If you have your own business, you know the importance of having a Google My Business profile.
A Google My Business (GMB) listing is the first point of visibility and connection to a potential customer. Approximately 80% of all searches for a business provider happen on Google[1].
As per a recent report, approximately 60% of smartphone users contacted businesses directly through the click to call option listed on the Google My Business (GMB) profile online[2].
In the online-dominated world of today, with COVID-19 increasing the use of online searches and shopping to a huge extent, creating a GMB profile is no longer an option, it is a must-have!
A GMB profile can help you do all of the following and much more:
- It is the first point where customers notice you and your business as well as the essential information required to connect for future business.
- With Google Maps integration, a GMB listing can help customers easily locate your business from any handheld device.
- The customer reviews listed under your GMB profile lend immediate credibility to your business, propelling the customers further in your favour.
- It can improve your local SEO rankings.
- You can regularly make updates/changes to the information you want customers to see.
- You can write a brief description about your business/offerings to connect with the customers.
- You can notify your customers of any changes in your business working hours/days.
Along with the host of benefits that a GMB profile can offer your business, be it traditional, online, or a hybrid one, did you also know that a GMB profile is a free listing and that you can update it on the go from an app? This means that you can control/manage your businesses’ appearance on Google search results!
Additionally, you can also do the following:
- Track site visits and calls
- Use visuals to showcase your products/services
- Encourage customers to write reviews for you
- Send updated services/products listings to customers
While having a GMB profile has become imperative in a business of any size today, you must also be aware of the common problems that can occur in your GMB profile. There was a time when GMB was basic and helped you improve your noticeability factor online. However, with the host of updates/add-ons being made, the chances of a few issues occurring in your Google My Business profile are also there. Being aware of the possible issues will help you quickly address them with the help of a digital marketing expert when required.
Here are some of the likely Google My Business issues that can stand in the way of you and your potential customers:
- Your GMB profile is incomplete.
- Your GMB business content is out of date.
- You are in the wrong business category.
- You have too many GMB listings.
- You have little or no reviews on your GMB profile.
- There are spammy/fake competitor listings bringing down your ratings.
- Your GMB profile has been suspended.
- You are receiving negative reviews.
- Someone else has claimed ownership of your GMB listing.
- You are unable to add posts to your GMB listing.
Solution: Go through the Let us look at these Google My Business issues that you may be dealing with in detail and the solutions that can help you address them.
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Your GMB profile is incomplete.
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Your GMB business content is out of date.
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You are in the wrong business category.
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You have too many GMB listings.
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You have little or no reviews on your GMB profile.
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There are spammy/fake competitor listings bringing down your ratings.
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Your GMB profile has been suspended.
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You are receiving negative reviews.
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Someone else has claimed ownership of your GMB listing.
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You are unable to add posts to your GMB listing.
Overview: Apart from the basic name and information fields, there are several other options that GMB provides that can elevate your search engine rankings.
Solution: Ensure that you have filled all the fields and added any additional information along with relevant social media links.
Overview: The point of having a GMB profile is to be able to connect with customers constantly. What if your content is out of date or lacking the necessary information? Or maybe the competitor has been continuously optimizing his content!
Solution: Ensure that you have comprehensive keyword research in place to help you use optimized content to get your search engine rankings high.
Overview: Google has thousands of different business categories for you to be a part of. Being in the right one automatically means that you have better online visibility, and well, being in the wrong one, naturally means the opposite.
Solution: Undertake a comprehensive keyword research to understand which category you best fit into, and then ensure that your content is also optimized accordingly.
Overview: Do you have multiple GMB listings for your different locations? If you have created different listings for different locations, there may be an inconsistency in the way the information for your business appears.
Solution: Follow the Google guidelines for Google My Business for chains.
Overview: One of the strongest assurances of credibility that customers come across on online platforms are customer reviews. What if you have none, few, or you have not made it a practice to respond to the ones that you get?
Solution: Encourage happy customers to leave reviews for you, link the reviews that you get on other social media pages to your GMB listing, and make it a habit to regularly respond to the reviews left for you.
Overview: Have you come across GMB listings that have your name or any of the information, or perhaps a watchword stuffed business name?
Solution: You can either use the Suggest an alter connect and make the changes to the phony listing, which will be reviewed/approved by Google; or you can contact Google with The Redressal Form to dispute the issue.
Overview: If you have not adhered to Google guidelines and have created posts that flout some of the regulations, you may find that your GMB account has been suspended.
guidelines in detail, make the necessary changes to your listing, and then ask for a restoration or reestablishment of your GMB listing. You may need to show the requisite proof that you have made the required changes.
Overview: Have you had an ex-employee or someone with whom you have a conflict of interest leave you a negative review?
Solution: If you find that an ex-employee has left you a negative review, you can click on the review from your GMB dashboard and delete it. If Google does not approve the deletion, contact Google My Business support, and they will review the post.
Overview: You may have either forgotten your GMB login or maybe in a situation where you know someone has hacked the account and claimed ownership.
Solution: You can visit https://google.com/business and click on Manage Now option to follow the different options to address the issue at hand. At any point in the whole exercise, you also have the option of contacting Google My Business support.
Overview: Every once in a while, you may get a reject notice for your posts as they violate guidelines.
Solution: Make the necessary changes to the content as per the guidelines and resubmit the post.
Managing your GMB profile from an app may be click-of-a-button simple. At times though, you may realize that a lot of the issues are cropping up due to a lack of knowledge of the workings of digital marketing or the lack of a clear SEO strategy. Whatever be your GMB needs – claiming, reclaiming your listing; linking social media posts to your GMB profile; creating a channel of communication for your reviews; keeping track of site visits and calls; ensuring that the content is optimized and updated; or anything else pertaining to your online brand visibility, contact Emvento.
We understand that as a small business owner, you are dealing and prioritizing a lot of different tasks simultaneously. Our team of digital marketing experts can work with you to ensure that your Google My Business listing is completely optimized for digital marketing success!
Visit https://www.emvento.com/ and schedule a free 30-minute consultation before you make up your mind. You can also call us on +1-9035089155 or leave us an email at info@emvento.com. We will get back to you.
FAQs
What are GMB profiles?
Business owners can use the Google My Business tool to manage the visibility of the business on search and on Google Maps. The GMB profile becomes the first point of contact with prospective customers who are looking for you online.
You can create your own GMB profile by going onto www.google.com/business. This is a free tool for all business owners.
How do I optimize my GMB profile?
Visit your GMB dashboard, fill all the fields and complete all the details. Craft a clear yet comprehensive business description and select an appropriate business category. Be banal about adding the right information including the content, videos, photos, etc., and getting good reviews.
Why is GMB so important for business owners today?
With a GMB profile, you can control and manage your businesses’ appearance on Google search results. It can help you with the following:
- It is the first point where customers notice you and your business as well as the essential information required to connect for future business.
- With Google Maps integration, a GMB listing can help customers easily locate your business from any handheld device.
- The customer reviews listed under your GMB profile lend an immediate credibility to your business, propelling the customers further in your favour.
- It can improve your local SEO rankings.
- You can regularly make updates/changes to the information you want customers to see.
- You can write a brief description about your business/offerings to connect with the customers.
- You can notify your customers of any changes in your business operational hours/days.
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What do I do if I have issues with my Google My Business profile or listings?
Take a look at the solutions listed in the article or contact Google support on https://support.google.com/business.
[1] https://www.netmarketshare.com/search-engine-market-share.
