How to Set Up and Optimize Your Google My Business Listing in 2019

Are you a small business owner with little or no budget looking to optimize your Google my business listing? Are you a beginner or marketer looking for effective ways to grow your business and engage with potential customers? In this article, we'll guide you through the nine steps to optimize your Google My Business listing so that you can effectively turn potential customers into lifetime customers and boost your Google search engine ranking.

Understanding the Google Search Engine

To begin, it's essential to understand how Google search engine works. When you search for something on Google, you'll find three key elements:

1. Paid Ads (Element 1): These are Google Ads that businesses use to get their listing at the top of the search engine.

2. Google My Business Element (Element 2): This section lists local businesses with essential information like phone numbers, reviews, opening times, and links to their website or directions.

3. Organic Results (Element 3): These are businesses that invested their time and funds in search engine optimization.

Google My Business is critical because it is free, provides free advertising and real estate for your local businesses, and helps your potential customers find you.

What is Google My Business, and Why is it Essential for Local Businesses?

Google My Business is a free tool that helps you promote your local business on Google search and maps. It increases your local SEO, drives more traffic, generates leads, and allows engagement with potential customers through posts, questions, and answers.

When you type in a business name on Google, you'll see the business's Google My Business page on the right-hand side. This page provides customers with essential information about the business, addresses, opening hours, direction, and reviews.

Setting Up Google My Business: Claiming and Verifying Your Listing

Claiming and verifying your Google My Business listing takes no more than five minutes. You can verify your address and listing via postcard or phone call, which would take a few minutes. Once your verification process is complete, you can start using your Google My Business listing.

Visit google.com/business or type in Google My Business on Google and click start now to begin the setup process.

Optimize Your Google My Business Listing: Nine Steps

Now that you have set up your Google My Business listing, we'll take you through nine key steps to optimize your listing and make the most of free advertising.

1. Profile Completion: Ensure that your profile is complete with accurate and up-to-date information.

2. Category Selection: Select the best category that describes your business.

3. Business Name and Contact Information: Ensure that your business name, phone number, and website are accurate and consistent.

4. Business Description: Write a unique business description that highlights your offerings, services, and products.

5. Add Photos and Videos: Make sure to add high-quality photos and videos of your business's interior and exterior, products, and services.

6. Publish Posts: Make regular posts to share updates, events, and promotional offers with your customers.

7. Get and Respond to Reviews: Encourage customers to leave reviews and respond to them promptly to build a positive reputation on Google.

8. Use Google Insights: Use Google insights to track your listing's performance, including views, searches, and engagements.

9. Use Google Messages: Use Google messages to communicate with your customers and answer their queries.

Conclusion

By following these nine essential steps, you can optimize your Google My Business listing, increase your local SEO, drive more traffic to your business, and boost your customer engagement. So, what are you waiting for? Try Google My Business now and get ready to crush it in 2019.

Ongoing Maintenance of Google My Business

Optimizing your Google My Business listing is an ongoing process that requires regular attention. Here are some tips on how to maintain your listing:

1. Reply to customers: Respond to reviews and messages received through your Google My Business listing. Replying to customers will help with engagement and customer satisfaction.

2. Update photos: Add new photos of your business both inside and outside to showcase what your business is about. Pictures of food or products are excellent for potential customers.

3. Create relevant posts: Utilize the Create Post feature to create new posts regularly. It's best to post at least twice per week to inform and update customers on your business news.

4. Update missing information: Check your listing's information and ensure you've added all relevant information, such as your special hours, phone number, and services you offer.

5. Add more locations: If you have more than one business location, you can add all of them to your Google My Business listing and verify them separately.

By following these tips, you'll ensure that your Google My Business listing is always up-to-date, making it easier for potential customers to find you.

Conclusion

Google My Business is a powerful tool that every business owner must use to help grow their business online. By following the steps mentioned above, you can optimize your listing to rank well on Google. Start today, create your listing, verify it, and optimize it for the best results!