Digital Marketing using Google Services

4 Google My Business

Here is the Google Search result for the search term “Yoga classes in Chennai”. Refer Snapshot 4.1 (C & D). C is called Local Business Results and D shows Map results.

Snapshot 4.1: Local Business Results (C) & Maps (D)
To get your business listed in the local business results of Google Search, registering your business in Google My Business is necessary.
When a user looks up for a local business by indicating a specific location in their search terms, Google prioritizes the local businesses registered in Google My Business.

If you are selling a product or maintaining a brand or performing a service, registering your business in Google MyBusiness is a vital part. Cataloguing your business with Google is by far the simplest way to get into Google search results.

To make your website listed in localized search results, you should add your business in Google MyBusiness.

Adding a Business: Step 1:Go to www.google.co.in/business/ and click on “Get on Google”. Login with your Gmail ID and Password.

Snapshot 4.2 Sign Up

Step 2: Once you sign into Google MyBusiness, a page similar to the one below appears. Click on theGet your PageButton to proceed (Snapshot 4.3).
Note: In some cases, you won’t be shown this page, you can directly go to Step 3.

Snapshot 4.3 Get your page

Step 3:Choose your Business Type (Snapshot 4.4): “Shop or Service or Brand”. For Shop and Service, address verification is needed. For Brand, you will receive only phone verification.

Snapshot 4.4 Choose Business Type

Step 4: Start typing your business name in the search bar and choose “Let me enter the full business details”. In this case, I wanted to add our Organisation IIMWA. I searched for IIMWA (Snapshot 4.5).

Snapshot 4.5 Search for your New Business

Step 5: Enter Name of your business & address (Snapshot 4.6). Address field is tricky. At times, you get errors for your Street Address (as shown in Snapshot 4.7). Try various combinations for your Address field to locate your correct address.

Snapshot 4.6 Business Details

Snapshot 4.7: Address Error

You may want keep trying by splitting up the Address Field by Adding lines using “add line” link.

Category Field : Start typing & choose closely matching category for your business.
After successfully entering your address, phone number & category, submit your information.

Step 6:Authorize that you manage this business and agree to terms (Snapshot 4.7). Click on “Mail me my code” to initiate the Postal Card Verification Process (Snapshot 4.8).

Note: Please do not delay by clicking on “Continue and Verify Later” link in Snapshot 4.8. Initiate the verification process right away using “Mail me my Code”.

Snapshots 4.7 and 4.8 Confirm and Verify your Business (Postal Card Verification)

Step 7: Enter your name and click on “Send postcard” (Snapshot 4.9). A postal card will be delivered to the mentioned address with a verification code. Postal Card should arrive in 1 to 2 weeks. Make sure to collect the postal card and enter the Verification Code within 30 Days.

Snapshots 4.9 & 4.10 Initiate the Postal Card Verification process

Step 8: Click on Continue in “Postcard Sent” screen (Snapshot 4.10). It takes you to your Google MyBusiness page for your business (Snapshot 4.11). Click on “Enter code” to enter verification code. Continue with Step 9.

Snapshot 4.11 Enter Code

Step 9: If you have received your Postal Card, enter the verification code and Submit. Your business will be listed as Verified Business.

Snapshot 4.12 Submit your Verification Code

Note: If you are yet to receive your Postal Card, wait for 1 to 2 weeks. You may come back to this step any time by Clicking on “Enter Code” (refer Step 8 above). Proceed with other steps.

Adding Detailed Business Information:
Login to www.google.co.in/business/ and click on “Sign In”. Use your Gmail ID and Password to login.
Click on Manage Your Page. It opens up your Google MyBusiness Page (Snapshot 4.12).

Snapshot 4.12 Google MyBusiness Page

Click on “Edit” (Snapshot 4.12) to add more information about your Business.

Snapshot 4.13 Contact Info, Category, Hours
Contact Info(Snapshot 4.13): Click on Edit and Add Phone Number, Website and Email Category: Add specific categories Hours: Add Hours of operation Maps & Search Photos: Add photos and certificates
Introduction: Add detailed introduction about your business. Make sure to mention your core business keywords.

Once done with your basic details, it's time to engage your visitors & customers through this Google MyBusiness Page.

Engage your visitors and customers
Login to your Google MyBusiness Page here www.google.co.in/business/ and click on Manage Page.

If you scroll down, you will see this “g+ Share” (Snapshot 4.14) section. You will be able to post Text Updates, Photos, Website Links, Business Videos and Events.

Snapshot 4.14 g+ Share

Start sharing new updates, videos and events through this page. Consider this as your mini website and be very active in posting new updates about your business. Make it a practice to post at least one business update every week.

If you further scroll down on your MyBusiness page, you will see Reviews (Snapshot 4.15)

Snapshot 4.15 Reviews

Reviews are the key for your business success. Encourage your customers to leave a review on your page. As you get more reviews, your business information will be displayed with star ratings which attract users' attention.

How do I ask my customers to leave a review?
Send an email to your customers asking for their experience and rating for your business by providing your Google MyBusiness Page URL. What is my Google MyBusiness Page URL? To get your URL, follow these steps:

Place your cursor in the Top Left Corner of your MyBusiness Page (as shown in Snapshot 4.16). It opens up the Main Menu.
Click on “Google+ Page”.
Copy the URL and send it to your Customers. Ex.

Ask them to open the URL and Click on “Reviews” Tab to leave a review about your business.

Snapshot 4.16 Main Menu

Get Custom Google MyBusiness Page URL

Usually the URL for Google MyBusiness Page will be lengthy. Ex.

To have a meaningful and short URL, Google provides Custom URL for your MyBusiness Page (if you are eligible). To acquire custom URL, go to your Google MyBusiness Page, open your Google+ Page from Main Menu and Click on “About” Tab. If you scroll down, you will see “Get your custom URL” section. Click onGet URLand follow the phone verification process to acquire your custom URL.

For example, you can access LocSea’s MyBusiness page using www.google.com/+LocSea. It is very easy to remember Custom URL. So acquire one for your business.

Google Search Result Page for your business:
If you type your business name in Google Search, it shows your Business Address from MyBusiness and also Maps Location (Snapshot 4.17). This is possible only if you add your business in Google MyBusiness.

Snapshot 4.17 Google MyBusiness (Search Page with Business Address & Maps)

Adding Multiple Business Locations Do you have multiple branches? If more than one business places to be added for your business, the following would do the trick.

Go to Google MyBusiness home page: www.google.co.in/business/ and Sign in.

Click on “Manage Multiple Locations? Use Google My Business Locations” link and start adding multiple locations.