The last time you wanted to know something, what did you do? There’s a pretty strong chance that you Googled it. That’s how we find out whether the actor in the show we’re watching was in that one movie and it’s how we find service providers when we need a new roof, the gutters cleaned, or an attorney. As a service provider, if you’re not taking advantage of your Google My Business Listing, you could be missing out on these opportunities.
When you search for something on Google and one of the top results is a business, the Google My Business Listing is what shows up on the right-hand side of the page with links for directions, website, etc. It usually contains photos of the business, the address, hours, phone number, and any reviews.
These listings are automatically created by Google based on activities like creating a website for your business, people checking in at your business, and information about your business on other sites. Because this information is being pulled from a variety of sources that may or may not be up-to-date or accurate—and because Google users can make changes to the listing without notifying you—the information there may be incorrect.
The first step is to claim and verify your listing through Google. This allows you to have some control over the listing and ensure that the information on it is accurate. Go to https://www.google.com/business and complete the form there to claim and verify the listing.
Once you’ve done that, you can log in to Google My Business to manage the listing. There you can see if anyone has made updates to your listing and review those changes, giving you the chance to remove any info that is incorrect.
You can also add posts to your listing, which can serve as free advertisement. In the Google My Business dashboard, you can create these posts, which can include images, calls-to-action, and even links to your site. These posts are great for promoting sales, events, products, or good publicity that you’ve received.
A particularly useful feature for service-based businesses is the Booking button feature, which works with your integrated scheduling software to allow people to book appointments right from the listing. If you’ve ever booked a flight through Google, it works just like that. It’s super convenient, and it makes it so quick and easy for someone to become a customer.
Good reviews are also critical for service providers, and Google reviews are definitely influential to potential clients. You can ask satisfied clients to leave honest reviews for your business on Google, and if you’re managing your listing, you’ll be aware when false, malicious, or particularly negative reviews are made so that you can address them quickly.
Managing your business’s presence on Google is just one of the many ways you can use your online presence to reach new customers. If you’re interested in learning how digital marketing strategy can work for your service-based business, get in touch and let’s get started.
