What is Google My Business?
GMB is a visual snapshot of your business listing that appears on google search and maps. If you’ve recently started a business or are in need of growing your digital presence, this is a great place to start. Bing Places for Business mimics GMB, but of course will display on Bing’s search engine.
GMB is also known as the google knowledge panel. When a prospect or customer performs a brand search (your company name + location) it should display your business in the top right-hand corner of the page, ultimately giving the user a first impression of your business…before visiting your website. There are more in-depth features which we’ve outlined below, but let’s address the basic features first:
- Displaying photos of your logo, employees, building, services, inventory, etc.
- The service you offer
- Phone number
- Website link
- Directions link
- Hours
Why should you be optimizing GMB? Here are 4 great reasons.
Reviews. If you’ve already made a great first impression but your prospect is still evaluating your brand, it’s now your job to gain their trust. GMB displays your customer reviews, which are sure to help (if they’re not positive we can help change that).
Posts. Google just released this feature and it allows you to create a ‘post’ which appears on your listing giving you the option to advertise specials, sales, discounts, events, etc. This is a solid feature as it’s a great display advertising method to use before a customer even clicks on your website, see an example below:
Message Button. Link your phone number to the message button and your prospect/customer now has the ability to make one click and send you a direct message (showing up in text message style). This is currently a mobile only feature.
Link Other Social Media Pages. Bing Places for Business lets you link to your Facebook and Twitter pages. Who doesn’t want more likes and followers, right?
Do you have multiple business locations or are still not sure how to make the most of your GMB or Bing Places for Business listing? Contact us or learn more about us on our site, and let’s talk about how our team can help your business.
Creative Website Marketing is a digital marketing agency in Nashville, TN, helping businesses throughout the country execute strategic brand awareness + lead generation efforts.
