GET NOTICED!
Why a Google Business Listing is important
What is a google business listing?
A Google business listing shows important information like your business name, logo, address and phone number.
You can also use your profile to show helpful information like changes to your opening hours.
It is a listing, representing your business that Google use when people are searching for a business name or a service.
When searching for a business, either in Google of Google Maps, the Google business listing is the first thing a viewer sees.
These results are on top of website searches and hence why it’s important you have a Google Business listing.
There has been a 500% increase in the number of "near me" searches over the past two years, showing that more and more people are using these platforms to make decisions about where to go and what to buy. If your business doesn't show up on Google Maps when a relevant search is made, the potential customer may find what they need elsewhere. Read more about that 500% increase here.
A Google Business listing is absolutely essential for every business.
Whether you have a shopfront or not.
What a listing looks like?
You’ve most likely seen it and didn’t know it can be updated. Here is an example of how a Google Business Listing can look.
You’ve probably seen these listing when searching for something.
Here is an example when I googled the words “Toy Store Gymea” into Google, I get the following:
What happens though if there is more competition?
Here are the results when I google “Toy Store Sutherland Shire”
Can I do it myself?
Absolutely! Just have the following ready to go and ensure you include a business logo recommended size of 720 x 720 pixels that is between 10KB and 5MB and a business cover photo that is 1080 x 680 pixels and again between 10KB and 5MB.
Sign into your google account and and head to Google Business Profile Manager- you’ll need to know the following: Business name and category, business address, contact details, whether you have a location customers can visit, your service area, your phone number and website URL.
It seems i already have one, why would i need to update it?
If I have posted your details on other websites before or set up an older website, you will most likely have a basic listing.
Google have found this information by crawling websites etc but will only detail the bare minimum about your business. By adding extra detail on your listing, it does a number of things, including:
How much will you charge for setting it up for me?
Our cost to set up your google business listing is $250
(for current or new website clients only) usually $299.
What do you do for that fee?
Design and upload a profile image and cover photo in the recommended resolutions and dimensions
Adding business category, website links and opening hours
We add extra details if your business is eligible. (online booking links and menus etc)
Adding in photos from your website/social media that best represent your business
Adding your unique short name (@)
We set up you as a ‘user on the account to allow you to update settings and receive your monthly performance reports.
We add 2 posts relating to your business - we’ll take a look at your social media or add a service.
Link to your Marketing Kit to help promote your google listing
Link to the Google My Business app to download on your phone and react to reviews or update your information from your phone
Assistance in verification methods. Most likely post, but some allow verification via adding your website to my google search console via DNS record updated to your domain, which I will always try as a first option.
We supply you a link to your business listing and encourage you to email it to your friends and family to leave a review.
Research by Google/Oxera shows that a majority of consumers - 71 percent of those surveyed - feel more comfortable using a business that has positive reviews.