5 ways to maximize your business using Google My Business listing

Circleboom
9 min readMay 30, 2021

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Google My Business Listings are quite important in showing up on the Google Knowledge graph on the right of the page or local search results via Google Maps.

Google optimizes its search results pages for users, making them as convenient and simple as possible. Here, Google aims to eliminate the need for users to ever exit the search results page by providing the best results to their users.

Several factors are known or at least presumed to affect Google My Business Listing results. Before focusing on factors that affect Google My Business listing optimization, let’s learn how to claim your Google My Business listing.

How to claim Google My Business listing

If you have still not claimed your GMB listing so far, the first step is to create or claim your GMB listing.

So, if you want local searchers to find your Business, you will need a Google My Business (GMB) listing that’s optimized and correct.
So, if you want local searchers to find your Business, you will need a Google My Business (GMB) listing that’s optimized and correct.

To find the Business Profile you wish to ask ownership of, you should use one of the following methods:

  • To get going, go to business.google.com/add.
  • Type name and address of the Business, then choose it from the list of results.
  • Options will display when you write in your company name. If a listing currently exists that matches your company’s name and location, select it.
  • “Claim this Business” option can be located in the Business Profile section of the website.
  • If not, go to the top of the page and select “create a business with this name” to start a new listing. You will be asked for your business address, phone number, company name, service areas, and other information.
  • As the next step, verify your company using the Google guidelines (mostly via direct mail, or if your Business is eligible, via phone or email)

Use our guide to set up your Google My Business listing if you are starting from scratch.

How to claim Google My Business Listing on Google Maps?

Click on “Own this business” if it is the one
Click on “Own this business” if it is the one
  • Click on the “Own this business” button below if your Business appears on Maps and not in search results or is seen as unclaimed property.
  • Then Google will direct you to your Gmail account’s log-in page, where you will complete the procedures to authenticate your address and information, as well as the verification stage to claim this Google My Business Listing.
  • The verification process can be realized through postcard, email or phone verification.
  • Choose the option to verify your Business (usually, mail by postcard is offered), and it may last 14 days to receive the mail which inherits the verification code.

Google My Business Optimization Factors to Consider

The “Local 3 Pack,” which consists of the top three relevant GMB listings with a map, presents a list of local businesses based on a search made. This result appears at the very top of the page of search results.

Distance

Users looking for local companies around them usually want the nearest options; therefore, Google will look at your location to see how far away you are. Yet, you don’t have to be the closest to win the top rankings all of the time; relevancy and prominence play a key role.

Relevance

To be relevant to the user’s search query, your company must match what they’re looking for. The importance of choosing your business category is understood in terms of relevance. Because you always want to be found by the correct searchers — like in the “restaurants near me” or pizza “restaurants near me” search example.

Prominence

Prominence is a more difficult factor to influence because it refers to how well proven and known your company is, in other words, the quality of your company. Google’s top factors in determining your business’s quality are Good Reviews, Quality Backlinks, User Experience, and Local Citations.

How to optimize your Google My Business listing?

As much as setting up and verifying your Google My Business listing, the way you manage and optimize it matters. Like any other social media platform you use for different marketing and sales purposes, GMB listing requires effort for optimization.

1. Filling in the blanks in all of the sections of “Info”

When you arrive at the GMB homepage, turn to the left-hand side menu to begin Google My Business optimization.

Here you will find the “Info” button; click it and carefully fill out your details. We’ll do our best to help you through the processes below.

Info tab includes all fundamental business details
Info tab includes all fundamental business details
  • Categories

The essential stage in introducing your business to Google indexes is to categorize your GMB listing. Because based on your category, you can choose qualities, deliverables, and other associated service facilities.

There are a lot of categories to choose from, so be precise and explicit when doing so. Under your business name, you will notice “categories.”

Your categories should be informative both for clients and Google bots

Categories can be enriched and detailed through primary and additional category selections.

Categories are directly related to relevance of your business when getting ranking
Categories are directly related to the relevance of your business when getting ranking
  • Google My Business description for SEO

Even if you don’t have an “about us” section that may include additional information, Google My Business wants to add a brief description that is important for Google My Business SEO. On Google Maps, this description will appear just beneath your name.

Focus on the words that have ranking potential and are related to your niche
  • Links, numbers, addresses, and attributes

Working hours, website address, appointment address (if applicable to your business), and qualities should all be filled out in the “Info” tab.

Focus on the words that have ranking potential and related to your niche

With Attributes, which can be found in the red box at the bottom of the above image, you may provide more information about your company.

Add business-specific attributes here

2. Start working on Google My Business posts

Your Google My Business posts, unlike those for the other major social platforms, are targeted towards people who are already looking for you or the businesses nearby that offer similar services or products you have. Yet you are still competing with all GMB listings in your niche.

All you have to do is state the facts and information about your company, products, and services using the greatest copy and visuals possible.

GMB offers different post formats when creating a post

Including your Google My Business profile in your social media schedule is well worth the time and work.

How to schedule posts on Google My Business?

With Circleboom Social Media Publisher, you can now create and schedule content on Google My Business and do not need to overthink about your social media plan!

So, how to schedule posts on Google My Business?

Step #1: To use Circleboom Publish, you must first log in.

If you do not already have a Circleboom account, you can create one in under a minute.

Login Circleboom account or create new one in seconds
Login Circleboom account or create new one in seconds

Step #2: You will find account options for Twitter, Facebook, Google My Business, and also Instagram once you have reached the Circleboom Publish dashboard.

Select Google My Business from the drop-down menu.

Circleboom social media scheduler works with several social media platforms as seen on the left side menu
Circleboom social media scheduler works with several social media platforms as seen on the left side menu

Step #3: To connect your Google My Business page to Circleboom Publish’s smart dashboard, you must first complete the authorization stage.

In a matter of seconds, your GMB account will be connected to the Circleboom dashboard.

You will sync your Google account to start posting on Google My Business.

Step #4: After you have connected your Google My Business page or pages, go to the left-hand bar and click “Create New Post” to launch Circleboom Publish’s Google My Business social media calendar.

Also, consider that you can use various tools to produce and schedule content for Google My Business.

Here you can create or find content and then schedule it days ahead
Here you can create or find content and then schedule it days ahead

Create a New Post: Using Circleboom Publish’s exclusive, built-in APIs for Unsplash, Giphy, and Canva, you can create and edit your posts.

When you click on Create New Post, you can add images and edit them through Circleboom Publish’s Canva extension!
When you click on Create New Post, you can add images and edit them through Circleboom Publish’s Canva extension!

Discover Articles: In 11 different languages, you may curate industry, business, and news items from 200,000 sources all over the web.

With article curation feature, you can post Google My Business updates regularly.
With the article curation feature, you can post Google My Business updates regularly.

Connect RSS Feeds: You may connect your preferred RSS Feeds to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google My Business, and Instagram to establish an RSS automation!

If you have your website RSS or other related ones, why not automating them to post on Google My Business?
If you have your website RSS or other related ones, why not automating them to post on Google My Business?

Step #5: Select your Google My Business profile from the Create New Post screen.

You might want to consider using the extra profile feature to create numerous Google My Business profiles and post simultaneously (up to 5 in Pro subscription).

After creating post, select the account you want to post to.
After creating a post, select the account you want to post to.
  • Additionally, you can create Google My Business Listing groups such as client accounts and go to the “Select Group” option to post simultaneously.
It is possible to create GMB listing groups and choose to post to all accounts.
It is possible to create GMB listing groups and choose to post to all accounts.

Step #6: After you’ve chosen the account or accounts you’d like to post to, you can compose your posts and preview them on the right!

When you are finished, you may schedule your Google My Business posts or add them to Queue using the icons just under the Post Preview and going for the option to post to Google My Business directly.

Scheduling Google My Business posts will relieve your to-do-list!
Scheduling Google My Business posts will relieve your to-do list!

3. Add Products and Services to Google My Business Listing

You can add your items/services to the GMB listing just like you would on an e-commerce website or a traditional website that lists your products and services.

This step will put you ahead of the pack regarding Google My Business optimization compared to those who do not.

Adding products can bring more conversions.

You can add the name of the product or service, the price range, the category, and the product description when you create items, allowing you to leverage more keywords in your niche and providing more specific information to Google for indexing and, eventually, ranking criteria.

4. Video and Photo Uploads

You can add more professional photos here in addition to the user-generated content that your visitors contribute.

These can be 360-degree views, exterior views, professional product or menu item shots, team photos, or anything else you may think of.

Choose your GMB images carefully because they are a reflection of your business, service, and products.
Choose your GMB images carefully because they are a reflection of your business, service, and products.

5. Pay attention to your Reviews

Getting positive reviews is important for everyone who sells products or services online or uses the internet as a secondary channel.

Google Reviews influence prospect customer decisions deeply

And, currently, its significance extends beyond e-commerce websites; now, any business or small business, including those that provide services in a neighborhood, can benefit from Reviews in terms of Google Maps ranking and actual sales.

Furthermore, GMB reviews will appear when someone searches for your business on Google Maps API-enabled websites. Consider hotel or service comparison websites; they can also retrieve data from your Google Map reviews.

Wrapping up

Efforts to optimize Google My Business will not be futile. They’ll help you improve your local search rankings, impressions, and website traffic over time.

Making an effort to optimize your Google My Business and take advantage of its benefits is easier than ever with easy-to-use tools like Circleboom social media scheduler!

Originally published at https://blog.circleboom.com on May 30, 2021.

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