You have a business.

Your online presence is a crucial part of your success.

But without knowing it, you may be suffering from an anxiety-producing and revenue-shrinking condition that over 50 percent of business owners have:

FOMO on GMB (Fear of Missing Out with Google my Business).

Let’s treat this before it becomes a full-blown issue!

What is Google My Business?

If you’ve ever searched Google for a local restaurant or clothing store, you’ve probably seen a business listing. They pop up on the search results page and show a business’s name accompanied by key details like the business’ website, hours, and street address.

Google My Business is the tool that allows you to manage the listing for your business. It is absolutely essential for any business owner.

Anyone can create a business profile on Google for a business if they submit a name, location, and category. With Google My Business, you gain full control of your business’ listing.

To claim a business listing that you have already created, you will simply need to verify that you are the owner. This can be done by either requesting a mailed postcard, which will come with a five-digit code you enter online or by submitting a phone number or email, in some cases.

If your business does not already have a listing, you can easily create one and then follow the same verification process to begin using Google My Business.  

But why exactly should you use it?

Google My Business is Free  

You can set up and manage your business listing without ever paying a single cent.

The full range of tools, including alerts, analytics, and customization, are all available for free. All you need to do to access these features is to create an account and complete a few simple steps.

GMB Gives You Full Control of Information

Your business listing is where customers can find all the relevant information about your business, so it needs to be accurate. Using Google My Business gives you complete control over the information that comes up.

You wouldn’t want an incorrect listing of service hours or your address to deter would-be customers. Once verified, you can correct any inaccurate details or add more to fill out the listing completely. Edit the location of your business, the website, the services offered, and more as necessary to keep your customers informed with the clearest, most up to date information possible.

You can also add additional details like special offers and promotions. Uploading photos will also help your profile stand out. Customers are even able to add pictures as well. It’s a visual feast!

Your Profile Helps Your Website Ranking

A well-completed Google My Business profile will entice potential customers to interact with your business and drive sales. Even the best website won’t be able to do that if those customers never get a chance to see it because it’s been buried deep in the search results.

Most Google users never make it past the first or second page of search results, which means it’s vital that your business ranks highly. The higher your business appears in the list of results, the more potential customers you will be able to reach.

There are multiple ways to boost your website’s position in the search results but using Google My Business is the simplest. Some well-placed keywords and details in the listing will make Google consider the website more relevant, leading to a higher placement. Other options like search engine optimization also work but are more time consuming and expensive.

A completed business profile will help your business increase its web presence and become a top result in relevant searches.

Reviews, Reviews, Reviews 

Even as your business rises in the search results, there are still plenty of competitors and other business listings out there. One excellent way to stand out from the crowd and sway potential customers is to accumulate positive reviews on your listing.

These reviews appear as ratings of one to five stars on your business listing, along with any comments the previous customers have submitted. They show your business is legitimate and, hopefully, express your customers’ positive experiences with your business in the past.

Through Google My Business, you can respond to all the reviews your customers have left. Sincerely addressing any negative reviews as well as positive reviews shows customers looking at your profile that you appreciate feedback and care about their experience. It’s a simple but effective way to build customer confidence in your business.

You Can Learn About Your Customers

Reading the reviews your customers have left is not the only way to learn information about them and your business.

Within the Google My Business platform, you have access to some extremely helpful analytics. You can track what searches lead customers to your listing, how those customers interact with it, and how often they view the photos in your listing.

This information will help you make your business listing more appealing to customers. It may also help you tailor your website and social media content to your customers’ searches.

Such easily accessible, organized insight into your customers is another huge benefit.

GMB Allows Real-Time Customer Communication  

Never miss what your customers are saying. Google My Business allows you to see and respond to comments or questions that are posted on your business listing. This means you can respond to potential customers in real-time to address any concerns they may have.

Being an active, engaged communicator on your business listing will inspire more trust in the business and keep customers supplied with all the information they need.

Better Your Business

As of 2016, more than half of businesses had not claimed their free Google Business listings. With all the benefits a Google My Business account offers, business owners without one may quickly develop FOMO on GMB.

Create or claim your Google My Business listing today!