The sweet, simple days of phonebooks are long behind us, and the trees thank us for that! But that means it’s no longer a nice perk to have your business in an online directory—it’s a must-have.

However, small businesses can’t be expected to upgrade their technology at the rate of giants like Facebook or Microsoft. So we’re here to help you take the first step of getting your business listed on Google My Business by answering the following:

• What is Google My Business? And why is it important?
• What is the purpose of Google My Business?
• What are the benefits of Google My Business?

By the end of this post, you’ll get your business listed on Google like a pro.

PS: Did you hear? Google My Business will now be Google Business Profile!

What is Google My Business?

In short, Google My Business is like a virtual phonebook. Not only does Google My Business make your business easier to find on Google, but online directories such as Google My Business help you to reach potential customers that would otherwise not know how to find you.

Google My Business is a free tool that allows your business listing to show up alongside other related local businesses whenever someone looks up your business name or a related term. Your business information like your phone number, website, address, review ratings, hours, and more will all be available on one easy screen for potential customers.

Why you need a Google My Business listing

When it comes to anything tech-related in the rapidly advancing digital world, you might think Google My Business is old news and wonder “Is Google My Business relevant in 2021?” Well, we’ll let the statistics speak for themselves!

• 97% of people learn more about a local company online than anywhere else.
• More specifically, 91% of adults use search engines to find information.
• Drill down further, you’ll find Google has over 90% of the search engine market share.
• Google has reported that a staggering 46% of all searches have local intent.

Whether you’re considering creating a listing for your business or looking for the best ways to boost your local presence, Google My Business is well worth your time.

Google My Business benefits

Despite those amazing statistics, many businesses are still missing out on the beauty of Google My Business. So, let’s dive deeper into the specifics of how a Google My Business strategy can benefit your small business. Check out these 10 Google My Business benefits:

1. Show up in Google Maps searches to boost sales

While a quick Google search is effective for narrowing down options—especially for consumers on a mobile device—86% of people use Google Maps to locate businesses nearby. When it’s more convenient for customers to come to your business if they find you close by, you’re more likely to make that sale.

If, for example, you’re a pest control business, having a Google My Business account set up will allow your business to show up for searches in the Google Maps view like the one below!

2. You can become a part of Google’s 3-pack with Google My Business

If you’ve used Google’s local search results over the past few years, you’ve probably noticed that the only local listings to show above organic results in a first-page preview are in a limited 3-pack format. What most brands don’t know is that just by creating a free Google My Business listing, you boost your local rankings and odds of being included in Google’s local 3-pack.

The best part about being in the local 3-pack? Not only do these listings show users where your business is located on Google Maps, but they also show up high on the search results page—offering a major benefit to your impression share. To better demonstrate just how important this is from a business perspective, brands that show up on Google’s local 3-pack get a whopping 700% boost in clicks over brands that don’t.

3. Google My Business helps you build trust with customers

One of the biggest hurdles consumers face today is building enough trust with a business to confidently make a purchase. As a business owner, one of the simplest steps you can take to help with that is to provide them your location on Google My Business.

In fact, brands that show up on Google are almost 3 times more likely to be considered reputable by consumers.

This is due largely in part to the known legitimacy of the Google My Business verification process. Since it’s known businesses need to go through specific steps in order to show for a local search, Google is a trustworthy environment that users can rely on.

4. Google My Business ratings boost your appeal

90% of people read reviews before making a purchasing decision. With a Google My Business listing, customers will be able to review your business and leave feedback for others to see.

In doing this, not only will you get honest evaluations about what you’re doing right (or what you could be doing better) but you’ll also get that star rating system next to your business on Google.

Over time, you’ll start to collect more reviews and a higher overall rating (responding to reviews helps with this as well). This is especially helpful when you need to gain a competitive edge.

5. Google My Business can increase your traffic

A common challenge local businesses face is that of getting an increase in quality website traffic as well as in-store visits. While there’s no way to completely avoid the ups and downs throughout the year, having a Google My Business listing can greatly help boost your numbers across the board.

Just by having a listing and showing up in local searches, businesses on Google My Business are 70% more likely to attract potential customers for in-store location visits. Plus, your Google My Business listing can pull in up to 35% more clicks to your website. So, your local listing will grow your traffic in more ways than one—both on the web and on foot!

6. Google My Business can teach you more about your customers

It’s no secret that the more you know about your customers, the better you’ll be able to appeal to them. From your Google My Business page, navigating to the Insights section will give you a wealth of valuable analytics that breaks down how visible your brand is, who your target customers are, and how they’re engaging with your business.

This is a powerful way to gauge how your business is performing so you can zero in on what’s working. By learning more about the kinds of customers your business is attracting, you’ll also be able to modify and improve your marketing strategy performance.

For more information about Imperium Group, please see https://navigator.imperiumgrouppr.com/.