What is Google My Business?
GMB is a free interface that lets you take ownership of how your business appears on Google Search and Google Maps. As the business owner, you have control over the following:
- Add and edit your business detail.
- Keep a close watch on and reply to customer reviews.
- Add events, posts, photos or videos.
- Learn where and how people are searching for you and showcase products.
- Use it as a platform to build a basic website from.
You can get the app on Google Play or the App Store, or sign up on your desktop. From there, you’ll confirm a handful of details and have access to several features, including posts, bookings, and insights.
Give your SEO a boost
When people search for a product or service near them, they’re usually very close to making a purchase. According to Google, almost half of the people who conduct a local search visit a store that day. By polishing your Google My Business listing you ensure that the correct information about your business shows up when people search your brand or service.
For a local business looking to perform better on Google Search without spending a lot of money on SEO specialists or Google Adwords, your Google My Business listing is a great place to focus your early efforts. Getting on Google My Business can increase your chances of showing up in Google’s Local Pack, Local Finder, Google Maps, and organic rankings in general. While your website’s SEO slowly gathers momentum, your GMB listing can become a great performing alternative to your Contact Us page, serving users who have searched with high intent, without people having to click through to your website to find your business information.
Own this business?
If you are reading this and you are still considering whether you should get your details on Google My Business or not, there is a good chance that Google has already done that for you. Or rather, that Google used the user-generated content available to create a listing of your business. A quick exercise worth doing is to search for your business and see what information Google presents to you on the right-hand side of the search results. If you see a little message that says: “Own this business?”, it means that your business information is still up for grabs. Click this button to get the information verified so that you can take control of the narrative.
How to Verify Your Business on Google
There are several ways to verify your GMB listing: by postcard, phone, email or bulk verification.
Postcard Verification
Google will actually send you a hard-copy postcard with a verification to your business location. True story.
Step 1: Log into GMB and choose the business you want to verify.
Step 2: Make sure your business address is correct and add a contact name of the person who will receive this postcard.
Step 3: Click “Mail”. The postcard should reach you in 22 days. Do not edit your info (or request a new code) before it comes because this could delay the process.
Step 4: Once you’ve gotten the postcard, log into Google My Business and select “Verify now.”
Step 5: In the Code field, enter the five-digit verification code on your postcard. Click “Submit.”
If your postcard never shows up, or you lose it, you can request a new code by signing into Google My Business and clicking the blue “Request another code” banner at the top of the screen.
Phone verification
Google lets some businesses verify their location by phone. If you’re eligible, you’ll see the “Verify by phone” option when you start the verification process.
Step 1: If you aren’t already logged into Google My Business, sign in now and choose the business you want to verify. (If you’re already logged in, you’ll be at the verification step.)
Step 2: Make sure your phone number is correct, then choose “Verify by phone.”
Step 3: Enter the verification code from the text you receive.
Email verification
Google lets some businesses verify their location by email. If you’re eligible, you’ll see the “Verify by email” option when you start the verification process.
Step 1: If you aren’t already logged into Google My Business, sign in now and choose the business you want to verify. (If you’re already logged in, you’ll be at the verification step.)
Step 2: Make sure your email address is correct, then choose “Verify by email.”
Step 3: Go to your inbox, open the email from Google My Business, and click the verification button in the email.
Bulk verification
If you manage more than 10 locations for the same business – and you’re not a service business or an agency managing locations for multiple businesses – you might be eligible for bulk verification.
Step 1: If you aren’t already logged into Google My Business, sign in now and choose a location. Click “Get verified” next to its name.
Step 2: Click “Chain.”
Step 3: Fill out the verification form with your business name (as well as the parent company, if applicable), country or countries where you operate, all contact names (basically everyone who will be using the Google My Business account), contact phone number, business manager email (someone at the business who can verify you’re a representative of that business), and the email address of your Google Account Manager.
Step 4: Submit the verification form. It can take up to a week for Google to review and process your claim.
See it as a social media platform
Once you have your listing verified, Google allows you to use the interface as a social media platform. This is one of the best perks of Google My Business. You can upload photos or videos to show off some of your best products and services or simply display your storefront. Whatever you choose, you’ll have full control over the images your customers see when they encounter your business for the first time, leading to more powerful first impressions.