Google, the world’s leading search engine, is providing many resources to help small businesses. They help sales, marketing, and connecting prospects to clients.

Google My Business (GMB) is a free tool provided by Google that helps you enlist your business and business information. This service is for businesses that have a physical location. GMB is now known as Google Business Profiles. It has an interactive and easy-to-navigate user interface. It enables you to manage features like ratings, reviews, and questions, upload pictures/videos about your business products/services and assist prospects/clients locate your business address through Google Maps.

Using Google my business

• Creating a business profile - First, create a google account for your business, you can do that by clicking here, then proceed to create a single local business profile, you can do that here. https://www.google.com/business/ Follow the instructions and make sure you fill out the correct information. Google would request your business name, location, phone number, and photos/videos, ensuring you complete all the fields so your business listing can rank high. You can add special features and attributes such as a tab for booking appointments or placing orders.

• Get your URL - Select the info tab, select ‘view’ on the search tab and copy the URL on the new window, you can now share this URL with prospects and clients, and you can equally upload them to your social media pages.

• Get good reviews on your business profile - The only way to get positive reviews is by providing high-quality service to your clients. Share the review link with clients as part of your ‘thank you’ mail. Respond to their reviews to show that you truly value them, you need to verify your account before you can respond to reviews. Positive reviews and ratings would make your business rank higher on the search engine result page.

• Verify your business account - Verification of your business profile is straightforward. Login to your business profile and click on the ‘get verified’ tab, select phone or SMS based on your preference, answer the call or copy the code sent to your inbox, and enter the code correctly into your profile, you would receive a confirmation notification and you are done with verification.

• Verify your business location - The procedure is easy but the verification takes about 14 days and the verification expires after 30 days. Login to your business profile, select ‘get verified, click on ‘verify by postcard’, and enter the code sent to your mail. Wait for verification within 14 days, in recent years, Google issued a notice that it may take longer due to COVID-19. While waiting do not edit any information on your business profile as it would nullify the verification process.

• Creating your business website - You can create a website for your business using Google My Business at no cost. You do not need prior technical experience before doing this, Google would provide a step-by-step guideline to you. To set it up go to the website tab on your GMB profile, add your business name and business category, select your location preference it is whether you want your business location to appear or not, indicate if your business provides products or services, add your business location, country, phone number, and ZIP code, verify your account and you are ready to use your website. Yes, it’s that easy. Here's how you can generate quality leads https://smartsmssolutions.com/blog/118-sms-marketing/small-business/1586-how-to-generate-quality-leads-for-your-business

GMB is that tool you need to accelerate your foot- traffic and online traffic. Utilize it as soon as you can and increase your earnings. You can also try to explore other Google services for business like Google Analytics and Google Ads. Here are a couple of great ways to increase your business sales. https://smartsmssolutions.com/blog/122-sms-marketing/sales-and-marketing/1551-7-best-online-marketing-tools-for-increased-business-sales

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