Google My Business is a service focused on local businesses that seeks to compete with services that are constantly growing such as Yelp or Foursquare focused on local businesses. Previously, there were company pages on Google+ and places pages on the other. With this new platform we have everything concentrated in one place.
Google My Business allows you to inform customers directly about your business, whether they search for you on Google, Maps or Google+. Another option is that you can relate directly with fans and clients, publishing news or events from your Google+ page. You also have the option to track opinions about your company throughout the network and respond to reviews from customers or Google users.
Reviews consist of opinions that users leave on the local Google page, which is especially beneficial to increase the presence, trust and credibility of the business if they are positive and, of course, real. Therefore, getting positive reviews influences the web positioning of your business, but also provides greater conviction to users and potential customers who are looking for what the company offers.
Google's rating system tries to get users to indicate how they appreciate your business using stars as follows:
- 1 Star: Bad
- 2 Stars: Acceptable
- 3 Stars: Good
- 4 Stars: Very good
- 5 Stars: Excellent
Features of Google My Business
- Allows you to update your business information on Google Search, Google Maps and Google+ from a SINGLE place so that customers can contact you more easily
- You canadd quality photos of your business to help customers discover it visually.
- Gives the ability to connect directly with your fans and customers by sharing news, events and other important news on your Google+ page.
- My business can keep you up to date with opinions about your business from all over the Internet and respond to Google reviews.
- Custom statistics and integration with AdWords Express, you can see how people find and interact with your business.
- Manage your data on the go with the Google My Business Android app and the iOS app (coming soon)
Google My Business features
- Show reviews and ratings made by your clients
- Receive information from your clients
- Give information to your clients
- Perform follow-ups and statistics on your business
- Take virtual tourist tours of your business.
In the following example we see how ratings and positive reviews are effective. In this case, we see how there are several businesses positioned with paid ads, but there is only one that stands out and it is also not paid. Why? because it has positive evaluations with their corresponding "little stars". Most likely, the public will choose this business and not others, enjoying opinions, ratings and criticisms that give it a certain credibility with others
Positive reviews that stand out from the rest
For many local businesses, it will be enough to use these ratings and reviews on the Google My Business page, but you can go much further.
For many local businesses, it will be enough to use these ratings and reviews on the Google My Business page, but you can go much further.
If your keywords appear in companies such as Yelp, Urban Spoon, TripAdvisor, there will be a greater chance that the public will visit your business or that it will give them more confidence as they are placed in world-renowned search engines.
Similarly, mentions in discussion sites and content such as highly reliable forums or blogs or news media can provide and cause a notable development of credibility in your business.
On the other hand, if you carry out Google pay-per-click (PPC) online advertising and also create a Google My Business page you will have more chances of success and visibility than another that is only advertised with the pay-per-click method.
Differences between Google My Business and PPC ads
The following example shows us two advertisers and the difference that exists between each advertisement.
The one marked with an arrow is more convenient than the second one, which has a very basic PPC ad, unlike the first one which has a more complete list in the description of metadata, site links and buyer ratings. In this case the consumer or user rating is 4.9 stars, it seems more credible than the second advertisement due to the presence of the stars; This works on an almost subconscious level. In Spain this type of example occurs less frequently, we find something very similar with the advertisements of popular brands, but in countries like the United Kingdom or the United States it is a very common practice.
If your rating is less than or equal to a 4, we would have to check where we are failing and what to do to raise it to at least a five. The best advice would be to review opinions and credibility opportunities such as:
- What are your competitors doing?
- What rating appears first?
- How to improve our credibility at first sight?
- What does a brand or business that is similar to you do?
All these questions will help you improve your credibility and get closer to users and ultimately have a greater volume of sales or traffic on your website.
Useful information that makes Google My Business an essential tool
In the following example we see how by creating a Google My Business page we can add information for Google clients or users.
As we can see, there are several businesses in our search but only one that enjoys this tool with reviews and additional information that stands out compared to the others. The information is based on: the address, hours, telephone number, how to get there and the reviews that other customers have given to the company.
The importance of visual culture in technologies is a key aspect to generate traffic and positive reviews on our website or online store. With this example we realize that our gaze is not focused on the first position of Google but on the fourth. Thanks to the reviews we can know if the business is reliable, the user opinions and what average rating they give it. This type of information will convey greater credibility and trust to our clients.
In short, Google My business is a platform that has become essential and ideal for those who want their business to be visible on the Internet. With a good number of features and tools, Google My Business gives you the possibility of updating your company's information in Google Search, Maps or Google+ and unifying both platforms into one. If you want your online business to get going once and for all, don't hesitate to take advantage of this utility that Google puts in our hands.
Updated on: 18/10/2018 00:00:00
