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What is Google My Business?

update date:2024.06.19

release date:2024.06.19

Google My Business is a free online service provided by Google that has become an important tool for making local businesses and stores more visible on the Internet. The platform allows you to manage your business information in Google search results and on Google Maps, as well as providing you with information that is important to grow your business.

By using Google My Business, businesses can increase their online presence, attract customers, and increase sales. In this segment we will discuss the main features as well as the  benefits of Google My Business.

Key Features and Benefits of Google My Business

Management of business information

Google My Business allows you to easily manage basic information about your business and how it will appear in search results for your potential customers. This includes information such as name of business, address, phone number, and hours of operation making it easier for customers to find your business (storefront) by displaying accurate and up-to-date information in their search results and on maps.

Manage Reviews

User created reviews are very important to showcase your company’s reputation, and Google My Business allows you to track and respond to them. Having good reviews allows for increased sales and improvement in search rankings for your business. Show your appreciation for good reviews with thank you messages, and take appropriate action if there are problems. This will increase credibility and customer satisfaction.

Publicize your business information.

Google My Business also allows you to add photos, videos, and even share special promotions and event information giving you a competitive edge over your competitors by providing more attractive information to your customers.

Retrieving Analytical Data

The Google My Business dashboard gives you access to detailed analytical data about your store. This includes information such as the number of visits, clicks, and reviews to your store website. This is a very useful feature because it allows you to monitor the effectiveness of your marketing strategy and identify areas for improvement.

Google My Business is a powerful tool to strengthen a business’s online presence

It is essential for local businesses and stores in particular to attract local customers.
To use Google My Business, follow these steps to set up your business profile.

  1. Create or sign in to your Google account: You will need a Google account to use Google My Business. If you already have an account, please sign in. If you do not have an account, create a new one.
  2. Enter business information: Once you have logged in to Google My Business, enter basic information about your business. Be sure to enter the exact name, address, phone number, and hours of operation for your business. This will ensure that the correct information is displayed in search results and on maps.
  3. Enter Additional Information: Once you have entered your basic information, add photos and videos. Post attractive images and promotional videos to showcase your store to customers.
  4. Manage reviews: Google My Business allows you to respond to reviews from users. Send thank-you messages for good reviews, and respond appropriately to problems and complaints. The most important thing is to communicate with your customers and build a relationship of trust.
  5. Review Analytics: From the Google My business dashboard, you can view your store’s performance data. Analyze the data such as the number of visits, clicks, and reviews to understand the improvements and results of your store.

How to effectively attract customers with Google My Business: What is the secret to a high search ranking on Google Maps?

This section explains the key points of Google Maps top search rankings using Google My Business. It then explains what you need to do to achieve a high Google Maps ranking and increase your business’s visibility and effectiveness in attracting customers.

Starting with the basic settings of Google My Business, what do you need to do to get a higher search ranking on Google Maps?

Basic Settings for Google My Business
First, let’s review the basic settings for Google My Business. First, you need to create a Google My Business account and register your business information. Information to be registered includes store name, address, phone number, business hours, and description of products and services. This information will be displayed when users search for your business, so be sure to register accurate and easy-to-understand information.

How to use Google Maps
Once you have registered your Google My Business, the next step is to familiarize yourself with Google Maps.

Since Google Maps allows users to search for your business on a map, you need to register your company’s information accurately in order to achieve a higher ranking on Google Maps. Specifically, check the markers on the map to make sure your location information is correct. Also, adding photos and videos will help you catch the user’s eye.

Using Word-of-Mouth
Google My Business allows you to collect reviews from users by using the Word-of-Mouth feature. Reviews are useful information for many users because they are accurate information that includes other user’s actual experience and impressions of the service.

To take advantage of the word-of-mouth feature, it is important to actively encourage users to write reviews. Replying to reviews is also a great way to communicate with users and increase their trust in your business.

Localized Customer Attraction Techniques
By fully utilizing Google My Business, you can attract local customers. By performing local SEO, you can set optimal keywords for local users and provide region-specific content.

You can also provide attractive information to local users such as posting event information and distributing coupons. Furthermore, by utilizing the “Post” function of Google My Business, you can send out the latest information such as seasonal  sales/events to deepen your connection with local users, so it is important to actively make use of this function.

That way you can continue to build a relationship of trust and keep attracting customers.

Google My Business, aiming for higher map rankings! How to increase your reviews?

By registering with Google My Business, your business can be found in Google Search results and Google Maps, increasing your chances of attracting customers. However, even after registering with Google My Business, if you do not differentiate your business from others, it will be difficult to get a higher ranking.

For this reason, we would like to introduce how to increase the number of reviews which will result in a higher ranking on Maps with Google My Business.

【How to Increase Reviews】
The more reviews your business has on Google My Business, the more likely it is to get a higher ranking on Maps. The following methods are effective and recommended to increase the number of reviews.

Request reviews directly from users
You can increase the number of reviews by requesting reviews directly from users. When a customer makes a purchase at your store, you may want to include a review request on the receipt or information card.

Be proactive and encourage people to write reviews.

Solicit reviews on social media

You can increase the number of reviews by soliciting review submissions on your company’s social media outlets; you can utilize Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other accounts to encourage your followers to post reviews.

The number of stores utilizing social media has been increasing recently, and if you are not already doing so, we strongly recommend you to take advantage of it.

Run a campaign
You can increase the number of reviews by running a campaign and offering rewards to those who post reviews. For example, offering a discount on a product or offering points toward a rewards program for submitting a review will motivate users to submit reviews.

【The Importance of replies to submitted reviews】
In addition to the number of reviews, the importance of replying to reviews is also increasing. Replies to reviews are very important to promote communication with users and build trust with customers. Replies will also show that the business is a responsible operator.

Here are some key points to consider when replying to a review

Show your appreciation.
First, show your appreciation for submitting the review. By expressing gratitude, you can show that you care about your users’ experience.

Respond to problems in good faith.
If there is a problem with the review, it is important to respond in good faith. Respond to the issue quickly and take appropriate action. By being accommodating when a customer has a problem, you will build trust with that customer as well as future customers.

Offer remedies.
If you can offer a remedy to the problem, you can show the user that you are working to improve. This will promote communication and build trust with your users.

These are the key points on how to increase the number of reviews and the importance of replying to reviews in order to get a higher ranking on Google My Business for your map. Increasing the number of reviews is of course important, but in addition, communicating with users and building a relationship of trust is the key to attracting customers.

Top Ranking Techniques for Google My Business to Attract Customers!

Set the title and category appropriately
When registering your Google My Business, you need to set the title and category of your business. The title of your business should include the name and location of your business.

The category should accurately represent the business’s type of industry.

Enhance the content.
Your Google My Business profile page should include detailed information about your business. Detailed information can include business hours, phone number, website URL, address, and parking availability. Enhancing these details will help users learn more about your business and increase its credibility.

Include photos of your business.
Including photos of your business will give users a good impression of your business. Photos of your business’s interior and exterior, products and services, and staff will help attract users.

For localized businesses on Google My Business, the above techniques will help you get more users to your business. In addition, local information and word of mouth are very important for local businesses. Therefore, in addition to enhancing information on Google My Business, you should also be aware of actively promoting information on local events and news.

Conclusion

By utilizing Google My Business in this way, local businesses and stores can increase their online presence and make more customers aware of their business.

It is essential to update and monitor your business on a daily basis to build relationships with customers and promote business growth. You can also build credibility and reputation by responding appropriately to customer reviews and feedback.

For local businesses and stores especially, utilizing Google My business to increase a business’s online presence is an important way to attract local customers.

We encourage you to take advantage of Google My Business to help your business grow and succeed.