What is Google My Business? (My Business Directory)

Today, many businesses follow various strategies to gain a higher place in Google search results. Advertising, blogs and other digital marketing methods can be given as examples of these strategies. The most popular application that allows your business to manage all these processes and to stand out in Google search results is Google My Business . So, “What is Google My Business? How to use?"

 

Let's examine the answers to these questions in detail.

What is Google My Business?

Google My Business is a tool that allows you to manage and optimize your Business Profile on Google. Today, its new name is known as Google Business Profile . Business Profile is a term Google uses to manage your business. Business Profiles appear in the search results of Google Searches and Google Maps .

Creating a Business Profile involves the same processes as adding a business location to Google Maps and is a fairly simple process. At this stage, Google only asks you; requests business name, location and category information. Confirming the authenticity of the business in line with the information, Google will create a Business Profile for the relevant location.

Once the Google Business Profile has completed the approval process, consumers will; accompanied by comments, he will be ready to interact with the business, add photos, ask questions and even answer questions.

information about your business with Google My Business ; You can customize, manage and improve. Moreover, you can have this entire system for free .

What Does Google My Business Do?

“What Is Google My Business?” Now that we've answered the question, let's take a look at the items we've detailed about how it works.

You Can Be Spotted in Google Search Results and Google Maps

The Google Business Profile helps ensure that people looking for the products and services you sell come across your business.

Google My Business shows searchers where your business is and when it's available. Having a Google Business Profile also contributes to your SEO. Especially when many Google users search for a nearby business using Google Maps , your business is highly likely to appear.

You Can Update Your Business's Contact Information

Your Google My Business account allows you to check and update your contact information, hours of operation and other important business details. It allows you to report that you are temporarily closing your business, as well as to share changes in your working days.
You Can Build Trust With Your Google Score

Comments and stars given by users on your business page are a factor of preference for potential customers. The quality of service you have reflected in the scores is one of the most accurate ways to build trust.

Having your Google My Business account open for star ratings and reviews allows customers to share their experiences with your business. All of these are decisive factors for potential customers' purchasing decisions or venue preferences.

How to Open a Google My Business Account?

“What Is Google My Business?” As we mentioned in the title, the Google Business Profile is the most effective way for businesses to appear in Google search results and be noticed by users.

So, How to Open My Business Account? Let's examine it step by step:

Step 1: Sign in to Google Business Profile Panel

If you're signed in to an already used Google account, you can also automatically sign in to Google Business Profile Manager . Otherwise, if you're going to create a different account for your business, you can try creating a new Google account.

Step 2: Register Your Business with Google

After signing in to Google Business Profile , search for your business name. If your business does not appear in the drop-down menu, click the “Add Your Business to Google” button. Then choose the category most suitable for your business and click “Next” .

Step 3: Add Your Location

If you have a physical location where customers can visit your business, select “Yes” in the menu that appears . Then add your business address. You can also position with the marking method so that you can adjust the location on the map .

If your business doesn't have a physical location that customers can visit, you can only list your service areas. Then you can proceed to the next step by clicking “Next” .

If you have n't entered a physical address, Google will still ask you to indicate your region. You can skip this step by choosing from the drop-down menu.

Step 4: Enter Your Contact Information

You can enter your business phone number and website address so that customers can reach you more easily. Unless you prefer to be called by phone, you do not need to enter a phone number.

Once you have entered your information, you can click “Next” .

Step 5: Verify Your Business

Businesses with a physical address will need to receive a statement by mail to verify their location . Businesses that only provide service area information can verify their presence via an email address.

You can enter the five-digit code you received through these methods in Google My Business > Verification Screen and click on the “Verify Business” button. You can continue with your transactions after you see a confirmation screen showing that you have been verified.

Step 6: Customize Your Profile

You can enter your working hours, communication channels, descriptions of your business and photos. After the customization work you want, you can click the “Continue” button. You will then be automatically taken to the Business Profile Manager dashboard.

In this panel; You can manage your business profile, view analytics, check reviews and messages, and create Google ads .

How to Use Google My Business

There are 10 steps to consider when using the My Business account . These steps can be listed as follows:

• Business Registration and Verification Procedures
• SEO Studies
• Adding a Business Location
• Adding an External Branch to the Head Office
• Address Change Transactions
• Google My Business Account Closure Process
• How to Add and Delete Photos from Your Google My Business Account
• Custom Post Creation Processes for Your Business
• Performance Analysis
• Advertising works

Business Registration and Verification Procedures

Customers are 2.7x more likely to find your business trustworthy if you have a Google Business Profile with full disclosures . They're also 70% more likely to actually visit your business .

• When you create your profile; You can verify the existence of your business via phone, text, email or video. These methods are; depending on business category, general information, region, or support hours.
• Verifications can take up to 7 business days for Google to review .
• Once verified, it may take several weeks for your business information to show on Google.
• You can also update your information at any time.

Google specifically emphasizes that “businesses with complete and accurate information are easier to appear in relevant searches .” In this way, it also allows your relevance score to increase. Keeping your information up to date is very important at this stage.

SEO Studies

Just like website SEO , Google uses various ranking methods to list search results.

Adding keywords and phrases that are important to your industry to your Business Profile will be incredibly helpful to your Google My Business account.

You should take care to write these words in your business description and in the descriptions of the posts you post.

Adding a Business Location

Verified business locations are more likely to show on Maps and Google search results . With a verified location, it also helps increase your distance ranking factor score in Google search results.

In the Google My Business tool, you must include your business address. Of course you have to add the correct address and make sure you follow certain rules. By logging into your Google My Business account, you can add your address information from the "Info" tab. Then you can perform your operation by clicking the “Apply” button. If you encounter a problem, you can also determine the location of your business with the marking method .

Adding an External Branch to the Head Office

With the location groups in My Business , you can add branches other than the head office. Thus, you can present your branches to your users.

• Sign in to your business profile.
• Click the “Manage Locations” button.
• Click on the “Create location group” button on the screen that will appear .
• Complete your transactions with the “Done” button by entering the necessary information .

Address Change Transactions

“What Is Google My Business?” Another point that is wondered by users as much as the question is the Business Profile address change. The address change process has the same steps as adding an address. You can make the necessary updates after selecting the address field by going to the "Info" tab in your Business Profile .

Google My Business Account Closure Process

As long as you don't want to use the business profile you have, you can close the account. To close the account you own, you must first remove the location information. After logging in to your account, you can click on the "Delete" option in the menu. You can successfully delete your account by following the steps. However, the Google My Business account closure you have made cannot be undone.

How to Add and Delete Photos from Your Google My Business Account

The steps to add and delete photos from your Google My Business account are pretty easy. In order to perform these operations;

• Sign in to your Business Profile.
• Then click the “ Publish ” button on the screen that appears .
• Click on the “ Add Photos and Videos” tab.
• At this stage, you can select the media you want to upload and take new photos instantly.
• Then you can complete your process by clicking the “ Upload ” button.

To delete photos from your Google My Business account ;

• Sign in to your Business Profile .
• Proceed to the “Photos” tab.
• Click on the "Delete" option in the menu.

Custom Post Creation Processes for Your Business

You can create various posts through the Google My Business account. Among these types of publications, you can also choose the ones with visual content. Thanks to your posts, when users search for related terms, you will be more likely to rank higher in the search results.

Performance Analysis

You can track the performance of your business in your Google My Business tool. You can log in to your Business Profile account and click on the “ Insights ” tab to access data on your performance analysis .

With My Business , where you can have up-to-date reporting on your business , you can create more specific strategies.

Advertising works

To advertise through Google My Business , you must first log into your account. You need to click on the "Create an Ad" button from the menu tab that appears . Thus, you can be directed directly to the Google Ads page.

You can get ahead of your competitors in Google search results through location-based ads you can place. In this way, you can reach more potential customers and determine new advertising policies with your analysis.

What are the Advantages of Opening a My Business Account?

Today, users first search on Google for the businesses they are considering getting services for. That's why it 's extremely important to ensure that your business is easily found on Google and Google Maps . The benefits of opening a Google My Business account are not limited to this. Other advantages can also be listed as follows:

Practical and Easy to Manage

Your Google Business Profile is one of the easiest ways to maintain your online presence, even if you don't have a website. Even editing information about your business or seeing the number of visitors can be done quite simply.

Free Service

You can attract customers' attention with photos and videos that you add to your Business Profile . You can encourage customers to visit your business with your service area, address, menu and user stars . Moreover, you can perform all these operations for free.

Wide Business Volume

You can gain important insights into how customers are searching for your business and through which channels customers come. You can reach more users by directing your marketing activities in line with the information you have obtained . You can highlight your business with the phone number, address and user comments you add to your description.

How Does Having a Google My Business Account Contribute to Your E-Commerce Site?

It is now much faster and easier to promote your product or service with up-to-date technologies. Considering that almost everyone uses a smartphone these days, the potential sales you can only get with organic searches and Google My Business are quite a lot.

Creating, verifying and properly optimizing your Google My Business account is an invaluable opportunity for your e-commerce site . Managing these opportunities correctly will allow your sales to increase. Other benefits of your Google My Business account to your e-commerce site can be listed as follows:

1. Google My Business Increases Your Ecommerce Business Visibility

When a product or service is searched on Google , the search results rank the relevant businesses. In this area, businesses registered in the system are presented to users in a certain order. In addition, in searches for location, nearby businesses are listed in Google results. In this way, registering your business on Google Maps is a very important step. Users who come across your business as a result of their searches can visit your e-commerce site. This way, you can get more potential customers.

2. User Reviews Increase Your Company's Credibility

Many users take into account the reviews of experienced customers before purchasing a product. In fact, almost 93 % of users think that reviews contain factual information about businesses. Creating a good impression on your Business Profile is one of the reasons why users prefer you. You can increase your sales rates on your e-commerce site with the website address you add to your description .

3. Your SEO Settings Improve

Businesses that make a good impression with users' stars and comments will also drive traffic to the website. As a result of this natural traffic, the SEO settings of your e-commerce business may improve. In this way, you are more likely to rank first in Google searches on the basis of your keyword .

Frequently Asked Questions About Google My Business

Many users considering creating a Business Profile will ask, “What is Google My Business?” It's more than just a question. Examples of these questions can be given below.

Is Google My Business Paid?

“What is Google My Business? As we mentioned in the title, creating a Google Business Profile is completely free . No fee is charged to create your profile.

Has Google My Business Removed?

No. Google My Business was not removed, it was renamed to Google Business Profile . This change is not only in the name, but also; Google Business Directory , Google Listings, and Google+ Business Pages have been replaced by the Business Profile . But soon My Business will be completely replaced by Google Maps and Search .

How to Change the Phone Number Registered in Google My Business Account?

1. If you are using an Android device, by going to the Settings app; Open the “Google > Manage Your Google Account” window.
2. If you are using a computer, open your Google Account .
3. If you're using an iPhone or iPad , open the Gmail app and click your profile picture.
4. Click on the "Personal Information" button at the top.
5. Click on the “Phone” option under the “Contact Information” tab on the screen that appears .
6. To add a phone number to your Google My Business Account: Under the “Your phone numbers” section, select the “Add Phone Number” button.
7. To change your phone number: Tap "Edit / Update Number" next to your number .
8. To delete your phone number: Tap the "Delete / Remove Number" option next to your number.

How to Delete Comments From Your Google My Business Account

You cannot directly delete comments from your Google My Business account. Comments that have no grain of truth or contain inappropriate statements must be reported in order for them to be removed from your Business Profile . Google can thus remove comments that violate its own policies. It may take several days for your comment to be evaluated.

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