The Best-Kept Marketing Secret Your Business Needs

Would you like to know the simplest and best FREE resource to help boost your businesses visibility? Let us introduce you to Google My Business. It is available to anyone, and it takes less than ten minutes to set up. And because it allows businesses to be found in both Google Search and Google Maps, we strongly encourage you to take advantage of this free tool to boost your business’s visibility.

How to set up Google My Business

Setting up your Profile

  • First, go to the website and create an account: Google My Business
  • Once you have created your account, fill out the information they request as thoroughly as possible.
  • Category – Choose the category that best describes your business.
  • Location – You want this to be accurate, as it will assign a flag on Google Maps that people can use in their GPS system to find you.
  • Address – Make sure your address is the one the post office will use in order to avoid any problems. *Pro Tip – if you have existing social media accounts, make sure that they match your Google My Business address right down to the punctuation. Google does not increase your ranking based on social media accounts, but if the addresses match, this can help Google verify the validity of your business.
  • Contact – Provide your phone number and your website information, if you have one. You do not have to have a website in order to make this work for you.

Verify your Business

There are several different options that may be available due to the type of business you have and whether or not your business has already been verified by Google. Mail verification is the most common option for verification. Once you submit your request, Google will send you a postcard with a time-sensitive verification code. Remember to make sure you are able to receive mail at the address you provide! It can take up to two weeks to receive the card, but watch your mail closely—your Google My Business information won’t be fully active until you verify. That’s it! Click finish, and you’re done.

Using your Google My Business

While you’re waiting for your account to be verified, you can add photos, your logo, and even videos! Google My Business has some features similar to a social media page and some that differ. We highly recommend that you enter some high quality photos of your facility. Be sure to include photos from the outside of the building, as well as the entrance to and the inside of your space. Be creative! This is what people see when they are searching, so make it inviting!
Photos that you upload to Google My Business will stay there unless you delete them, but did you know you can post to Google My Business, as well? Posts last for 7 days, and then they disappear. This is a great way to advertise to new clients! Google has tons of useful information on how to post effectively here: Google My Business Posting.

We feel that there is one major difference between social media and Google My Business in regard to your business: visibility. People go to social media to scroll. They may see you through a friend’s comment or shared post, but unless you advertise or they follow your page, they most likely won’t see your page again. People go to Google to search when they are buying or looking for a new professional, and cultivating your Google My Business account can help ensure that their impression of your business is favorable. While there is significant value in cultivated social media accounts, we strongly encourage you to start using Google My Business to its full potential in addition to social media. Google offers plenty of resources on how to maximize their platform here: Google My Business Help

We would love to know how this has helped your business! Send us feedback at sales@jleesalonsuites.com.