Creating a profile in Google My Business is a proven effective way of getting your business found by customers. People who find your GMB profile will use the information to learn more about your business, products, services, location, and special offerings. If they like what they read, they’ll make the trip and hopefully, become paying customers.
However, if people find themselves lost or discover that the products highlighted in your profile and got them interested enough to make the drive are no longer available – you could end up leaving a lot of money on the table.
It’s not enough to have a business profile in Google My Business. You have to make sure it’s frequently updated and it’s not only to keep your customers informed. Your business profile might be changed by other parties without your approval and knowledge.
And one of these parties could be Google.
What Is Google My Business And What Are Its Benefits For Your Business?
Google My Business is an online local search directory. It’s a service where you can register your business and create an online profile that gives prospective customers key information about your enterprise such as website URL, address, phone number, directions to get to your establishment, photos, and descriptions of your products and services.
And the service is free! Yes, there is no monthly subscription to pay in order to register your business in GMB.
There are other online local search directories such as Yelp, HubSpot, Map Quest, Apple Maps, Yellowbook.com, and SuperPages to name a few. Even Facebook has its own local search directory.
So why should you list your business with Google My Business?
1. It’s Google
Here’s a statistical fact:
90% of Internet users use Google to run their searches. Google controls the search market on the Internet. No one comes close!
Google is the biggest search engine on the Internet. As the saying goes, “When Google sneezes, the Internet catches a cold.” Businesses don’t mind catching a cold as long as they catch a boatload of customers.
To increase the chances of your business appearing in local searches, sign up with Google My Business.
2. Your Business Will Be Seen Right Away
It’s your wife’s birthday but you forgot to buy her a cake. You just came out of the office and you only have 2 hours before your wife’s party. What do you do?
Open your mobile phone and type “cake shop near me”.
Within seconds, Google will give you a list of cake shops within the vicinity. The list will appear in Google Local Pack, a directory that presents the 3 best options to fit your search query.
Google Local Pack shows up at the top of the search results page and occupies a large part of the real estate. Rankings will depend on how the query is made which is good because that gives your business a good chance to compete against more established businesses.
3. Improve Customer Engagement
Google My Business allows your customers to leave reviews about your business. Reviews are good for your business – even if the reviews are negative.
We’re sure you’ll agree with the results of a study that showed 93% of customers’ decisions are influenced by reviews. Going back to the previous section, customer reviews account for 10% of Google’s search ranking results.
Thus, if your business frequently gets glowing reviews from customers, expect more people to patronize your establishment.
But what if the ratings are low because there are a significant number of negative reviews? They might be alarming but negative reviews are an opportunity for you to build relationships with customers.
If your business receives a negative comment or review, reach out to the person right away. Try to get a better understanding of his experience and if possible, offer ways to rectify the situation.
The disgruntled customer as well as other people will see that your business prioritizes customer service and takes a proactive approach when dealing with complaints.
4. Gain Valuable Insights About Your Business
Click “Insights” and you’ll find a variety of data that can help you prepare strategies to grow your business.
These data include:
- Views – How many people viewed your online profile, posts, and images? You’ll know if your local search marketing strategies are helping your business gain more traction.
- Search Queries – Find out how customers came across your business listing. With the “Search Queries”, you’ll see the keywords used by your customers to find your business. You can use this data to improve content and site optimization.
- Engagement – Keep track of all the likes, shares, and comments your content has generated so you can identify the types of posts that are of interest to your customers.
- Audience – Build an accurate Customer Profile by using the demographic data collected by GMB about your audience.
- Website Clicks – Are people visiting your website? GMB will give you an update of the number of people who clicked on your URL. You’ll know if your current strategies are driving traffic to your website.
And because using Google My Business won’t cost you a cent, you don’t have to worry about spending extra for “premium services” that require monthly payments in exchange for more features.
The playing field is even. You have the same features to work with as your competitors. The difference is how you effectively manage your Google My Business account.
Why You Need To Keep Your Business Information Updated On Google
If your restaurant transferred location and you didn’t update the information on your GMB profile, customers who made plans to have dinner in your establishment will be disappointed. Some of them might get quite angry.
And what’s one of the first things irate customers do?
Go online and write a scathing review about your business on their social media platforms and your GMB account.
Those who choose not to share their experiences publicly will probably do it privately and tell their close friends. Word of mouth is such a powerful tool for influencing consumer behavior.
As an entrepreneur, you want to manage the risk factors that could affect the profitability of your business. When it comes to local search, one of these risk factors is not updating your business information in Google.
Registering your business in Google My Business should be part of your local search marketing strategy. But your job isn’t done once you’ve opened your GMB account.
You have to manage it conscientiously.
- Frequently change the images of your products.
- Post optimized content about the latest offerings of your business.
- Share the good news with your followers.
- Introduce new products and services to your audience.
- Did you renovate your store? Share images of the store’s improvements.
An engaging GMB profile is one that’s regularly updated and refreshed. Think of it as making something familiar feel new again.
And that includes your Google information. You have to make sure that the information published in your GMB account is accurate.
In addition to your business being the subject of negative customer reviews and low ratings, there are other repercussions for not updating your Google profile.
1. Google Will Update Your Google Profile
Many entrepreneurs who sign up their businesses for a Google account aren’t aware that the information on their profile can be changed by Google. These changes can take effect and will go live without you knowing it.
Google does this to make sure your customers are getting the correct information about your business. How does Google know your current information is incorrect?
- A site user notices the inaccurate information and takes the time to suggest an edit to Google.
- Google uses an AI that tracks information about your business from various sources including Google Maps, Street View, and data from similar businesses.
- Google has inserted a “Know this place” query in your GMB profile. Anyone who clicks on it will be asked a number of questions by Google. The information shared by the respondent will be used by Google to introduce changes to your website.
The problem with Google changing the information on your GMB profile is that the updates might not be correct.
For example, a business consultancy company that mentions on its website that one of its clients is in the fashion design business might have “fashion design” added to its list of services because Google’s AI incorrectly identified it as such.
Here’s another example of how Google changing the information on your Google profile can affect your business.
Let’s assume you own a chain of restaurants. One of your come-ons is to treat birthday celebrants to a free meal at any branch. However, because of slow sales, you decided to suspend the gimmick indefinitely.
Unfortunately, while you announced that the free birthday meals are on-hold on Facebook and in your other social media accounts, you didn’t update the information on your website and Google business account.
People who have birthdays coming up, see the information on your Google business profile, and go to your restaurant on their special day might end up blowing off steam instead of a candle.
2. Competitors Can Suggest Edits To Your Google Business Profile
Google has a feature called “Suggest an Edit” that allows your site users to recommend changes be made to your account if the information currently shared is incorrect.
Google doesn’t know who made the suggestion or what his interest is in your business. Thus, anyone can click “Suggest an Edit” and change the information on your GMB profile.
Including your competitors.
Now, you could have well-meaning competitors who only want to level the playing field. If, for example, a competitor believes your Google business profile is overstuffed with keywords, he could point that out to Google when he suggests an edit.
Some might not have good intentions and seek to gain an advantage by suggesting edits that might ruin your reputation.
Of course, Google won’t approve all submitted suggestions. The search engine giant has to verify if the suggestions are valid. But then again, Google isn’t perfect and has been proven to have made mistakes when qualifying shared information.
3. Other Apps Could Make Changes To Your Google Profile
We download apps that can make life and work easier. It’s not uncommon for people to connect some of these apps or tools to their Google accounts. Likewise, it’s not uncommon for people to forget why they connected the app to their Google account in the first place.
If you’re not entirely aware of what the app does, it could make changes in your account information that violate Google’s guidelines. These violations could get your Google account suspended.
Our advice is to set the parameters for the app you want to connect to your Google business account. Before you can finalize the connection, a dialogue box will pop up and give you a set of options:
- Access your personal information on Google.
- View personal information including those you made public.
- View your Google primary email address.
- Allow the app to make changes to your business information.
Don’t click the 4th option and keep the app from updating information in your Google account.
Conclusion
You’ll know that your Google business information was changed because you’ll be notified of the changes via email.
Once you receive this email, sign-in to your Google account. Search for your business name, click “View Profile”, then click “Edit Profile”.
Look for the changes that were made to your business profile. If the changes are accurate and are fine with you, click “Accept”. If the recommended changes are wrong, click on the section and click on the pencil icon to edit the information. After you’ve completed the edits, click “Save Changes”.
It’s a good business practice to check on your Google business information regularly. If for some reason you overlook the emailed notification of changes to your Google business account, the erroneous information shared on your profile might cost you money.
Are you thinking of incorporating local SEO strategies in your marketing toolbox? Give us a call or drop us an email. Let’s book a time to talk or meet over coffee. We’ll make sure your business remains highly visible in your area.
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