submit the verification grade. It can take upwards to a calendar week for Google to review and process your claim.

How to Optimize Your GMB List

Once you've verified your business, it's time to finish fleshing out your profile.

Go to the Google My Business dashboard, click the listing you'd like to work on, select "Info," and and then choose a section to fill out or update.

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Add as much information and media every bit you tin, including a business contour photo, the area you serve, your hours, attributes (e.g. "wheelchair accessible," "free wifi"), the day and year you opened, and a public phone number and website URL.

Anyone tin can "advise an edit" to your listing, so information technology'due south important to A) get everything right the outset time (then you don't encourage random people to make their own changes) and B) periodically log into your GMB dashboard and make sure all the details expect right.

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At any point in time, you tin can edit your business organisation profile by logging into your GMB dashboard, clicking on "Info," clicking the pencil next to the field you'd similar to edit, making your change, and so choosing "Apply."

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Google My Business Photos

Co-ordinate to Google, businesses with photos meet 35% more clicks to their website and 42% higher requests for driving directions in Google Maps.

Photos should be at least 720 pixels wide past 720 pixels loftier and JPG or PNG files.

Non certain how many pictures to add -- or what they should exist of?

Encompass photo

Your Google My Business organisation cover photograph is one of the most important, equally it shows up front and center on your list.

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Profile photo

Your contour photo is what appears when you upload new photos, videos, or review responses.

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Along with your profile and embrace photos, y'all tin and should upload other pictures to make your listing more informative and engaging.

Type Description Google-recommended minimum Suggestions
Exterior The exterior of your concern from different directions.  Three photos Use pictures from unlike times of solar day (morning, afternoon, evening) so customers e'er recognize your business.
Interior The inside of your concern, with a focus on decor and ambiance. Three photos Give customers an accurate idea of what it volition look like to stand or sit inside your business.
Product A representation of the types of products or services yous offering. One photograph per product type or service Testify the products you're known for and make certain the photos are lit well.
Employees at work "Action" shots of your employees delivering the types of services you offer. 3 Effort to capture your employees with satisfied customers.
Food and potable Pictures that represent your most popular bill of fare items. Three Consider hiring a food lensman -- these are tricky to become right! If that's not in the budget, use brilliant, even lighting (i.east. no shadows or dimness).
Common areas Photos of where your customers will spend time (remember a lobby or lounge). One photo per common expanse Represent the diversity of amenities y'all offer.
Rooms Pictures of your different room and suite options (if applicable). Three Don't endeavor to mislead guests -- bear witness your wallet-friendlyandhigh-stop options.
Squad A shot of your management squad and staff. Three  Use pictures that evidence your unique civilization and team personality.

Google My Business concern Videos

You tin too add videos. Videos must be:

  • 30 seconds or shorter
  • 100 MB or smaller
  • 720p resolution or higher

Videos tin add some diverseness to your contour and make you stand out among other businesses in your category; however, don't worry if you don't have any -- dissimilar photos, they're not a "must take."

Google My Business Reviews

One of the best means to encourage future customers to leave positive reviews? Reply to electric current ones. Not only does leaving an appreciate response show the original reviewer you're thankful for their support, it also makes that positive review stand out on your listandinfluences people to leave their own reviews.

Here's a sample respond to a satisfied customer:

Thanks for your business organisation, [name]! Nosotros're so glad you lot enjoyed [product, east.g. "the blueberry pie"] -- it'southward ane of our favorites, as well. Hope to see you dorsum at [business proper noun] soon.

You lot should too reply to negative reviews to show you take them seriously and placate the unhappy buyer. But make sure you're extremely courteous -- attacking them dorsum will only brand you await unprofessional and their review more credible.

Give thanks you lot for the feedback, [proper name], and I'm incredibly sorry [product/feel] did not meet your expectations. [If you've made a modify, mention it here -- e.g., "We're at present double-checking orders to make sure anybody gets exactly what they asked for."] If y'all'd like to come back in, nosotros'd be happy to give you [production] on the firm. In any instance, thanks for your business, and I promise we tin do better next time.

Google My Business App

Google My Business is too available in app class for bothiOSandAndroid.

You can employ the app to:

  • Update your business organization hours, location, contact data, and clarification
  • Post statuses and pictures
  • View search insights

Y'all cannot utilize the app to:

  • Delete your business listing
  • Change its settings
  • Give buying of the listing to some other user

Google My Business vs. Google Places for Business concern vs. Google+

If you lot're dislocated nigh the many names and options for managing your Google presence, you lot've got a correct to exist. Google Placesusedto be Google'south tool for owners to manage theirbusiness profiles, just it was retired in 2014. Now Google My Business is the primal hub to manage how your business appears on Google Search, Maps, and Google+.

So, what's Google+? It's Google's social network (the closest instance is probably Facebook). You tin join or start Communities -- public or private groups organized around a theme, like Knitting -- and follow or create Collections -- think Pinterest boards.

A Google+ account for your business lets you lot interact with niche groups and mail pictures and updates. In other words, it's similar a Facebook page for your business. Y'all tin can access your Google+ business relationship from your Google My Business dashboard (merely a Google+ account isn't necessary to have a GMB business relationship).

Here'southward the TL;DR:

Do y'all need a Google+ account? No -- and if you're brusk on time, it might be better to focus on other marketing and/or social media channels.

Do yous demand a Google My Business account? If you lot're targeting local customers, I highly recommend it.

Originally published Apr 27, 2018 half-dozen:30:00 AM, updated April 26 2018