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What is Google My Business?

Google My Business is a FREE business listing page on perhaps the biggest listing platform ever. It’s really just the biggest shopping mall out there and the easiest to setup shop on.

According to Google, 46% of Google searches are local and ‘near me’ searches were used by 83% of smartphone shoppers.

Particularly popular for these type of searches.

  • Food – 84%
  • Entertainment – 56%
  • Banking – 50%
  • Clothing and shoes – 41%
  • Personal care – 38%

This is even more important if you own a restaurant, bar, candy shop, toy shop or even a doggy day spa.

People are lazy. You are lazy. I am lazy. We use Google for everything and guess what, we just want to get on Google and say “hipster, speakeasy bar with a unicorn near me” and boom, results galore.

Why You Need It, Not Want It

  1. Searchable. Obviously since it’s on the biggest search engine platform ever.
  2. Your competitors. Guess who’s going to be there when you are not listed.
  3. Waze. Your Waze details will be pulled from Google so don’t lose your customers to bad directions.
  4. Data – you can see who are your customers and how they found you.
  5. Appointment Bookings. You don’t need to build a fancy booking system or software. Manage it easily here.
  6. Credibility. Yes, it makes you seem legit or more legit.

Everyone Loves A Checklist

Okay, so you spent 30 minutes of your life and have your Google My Business page ready to go. If not, the grudging assistance from your daughter or son or any young people would help you get there.

Here’s an easy checklist of things you should be doing for Google My Business.

  1. Own it. Most business owners don’t even know who has authority over the page. Quickly figure it out and take ownership of it. NOW!
  2. Test your contact number, email and all the important information. From opening hours to whether your business is open for Christmas, you don’t need to answer the same question again.
  3. Start by adding photos and videos. Like a lot of them. No stock photography please.
  4. Put as much content in there as possible. Make sure you get those categories and sub categories filled up such as kid friendly, pet friendly or politician friendly. It helps Google to sort and customers to find you.
  5. Handle your reviews. Especially your negative reviews. Handle it professionally and seek for a peaceful resolution. Nobody likes a social justice warrior.
  6. Create posts and promotions. Since you update your Facebooks and Instagrams, upload the same content to your Google My Business page.

Conclusion

I am a huge fan of Google My Business because it really helps businesses create a proper digital presence. As much any digital marketing agency can offer web design, seo or social media marketing services, its often the simple stuff that often deliver great results.

Here is the link to get started – Google My Business – Drive Customer Engagement on Google

Google Event: 46% Of Searches Have Local Intent

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Chief Bear Officer

The founder of Malaysia's award-winning digital marketing agency, Bike Bear, Ariel brings his no nonsense form of marketing to the digital world. His passion for web design as well branding has led him to create amazing websites and is currently a jury panel for the prestigious, Malaysia Website Awards. He has set his eyes on bringing Bike Bear to the global stage within the next 5 years.

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