Google My Business for Small Business Internet Marketing – How to Get Listed and Rank on Top

Google My Business is a platform that allows businesses, both big and small, to use their business information as a way for their potential customers get in touch with them instantly. It is a combination of Google Maps and Google Organic Search which main goal is to give accurate data for local searches. Business information includes business name, business description, phone numbers, fax numbers, mailing address, email address, business website, and business category.

   

Why Google My Business is Very Useful for Small Businesses?

Small businesses usually offer their products/services within the vicinity of their physical location.
Futhermore, Google search data shows that search users include specific places when looking for a particular product or service in a specific place. For example, travelers often search for hotels and restaurants for a place to stay and eat at. When searching, they would most likely use terms like “hotels in [location]” or “restaurants in [location]”, location being the the place where they are currently in. This process provides a perfect business opportunity for hotel and restaurant operators in that particular place.

Google My Business provides a stream of options for “local searchers” to choose from. Obviously, even small businesses can rank high on these kinds of searches.

How to Get Your Business Verified by Google My Business?

Getting your business listed in Google My Business is as easy as A-B-C. Just follow the 10 steps below:

1. Create a Google Account, its simply like signing up for a Gmail Account. Google One-Account policy enables one Google Account to be used across Google Products – Gmail, Google+, Google My Business, Google Adwords, etc.
2. Go to Google My Business website – https://www.google.com/business/. Click “Get Started for Free”.
3. Indicate your country and business phone number.
4. Fill-in every information required – Country, Company/Organization, Street Address, City/Town, State, Postal Code, Main phone, Email address, Business Website, Business Description, 5 Business Categories, Service Areas and Location Settings, Hours of operations, Payment options, Business Photos, Business Promotional Videos, and other Additional Details.
5. Fix the Google Map Marker Location of Your Business. This is located at the right hand side of your page.
6. Then Press “Submit” at the bottom of the page.
7. Indicate Contact Person whom the Postcard will be sent. For mobile phones, verification can be done through SMS where PIN will be sent.
8. Wait for the Postcard to be mailed by Google with your business PIN.
9. Once Postcard was received, go to Google My Business Dashboard and input your business PIN.
10. Wait for Google to review and verify your business ownership.

And that’s it! Google will verify if your business does exist in that specific location you have indicated in your Google My Business Application. After Review and Verification, your business will have chances to be found on local searches related to your business category. But to maximize these chances, other techniques must be employed. You’ll it pays well to be on Google My Business and Google Organic Search top ranking.

How to Rank Your Business in Google My Business

After you business has been reviewed and verified by Google, it does not just end there. You still need to make sure your business will show up on the top rankings of the Google My Business search and eventually, on the Google Organic Search.

 Here are some tips on how to rank Your Google My Business listing in both Google My Business search and Google Organic Search:

Business Name and Category

Make sure to indicate the name of your business in your website’s homepage. Give a good description of your business, as well as the products and services it offer. You can also add the category where your business belongs to.

Contact Number and Business Location

Your Business Phone Number and Address should be present anywhere in your business website – not just in the Contact Us page. It gives your potential customer a quick access to get in touch with your business.

Keywords Research

Gather data for “local searches” related to your business products and services. Optimize these keywords within your website content – post or page. Indicate these keywords on your Homepage as well.

Update Your Google My Business Page

On your Google My Business Dashboard, regularly share updates for your place page. It basically functions the same way as tweets on Twitter.

Local Citations

Be consistent when posting your business information on the web. Submit your business information to reputable business directories the same way as you have submitted them to Google My Business.

Create a Press Room

Create an official Press Channel on Press Release websites. Indicate the location where the Press Release is intended to broadcast.

Social Media

Integrate your Google My Business profile to your social media pages. Consistently refer your social media audience to your Google My Business page should they be looking for information about your business.

Encourage Reviews

This is one of the most important factors when building an online reputation. Ask your customers to leave reviews about your business. It will encourage others to avail of your products and at the same time function as  indicators for areas for improvement.

Review Snippets

You can also install the review snippets of your Google My Business page. Just insert the following JSON-LD code with the right information like Rating Value, Number of Reviews, and your Business Name.

Build Reputable Backlinks

You can apply any Penguin-Friendly link building techniques to rank your website on the Google Organic Search. Ask non-competitor webmasters of the same niche to let you post contents on their website featuring how your business can help their audience.

Blog

Regularly post articles or news on your website blog. This will help your business get qualified leads from Google Alerts users who have subscribed to topics related to your business.


If your business does not have a business website yet, and you are new to internet marketing, I can be of great help to you. I can give you insights in choosing a Good Domain Name for your Business Website. I can also give you proposals on how to implement small business internet marketing at affordable rates.

Ask for a FREE QUOTE now!