Google is one of the largest social media platforms, even though it’s more a search engine than anything else because Google is a powerhouse of tools and services that even business owners can take advantage of. One of these services is Google My Business, formerly Google Places.

It’s not only a great way to search for the latest news and information, but it’s also a great way to promote your business and be seen by the right audience. And if you can’t find your business right on the top of the list, you can improve your ranking!
“You may find that your business doesn’t appear for relevant searches in your area. To maximize how often your customers see your business in local search results, complete the following tasks in Google My Business. Providing and updating business information in Google My Business can help your business’s local ranking on Google and enhance your presence in Search and Maps.” ( GMB Info)

After entering in all of the correct info, make sure to verify your location(s), update your hours, and most importantly respond to the reviews of your business! Not only can you manage your information and reviews, but Google My Business has also added nifty new features!


Posts

Just like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. you can now add posts to your Google My Business listing! Not only are they just regular photo posts, but you may also upload videos!

These posts can be labeled under “What’s New”, “Event”, “Offer”, and “Product.” With all of these posts (excluding Offer), you’re also able to add a Call-To-Action button!

These buttons include:

• Book
• Order online
• Buy
• Learn more
• Sign up
• Call now

After creating a few posts, you can check back every few days to see what results you’ve gained from these posts. You can have the range be either 7 days or 28 days and see the total post views and clicks!

Insights

Not only can you see your post insights, but you can see the overall insights of your entire Google My Business Listing! These insights include “How customers search for your business”, whether it be through direct search, by searching for your business name or address, or by a discovery search, where customers find your listing by searching for the right keyword.

Google also recommends that “Businesses with recent photos typically receive more clicks to their websites.” Other insights they offer are “Queries used to find your business”, “Where customers view your business on Google”, “Customer Actions”, “Direction Requests”, “Phone Calls”, “Photo Views” and “Photo Quantity.”

Certain insights they offer may not be applicable to your business entirely, but it’s still great to have these results, to see how your business is doing overall on Google My Business search wise.


Reviews

This is simple and sweet! We know how important customers are to your business, it’s what keeps you in business! That’s why it’s imperative that you respond and manage all reviews of your business. Yes, even on Google My Business, not just sites like Yelp or TripAdvisor.

According to SocialMediaToday in their article “The Relationship Between Local Reviews and SEO,”
“As a local business, reviews are your lifeblood - research shows that positive online reviews are the most important factor for consumers who are considering a purchase. However, we’re now learning that reviews from Google My Business (GMB) can affect SEO ranking, as well as consumer decisions. GMB is worth paying attention to - according to the same research noted above, Google is now the number one site for rankings and reviews, in terms of total volume.” ( SocialMediaToday)

It truly is important to listen to your customers, not only for SEO reasons but also to keep your brand reputation intact.

Other Services

Google offers a few more tools that may just benefit your business! They offer Private Messaging, Adding Photos of Your Business (which can include 360, Video, Interior, Exterior, At Work, Team, and Identity Photos), and the ability to create a Short Mockup Website just for your listing’s profile.

Do you have any questions regarding Google My Business or social media marketing? Send us an email today, and we will get started on perfecting the perfect social media and online reputation management strategy for your business.