Google is always evolving and the latest changes with Google My Business are huge for local business owners.

Google+ Goes Bye Bye

As you may recall, Google had a product they called Google+. It was their effort to create a social platform. It never took hold. Facebook and Twitter held that position and Google never got any real traction with it. Call it “Social Media Fatigue” but people were not willing to have yet another social media platform to keep up with and where they needed to post their lives. In August of 2018 Google reported a hacking of the Google+ database and with that found their excuse to announce the ending of Google+.

Google+ Lessons Learned

From Google+, Google learned some big things. One thing they learned is that they can own business owners online like no one else. Facebook is social, Twitter is news breaking, Google is business!  The Google search platform is incredibly valuable to every business and business owner. The Google My Business (formerly known as Google Places) information was the entry portal into Google maps and Google reviews (perhaps the most valuable assets).

Google My Business Social Changes

Google has incorporated some of the social aspects of Facebook and Twitter like encouraging posting about your business, making offers, featured offers and more. They have also provided expanded areas to talk about your products and services, photo areas for you and your customers to post about your business.

Optimizing Your GMB (Google My Business)

Your company can optimize your GMB quickly and easily. Just start at the top and complete every section available. Google My Business sections can vary slightly from listing to listing but generally the sections to complete are:

• Posts – start posting! Google wants you to do this and do it regularly.
• Info – this is a large section and perhaps the most important to complete accurately and carefully. This is all your business address, website, phone, hours, products and services, descriptions and photo’s.
• Reviews – this section is where you go to respond to reviews and YOU SHOULD! Every review, good and bad should be recognized by the business. A hearty thank you if positive and if not, some recognition and response also.
• Messaging – turn on this feature to be notified if someone tries to reach you via text through the GMB
• Photo’s – this is where you can add lots of photo’s of your business, your customers, your products and more. Load it up with images you took. Avoid stock images here – keep it real.
• Website – this is a new area that may become more valuable and useful in the future. We guess Google has big plans for this. Right now it’s not too compelling of a website but Google likes things that keep users in the Google system and this does that. More on Google Websites soon.
• Create an Ad – this redirects you to the Google Adwords area that Google would love to make simple and effective for business owners. Anyone who has built an ad campaign in Google knows “it’s complicated”. They are working hard to make it easier and more effective for the average Joe to execute. Still a ways to go here too…

This article could be a book if there was time to write it. Google My Business opportunities for your business are evolving and now is the time to get in there and max it out. Start making it a part of your marketing strategy because most people are not…but Google wants it to be.

If you need help maximizing your GMB, this is a big part of what we do and we can help. Give us a call and we can put together a plan just for your business. We are experienced Denver SEO providers and full service digital marketers.