Google My Business is the most underrated online marketing tool that could prove to be very beneficial for your business, no matter the size of your business or your field of activity. With Google My Business, you can create and access a profile for your business on Google, as well as add your business information to Google properties.
Before proceeding, to make sure your business is eligible to be listed on Google, you can check your business profile.
Why is Google My Business so important?
Google is one of the largest search engines in the world. 97% of people will search the internet for information to find a local business, and 90% of all online searches are done on Google. This equates to 63,000 searches per second, every day.
With Google My Business, you are literally placed on the world map, with all the information your customers would need to find you, and most importantly, notice you. Plus, with reviews, Google My Business helps you stand out among all the other businesses doing the same thing as you.
In any case, it is obvious that Google My Business is a very important tool to have for your business.
The main factors Google uses to rank your business
There are three main factors that determine your business’s ranking in search results: relevance, distance, and importance.
- The relevance of your business is the level of correspondence between the search and your business. This is usually achieved with keywords that match the search and business category choice in your profile.
- The distance corresponds to the distance between your company and that of the searcher. The proximity of a business is also relative to the density of the kind of business in question. For example, if someone searches for a cafe, all cafes in a block are considered nearby. On the other hand, an antique store will be considered nearby even if it is at the other end of the city because there are far fewer of them than there are cafes.
- Importance is how well-known your business is. This is determined by the amount of user reviews, recent photos, your completed profile, your posts on your business profile, and many other things.
How to add your Business Profile to Google
You can add your business directly in Google Maps. However, the way differs depending on the platform, or device, you are using. Here’s how to do with each one.
To add your business
- Connect to Google Maps from any browser
- There are three ways to do this:
- Enter your business address in the search bar. Then, on the left, in the company profile, click on “Add your company”
- Right-click anywhere on the map then click on “Add your business”
- At the top left of the page, click on the menu and choose the option “Add your business”
- Finally follow the series of instructions to complete the registration of your company
To claim your business
- Open Google Maps from any browser
- Enter your business name in the search bar
- Click on your company and make sure you have chosen the right one
- Click on “Claim this establishment”
- If you are the owner of another business, you can click on “I am the owner or manager of another establishment
- Choose a verification method, then just follow the instructions
To add your business
- Open the Google Maps app on your tablet or phone
- Enter your business name in the search bar
- Under the “Overview” tab, click on “View All”
- Now click on “Claim this business” and follow the steps
To claim your business
- Open the Google Maps app on your tablet or phone
- Enter your business name in the search bar
- Click on your company and make sure you have chosen the right one
- Under the “Overview” tab, click on “View All”
- Click on “Claim this Business”
- If you own another business, you can click on “I own or manage another business”
- Choose a verification method, then just follow the instructions
To add your business
- Open the Google Maps app on your iPhone or iPad
- Enter your business name in the search bar
- Under the “Overview” tab, click on “View All”
- Now click on “Claim this business” and follow the steps
To claim your business
- Open the Google Maps app on your iPhone or iPad
- Enter your business name in the search bar
- Click on your company and make sure you have chosen the right one
- Under the “Overview” tab, click on “View All”
- Click on “Claim this Business”
- If you own another business, you can click on “I own or manage another business”
- Choose a verification method, then just follow the instructions
Verification methods
Google offers several ways to verify the authenticity of your business claim. They may ask you to verify with more than one method, so don’t be surprised.
Not all of these methods will necessarily be available to you during your verification, which ones will depend on several factors, such as business category, region, support hours, public information, etc.
Under no circumstances will Google call you to ask for a verification code. If you get a call from someone asking for a verification code, it's not a Google representative.
Once in your account at the verification stage, you can choose this method to receive a code by call or text message that you will then enter in your profile.
Make sure you can receive calls and text messages before choosing this option. Also, interactive voice response systems will not be able to receive the code.
Once in your account at the verification stage, you can choose this method to receive a code by email that you will then enter in your profile.
Make sure you can log in to the email address you are about to enter.
This verification is done in three steps:
- Upload your video
- Schedule your video. In a continuous record, you must capture the location of your business, your business or equipment, and proof of management.
You can demonstrate all this by taking on video, for example, the street name plate, the address of your establishment, your stocks for sale, the tools you use to serve your customers, and finally places in your business. or documents to which only employees have access, such as a storage room, non-confidential business documents.
How to manage your business profile
You can now access your business account directly in Google Maps. Again, how to go about this differs from the device you are using. On the other hand, this time it is much simpler.
- Connect to Google Maps from any browser
- Enter your business address or name in the search bar and choose the right one.
- Click on “Manage your business profile”
From this page, you have the option to edit your profile from top to bottom. On the left is all the options, like “Edit Profile”, “Add Photo”, and many more. On the right is a preview of your profile as it appears on Google.
- Open the Google Maps app on your device
- Enter your business address or name in the search bar and choose the right one.
Under the different tabs you have the option to modify your profile from top to bottom. For example, under the “Overview” tab, the “Edit Profile” option allows you to edit the address, phone number, website, etc. of your company. If you want to add a photo, just go to the “Photos” tab and click on “Add Photo”.
Need help putting your business on the map?
Josée Barrette
I started working in the web industry in 2005 as a project manager/coordinator. Subsequently, I led production teams and project managers. In 2014, I decided to put my knowledge and experience at the service of small businesses and self-employed workers.