How to get the most out of your Google My Business Listing

Have you ever wondered why your competitor's pages are showing up on Google maps and yet your business is not showing? If so it is time to think about optimisation your Google My Business Listing.

Many small businesses just claim their GMB listing and then simply forget about it. What most businesses don't realize is that there are a variety of other features you can use to optimize your Google My Business listing and several reasons why you should frequently check your business listing to ensure that it’s accuracy stays intact. 

It is important that you complete all the information Google asks for

There are various sections you need to complete in order to complete your Google My Business profile. When completed, your profile will have information that will make it easier for potential customers to find your company.

If you don’t fill that information in, someone else could. Many business owners don’t realize that anyone can suggest a change to your business listing — and that includes competitors!!!

When a searcher clicks on your Google My Business listing they can see a “Suggest an edit” option:

When someone clicks on that option they can literally edit your Google My Business listing (and make some pretty dramatic changes, too):

This is just one reason why it’s very important that you log in to your Google My Business dashboard regularly to ensure that no one has attempted to make any unwanted changes to your listing. You'll see a notification that changes are pending if someone has made suggested changes that need your approval.

Also, it’s important to realise that Google actively encourages people who know your business to answer questions, so Google can find out more about your company. To do this Google asks its audience to simply click on the “Know this place? Answer quick questions” link.

They’ll then be prompted to answer some questions about your business:

If they know the answer to the questions, they can answer. If not, they can decline.

Now, some business owners have reported that their competitors have deliberately sabotaged their Google My Business listings with this feature. However, Google’s philosophy is that this type of “user-generated content” helps to build a community, more fully completes a business’ profile, and allows Google to experiment with different search strategies.

After you get your Google My Business listing verified, continue to check your listing regularly to be on the safe side.

Google My Business Posts

Google Posts are like a blog post that shows up in Google search in your Google My Business listing.

You can add an image a call to action and a link to your website. So if you are creating content regularly adding a Google post to your other platforms is a relatively simple thing to do. 

To make a Google Post, login to your GMB dashboard and you’ll see the Posts option on the left-hand side:

It has been shown that making regular Google Post can help with your website's Search Engine Ranking Positions.

Question & Answer Feature

Google has introduced a Question & Answer feature on the Google My Business Page where customers can ask the business a question. Look out for these to see if any customers are trying to contact you.

Booking & Messaging button features

Google’s new Booking button and can really help your business stand out from the crowd. If you have any type of business that relies on customers making appointments and you’re using integrated scheduling software, people can now book an appointment with your business directly from your Google My Business listing. Google are also going to introduce a messaging feature that will enable potential clients to contact you directly from your Google My Business listing. This can make it even easier to get new customers!

If you have an account with one of Google’s supported scheduling providers, the booking button is automatically added to your Google My Business listing. This is still fairly new in the UK but is up and running in the USA & Canada.