How Google My Business Makes Local Search Easier?

Local search is a powerful way for businesses to reach potential customers who are looking for products or services near them. According to Google, 46% of all searches have a local intent, and 88% of consumers who do a local search on their smartphone visit or call a store within a day

But how can businesses make sure that they show up in local search results and stand out from their competitors? That’s where Google My Business comes in.

What is Google My Business?

Google My Business (GMB) is a free tool that allows businesses to create and manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. By creating a GMB profile, businesses can provide important information to customers, such as their name, address, phone number, website, hours, products, services, and more

GMB also lets businesses interact with customers in various ways, such as:

• Posting updates, offers, events, and photos to showcase their business and attract attention
• Responding to reviews and ratings to build trust and loyalty
• Messaging customers directly to answer questions and provide customer service
• Enabling online bookings, orders, quotes, and reservations to make it easy for customers to do business with them
• Listing their products and services to show what they offer and how much they charge
• Adding attributes and labels to highlight their unique features and values, such as “Black-owned”, “Women-led”, “Millenials-friendly”, etc.

How does Google My Business help with local search?

GMB helps businesses improve their visibility and relevance in local search results by providing accurate and up-to-date information to Google. Google uses various factors to determine how to rank local businesses, such as:

• Relevance: How well a business matches the user’s query
• Distance: How close a business is to the user’s location
• Prominence: How well-known and reputable a business is, based on factors such as reviews, ratings, links, articles, etc.

By optimizing their GMB profile, businesses can increase their chances of showing up in the following local search features:

• Local pack: A set of three local businesses that appear at the top of the search results page, along with a map and a link to more results
• Local finder: A list of local businesses that appear when the user clicks on the “More places” link from the local pack, or when the user searches directly on Google Maps
• Local carousel: A horizontal scrollable list of local businesses that appear for certain queries, such as restaurants, hotels, attractions, etc.
• Knowledge panel: A box that appears on the right side of the search results page, showing detailed information about a specific business, such as photos, reviews, ratings, contact details, etc

How to get started with Google My Business?

To get started with GMB, businesses need to follow these steps:

• Create or claim their GMB profile by visiting google.com/business and signing in with their Google account.
• Verify their business by choosing one of the available methods, such as phone, email, postcard, or instant verification.
• Complete and update their profile by adding all the relevant information and photos, and keeping them accurate and consistent.
• Monitor and manage their profile by checking their insights, reviews, messages, posts, and bookings regularly, and responding to them as needed.

Conclusion

Google My Business is a powerful tool that can help businesses reach more customers and grow their business through local search. By creating and optimizing their GMB profile, businesses can showcase their business, interact with customers, and stand out from their competitors. To learn more about how to use GMB effectively, check out these resources from Google.