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Benefits of Having a Google My Business Listing

Hey, I'm Hannah - owner & author.

I've been helping small businesses use data and design to grow for over a decade. I hope you're next!

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Hannah Martin • May 13, 2020

Learn how GMB can help your business and get you more customers.

If you're a local business owner, you've certainly heard of Google Maps, now known as Google My Business.

Why you need to be on Google My Business

There are so many benefits to having a Google My Business listing.

Did you know that Google can tell when someone’s search has local intent, and because of it, they show local businesses at the top of search results? In fact, as of 2018, Google said they estimate 46% (!!!!) of searches to have local intent, meaning that 46% of people searching on Google are actively looking for a business or place near them. [Source: https://www.seroundtable.com/google-46-of-searches-have-local-intent-26529.html]

On top of that, more and more people are searching from their mobile devices and in Google Maps. This means you need to take advantage of the free advertising Google My Business gives you, because having a listing set up for your business means you can show up in all of these searches!

So here are some of the main benefits of having a GMB listing set up for your business. If you don’t already have it set up, here is how to get your business on Google.

GMB Listing Benefits

1. Mobile map searches - many consumers actively use the Google Maps feature to find businesses nearby. Google populates this section of their search engine using data from GMB.

2. Local intent searches (3 pack results) in organic search - even if a customer is simply going to Google.com and typing in a keyword, Google will often show what is called a “3-pack” of local businesses at the top of the organic search results page. This is also populated by GMB!

3. Free visibility - showing up in these areas means your business is getting FREE advertising in search engines. Yes, they will show your business without you paying anything, if you’re properly optimized!

4. Branding & reputation management - Your GMB listing includes so much more than your basic business information. You can add photos, descriptions, and services to enforce your branding, and they also display reviews of your business which impact your online reputation and trust in the eyes of local consumers.

5. Organic website improvements - Having your GMB live and optimized actually helps your own site rank, too, when they are both properly optimized with consistent NAP and interlinked. when they are interlinked properly. Because of the Possum update in 2016, Google evaluates content on your website to decide when to show your GMB listing, and I believe this happens vice versa as well. So you can improve the visibility of both by having them both set up.

6. Increase customer engagement - With listing features like table booking, posts, menus, etc, your customers can engage with your listing on Google more than any other directory. And because Google is the biggest search engine out there, that’s important.

7. Business accuracy and updates- Your GMB listing makes it easy to keep customers up to date on hours, contact info, specials with posts, etc - anything that they may need to know about coming in (or not.)

Clearly, getting your listing up and optimized is a boon for your business. If you haven't already done so, start today so you can start impressing and capturing more customer attention!

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