Congratulations, you’re ready to claim your Google My Business listing and improve your local SEO! Claiming and Optimizing your Google My Business listing is crucial, and helps your business get found online! Your Google My Business listing determines what information is shown in Google Search results and on Google Maps.
After you claim your Google My Business listing you can update your business information, including your website, address, and phone number. This will increase your chances of being found online!
You’ll also be able to add photos and hours of operation. All of these things will contribute to your local SEO, and make it easier for customers to find information about your business on Google!
3 Easy Steps to Claim Your Google My Business Listing
1. Search Google for your Business
An example of a Google My Business listing, along with the link to claim ownership.
The first step is to see if your business already has a listing on Google. Many listings are generated automatically based on information found across the web.
If your listing exists, you just need to claim ownership! After you claim your Google My Business listing, make sure that the information is accurate and kept up-to-date.
Searching for your company name and city on Google will often show your business listing (if there is one). If it exists already, it will appear to the right of the search results (on a desktop computer) and there will be a link below the phone number that says “Own this business?”
Proceed to step 2 if you see your listing. Otherwise, click here to create a new Google My Business Listing.
2. Verify Ownership
To claim your listing and verify ownership, click the link on your listing that says “Own this business?” Confirm that you’re authorized to manage the business, then click Continue.
Follow the prompts to verify your business. You may need to verify your address by receiving a PIN number in the mail. If this is the case, you can proceed to update your business information. Google will publish your changes after you verify using the PIN provided in the mail.
3. Confirm your Business Information
After you’ve claimed your listing, you’ll need to verify that your business name, address, and phone number are correct. Make sure this information matches the information found on your website, and any other online profiles. If you have multiple locations, you should have a Google My Business listing for each one.
Don’t forget to add your website URL! This will link your domain to your business listing, and make it easy for customers to get to your website.
Select a business category, update your hours of operation, and upload images of your business to your listing. I recommend uploading as many high-quality pictures of your business as you can. You can include your logo as well. Google will typically select the photo that best represents your business. That could be a food photo if you own a restaurant, or an exterior photo if you have a retail storefront. Here are a few tips to choosing photos that Google will approve:
- Don’t use stock photos or images with text.
- Use high-resolution photos of your business location, product, or service.
- Make sure the file size of each image is under 5MB.
That’s It!
Whether you’re claiming an existing listing or creating a new one, you can use the tips above to ensure the listing is complete and shows accurate information for your business. You can add “special” hours of operation to your listing if you’re closed on a holiday, which helps avoid unhappy customers showing up to a closed business!
Updating your Google My Business listing is a great start, but there’s more to your online presence than that. If you want to get an edge on your competition, you should consider Search Engine Marketing. Advertising on Google through an authorized Google Partner can help put your business at the TOP of Google…ahead of all your competitors! Refined Impact is a certified Google Partner, and has a team of marketing experts that can help you get new customers and increase your revenue! Contact us today to learn how we can help your business!
