What is the Google My Business platform
If your business card appears in Google Search or Google Maps, you can edit the information in that listing from Google My Business. This article looks at the origins, use cases, and benefits of Google My Business. We'll show you how your Google My Business profile appears to customers on Google Search and Google Maps, how you can edit this data, and how you can message potential customers directly through Google Maps or Google Search.
What is Google My Business
Google My Business (GMB) is a free online platform used by businesses to manage Google search listings and Google Maps. Google My Business is the result of more than 10 years of development and integration for various (Google) platforms.
These early attempts to create a business listing platform contributed to a set of valuable features that we know today as Google My Business. To understand what GMB is today, it is important to understand how you got there.
The evolution of Google My Business
Previously, Google Maps as we know it today did not exist. Later I started appearing there as producers of Google Maps and Google Local. In addition to apps like Hotpot, Google Places, and Google+, you might remember some of them? All of these applications evolved into what we know today as Google Maps and Google My Business.
It all started in 2004, Google Local was released as a better version of Yellow Pages. Display the name, address and phone number of companies with their maps, directions, and web pages to users.
In February 2005, maps were introduced into their own product called Google Maps. But in Google's infinite wisdom, it integrated Maps back into Google Local by October 2005, then changed the name back to Google Maps in 2006.
By 2009, the elements of Google My Business were beginning to take shape. Places pages (Google) were introduced to allow companies to manage their own listings.
But Google managed to contain at least six failed products such as Hotpot, Google Places, Google Places pages, Google+ pages, and Google+ local directory. All are hardly worth mentioning.
By June 2014, Google My Business was launched as we know it today. As the product allows companies to manage information in one place for all business listings in (Google).
Today, businesses are able to manage their Google My Business profile on both desktop and mobile using both browsers and apps. Before we get to know the features in this article, we need to see if GMB is right for our business.
Can your business use Google My Business
The short answer is yes. Even if you don't create a Google My Business profile, there is already information from user sources about your business anyway. It includes reviews of your business, popular times to visit, and photos taken by clients. Your business profile is updated when someone takes an action like leaving a comment, asking a question, or uploading a photo.
Therefore, controlling your Google My Business profile and regulating the content that appears in your Google My Business listing is important to ensuring that the right information about your company is shared online.
Are you eligible for Google My Business
Google My Business only lists businesses that have a physical location that customers can visit. Any online-only business or business forms that involve activity at an address that you do not own are not eligible.
This means that real estate for sale and rent, as well as classes and meetings that take place in locations not owned by your company, cannot qualify you for a Google My Business listing.
You probably shouldn't be breaking the rules because trying to claim a listing that doesn't belong to you or using your GMB profile as a platform for fraudulent or illegal activities will result in your account being suspended and removed from Google search results.
Once you have control of your list, you can think about how your list will appear to customers on Google Search and Google Maps.
What does your business look like to customers?
Google My Business allows you to manage your presence on Google Search and Google Maps. It's important to know what your business listing looks like because many of your customers will find you by searching for your business on one of these (Google) products.
How your business profile appears on (Google My Business) on (Google) search
When your business comes to us on Google search, users will see it prominently displayed on the right. Your best photos and name will probably be the first thing people notice.
Just below your business name are three call-to-action buttons; Website, directions and save. Pressing Save will add a special Pin for your work in Google Maps for that user.
Below, users will see your rating, reviews, and basic business details. And in the comments section of the web, your ratings from other websites are displayed. (Facebook) for example, provides a rating based on the ratings on your (Facebook) Page.
If they keep scrolling, users can see the common times, based on foot traffic to your location, indicating peak hours of work. Below this is perhaps the most important section, Reviews where a few of your most important comments are displayed.
Last but not least, there are links to your social profiles. An opportunity for you to drive some traffic to your pages. Your business listing will look similar on Google Maps, with some slight differences.
How your Google My Business Profile appears on Google Maps
There are two types of people in this world, those who search for businesses in Google search and those who will search directly in Google Maps. Instead of your best photos, the user will see your cover photo along with your company name, rating, number of reviews, and your business category.
As with Google search, there are some call-to-action buttons. It's Directions, Save, Proximity, Send to your phone and Share. As most of these are self-explanatory, except for the vicinity, which will show nearby businesses.
When your work appears on Google Search and Google Maps, you'll need to make sure that all the information on your profile is correct. To do this, you will need to control your Google My Business listings.