5 Reasons Why Every Local Business Needs to Use Google My Business

Are you used to getting most of your business through networking, walk-ins, and/or word-of-mouth referrals?

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, that may have changed your business outlook drastically. Maybe you’re finding your business isn’t bringing in as many new leads as before, and past clients may not be returning in the droves they once used to. 

So, what can you do to turn this around?

Your traditional marketing and sales tactics aren’t working like they used to.

There are fewer opportunities for people to interact one-on-one with each other, meaning your word-of-mouth opportunities are diminished, too. Ultimately, you’re likely finding yourself drowning in this neverending downward spiral. You can’t get new customers due to the traditional methods proving to be ineffective, and you can’t figure out ways to change things up. 

Despite these disruptions, though, you do have opportunities out there!

Your target customers are out there and, likely, looking you up online as you read this very article. You can generate your own new leads by merely making sure your business is easy to find when your potential clients look you up. 

We’re going to show you the top 5 reasons why your local business needs to be using Google My Business if you want to generate the leads to get your business back where you want it to be. 

Reasons to Use Google My Business

While changing your marketing methods can be terrifying, Google My Business is a straightforward step that you as a business owner can take to ensure you’re getting in front of as many potential clients as possible. The best part is there is little work you need to do to make it happen. 

Google My Business is a great way to let Google know about your business so it can do the work of putting you in front of your next customers. 

The platform works by having you as the business owner logging into the Google My Business portal to fill in all required information. This information is relatively basic, like your business’s physical location, phone number, and other descriptive information about the services and products you offer. 

1. Google My Business is Free

The absolute best part is that getting your business onto Google My Business is FREE to do. As the business owner, you don’t have to pay a single penny to get your business listed, and getting it listed is one way to increase sales. 

Being on Google My Business puts you on the top of search results just underneath the advertised listings. Google usually generates three local results per search, and yours could be one of them. 

Say, for example, you run an insurance firm. If a person were to Google search “Insurance agents near me,” your client could see your site pop up nearly instantly in their local section if they are physically close by. When that person clicks on it, they’ll be able to see all of your contact information and even your reviews. 

This is significantly more cost-effective for you as a small business than running Google ad campaigns and can still get you in front of a similar browsing audience. Google ads can be too pricy to run. These advertisements can be filtered out by customers using easy-to-obtain ad-blocking software. 

In short, you’re likely to get more customers and make more money on these leads by taking one action that costs you absolutely nothing. 

2. Get Listed on Google Maps

Another advantage to registering your business onto Google My Business is that it allows users to search with the Google Maps app for specific products or items to land on your business. 

As mentioned before, merely looking up keywords related to your business is a way for Google to auto-populate your information from Google My Business and spit it out to your potential future customer. 

One way it does this is by putting you onto one of its “Local Three” picks. This part of the Google Maps experience puts up three local options related to whatever it is your future customer is looking for. 

If they’re searching for great pediatricians in their area, for example, Google pulls local businesses nearby and displays their reviews, contact information, and location in an instant for your future customer to see. 

But it goes one step further. By making it as easy as possible for your customers to find you all while in the Google Maps app, your potential customers are likely to consider you realistically as an option as they are only one click away from turn-by-turn directions to your exact location. 

3. Connect To Customers In A Flash

Another great reason to use Google My Business is that it allows you to make real connections with real customers extremely quickly. Google recently added a messaging feature to its Google My Business platform, allowing your customers to get in touch with your business quickly and easily through a chat system. 

As the business owner, you have full control of when to turn the messaging feature on or off, and it lets you chat with customers through SMS. Even better, if you use the SMS messaging feature, the customer is never given your phone number. 

This not only increases transparency between you and your potential customers but it allows customers to connect with your brand. This can end up leaving them with a stronger impression and a higher chance of returning thanks to your top-tier service. 

4. Share Reviews Easily

Another great way to connect with your customers using Google My Business is to use review scores. 88% of consumer respondents in one survey said they treat online reviews just as strongly as they make recommendations from close friends and family. 

Google My Business provides a platform for your customers to leave a review and feedback. All of the positive feedback left by happy customers can impact future customers checking out your business. Most people will select the option with the highest rating. 

If you use Google My Business and show transparency with your reviews, and your competitors do not, you’re likely to bring in those customers who see the power that reviews hold. 

One technique you should try is using Google My Business is to respond to as many reviews as possible. This helps your future customers see you as a brand that cares and is willing to put the time in to reply to customer feedback, negative or positive. 

Of course, it’s advised to keep these responses professional and kind, even if customers don’t necessarily do the same in return. 

5. Optimize Your Analytics 

Google My Business lets you see information about how local customers are searching for and interacting with your business online. The analytics offered even let you see if customers found you on Google Maps or a basic Google Search.

Another helpful trick with Google My Business is that it lets you perform Local SEO by including keywords local customers may be using to help you rank as high as possible in local search results. If you know people in your area search for particular keywords in and around your storefront, use those keywords to your advantage when thinking of keywords to apply to your brand. 

You can use a few tips and tricks to optimize your Google My Business profile for the best possible results. The first is to ensure your description is loaded with logical keywords to ensure people can find you through Google, search for words in your description. 

You also want to make sure you’re paying close attention to where your clients are finding your Google My Business page. If you find most of your clients are finding you through your Google Maps page, it may be beneficial to think of ways your business profile can come up more often on search results to bring in that many more customers. 

Get Help With Your Brand

We get it. Digital branding involves a lot of moving parts. You need to somehow manage your reputation, online listings, social media presence, website, and content marketing. Sometimes, these tasks can seem overwhelming, leaving you to only take up the minimum and hoping word-of-mouth sales keep your business alive. 

As we’ve learned, times are changing, and generating leads is more challenging than ever. One way to get in front of these leads is through the use of Google My Business.

But what if you want to do more than update your business profile? Reach out to us at Mirus Agency to learn about what we can do for you and your business. 

On average, our clients get 6-7 more calls per week and see an average 22% increase in website traffic within just the first 30 days of working with us. We can help you get in front of your new clients and help you get your customers back. Contact us here today to see how we can support your growth.