Did you know that almost half of Google’s daily searches are for something local? Learn about ‘Google My Business’ and get more customer traffic heading your way!

Have you tried searching like one of your customers on Google to see where you appear in the search results? Have you learnt how to ‘Google My Business’?

Getting found for ‘Google My Business’ – why is this important?

To get your business found by Google, start with a Google search for your business name and then click on the map listing. If this business has not been claimed, you will see the link to “own this business?”.

Google will provide you with a code via phone or postcard to verify that you are the owner of that business.

Once ownership has been verified, you will need to login to ‘Google My Business’.

Be sure to complete all the basic information such as business name, phone number, address, opening hours, categories and website links. Add some attributes if you can as well.

Photos

Add some amazing photos too! After all, this is the first impression customers may have of your business. Add some photos of the outside so they know what to look for to visit you. Add some photos of the inside to show them what to expect on arrival. You could take it a step further and add photos of menus, friendly faces, popular products and more.

Reviews

Customers can leave reviews on Google and while you can not control what people write, it is best to keep an eye on those reviews and respond to both raving reviews and the not so complimentary reviews, so that customers feel like you are taking their feedback seriously. Over 80% of people read an owner’s response to reviews.

To start getting some reviews, you could ask a few loyal customers to leave reviews for you.

Local Search Adverts

If you are prepared to pay for some local search advertising, you can increase your audience quicker than if you wait for free options to take effect. Google ads charge with a pay per click, although you can set up amounts to suit your budget.

To set up a Local search ad on Google, you will need to create a separate Google Ad account. You will then need to link this to your Google business account.

To create a local search ad select your location and then enter the ‘keywords’ that reflect your business the best. For example, a café would use words like café and coffee while an Italian restaurant would use words like dining and Italian food.

Online activity

Google results are shown based on several different factors. One of those also accounts for the number of links and references there are to a business online. This includes things like Tripadvisor. To gain the most from this, try to include your name, address and phone number wherever you can online.

To increase your online presence, you can also create a Facebook page and Instagram account. While these are great, Google is the best way for customers to find your business. Out of 5.6 billion searches each day, 46% are searching for something locally. So
knowing how to ‘Google my business’ is a step in the right direction!

*Information sourced from our partners at Seven Miles Coffee Roasters.