What is Google My Business (GMB)?
Responsive Web Design & benefits for businesses?
April 4, 2020
What is Google My Business (GMB)?
Google brought us a lot of convenience in our daily and working life. What is best from all, most of them are free! And today we are going to talk about one of the free tool by Google for businesses - Google My Business (GMB).
It allows business owners to manage and displays essential business information on Google Search & Maps. Uploaded company logo and premise photos will be displayed on Google Search & Maps. This established expectations for customers before their patronage, especially for restaurants and leisure business.
Customers are inclined to visit business with photos which relevant to the actual premises and services.
What GMB can do for your business?
Provide accurate and essential business information
Your potential customers might eager to call you, while searching for your contact number. Or they are getting direction to your business while they are on the move. People tends to get these essential details from GMB.
Business owners can manage easily by adding or updating these information: -
- Company name
- Business nature / industry type
- Address
- Phone number
- Business hours
GMB also give another perk, it is easy to access by both desktop and mobile devices, such as smartphone.
Interaction with customers
It will be displayed on Google Search and Maps, and give your potential customers as first impression. GMB allows business to collect and respond reviews from customers. People tends to check on review before making their purchase. So, try to collect as much positive reviews by impressing and serving your best to customers.
Exposure to new customers
You can also upload photos such as company logo, building/premise, and its products and services. It would be great impression for new customers know about your business. Good reviews attract new customers, and then they will further study on your company and business. Potential customers take the chance to visit your website, and use the Google Maps to visit your business location. GMB also helps to surface relevant local search results across Google Maps and Search. For example, people might search for "dentist near me", "tyre shop near me", or "salons open now". Relevant local search results will appear to users, when it matches with businesses around them with relevant business nature or hours.
Get started with GMB
- Step 1: Go to GMB (https://www.google.com/business/) and click on "Manage now" which located on right top corner. It will required you to login your Google Account and proceed. Please create one if you don't have it.
- Step 2: Enter your company / business name.
- Step 3: Enter your company / business address. This will be the address which publicly display on GMB to users. You may choose to opt-out to display the address, if the location doesn't need to face with customers. Such as warehouse, where it using for store and deliver goods to customers.
- Step 4: Select business category. You can type, check, and choose the most relevant category. This is essential step for Google to list and display your business to right listing and users.
- Step 5: Enter your business contact number and website (if applicable).
- Step 6: Verify you GMB, the verification options will be vary depending on your business types.
Note: Your GMB won't appear on Google until it get verified.
How to Verify GMB?
Make sure you are logged in on GMB. Click on "Info" from left hand side panel, if you don't see any messege ask to verify your business. And then click "Verify now" which normally location on top of right hand side panel.
As mentioned earlier, there are few ways to verify your GMB (depending on its business category and eligibility).
By postcard
- Fill in contact name, and correct mailing address (for the business location which you want to verify with).
- Wait for the postcard with 5-digit verification code on it will be delivered within period stated on.
Note: Think twice before editing your GMB information, once after requested postcard is in process. As it will prolong the process. - Once received the postcard, log in to GMB and insert the 5-digit verification code from the postcard.
Note: If you didn't receive the postcard or it lost, you click "Request another code" on GMB and another postcard will on its way.
By phone
- If your business is eligible for, select "Verify by phone" for verification process. And make sure that you provided the correct phone number.
- Log in to your GMB and enter the verification code which received from the phone.
By email
- If your business is eligible for, select "Verify by email" for verification process. And make sure that you provided the correct email address.
- Log in to your GMB and enter the verification code which received from the email.
Instant verification
You might able to verify GMB instantly, provided you have already verified your business with Google Search Console. And if your business is eligible for.
- Log in to your GMB which same email address was using with Google Search Console, and verifiy the listing.
Bulk verification
Given if your business with more than one branches or outlets, you might be eligible for this option.
- Log in to your GMB, click on "Get verified" next to its name.
- Click on "Chain".
- Next, a verification form to be filled up with your business name, countries where you operate, all contact person names (who will be using same GMB account), contact number, business manager email (who able to verify you to represent the business). Lastly, fill in your Google Account Manager email address.
