Nothing is more important to the online visibility of a local small business than Google My Business (GMB). Over time, it has become an even more critical factor in search.
In a Google My Business insights study, 84% of business searches were “discovery searches” where the person searched by type of business — not your business name.
With Google dominating search, it is essential for businesses to optimize and engage in their Google My Business profiles.
Here is the video replay of the live Webinar presentation by GMB Platinum Product Expert Ben Fisher:
Ben is co-founder of Steady Demand, an Austin, Texas based SEO agency specializing in Local SEO. He is one of only 14 experts answering questions for Google.
Review the presentation and watch the video replay to find out how to get the most leads and customers from your GMB listing.
What is Google My Business?
According to Google:
Google My Business is a free and easy-to-use tool for businesses and organizations to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. To help customers find your business, and to tell them your story, you can verify your business and edit your business information.
In our last Webinar about Local SEO Ranking Factors, we saw the importance of GMB had grown over time:
The chart above shows the results of the Whitespark Local Search Ranking Factors survey.
Local SEO experts believe that the estimated importance of GMB has grown from 20% in 2013 to 33% today.
Why Google My Business is More Important in 2021
Part of the reason for the growing importance of GMB is that it has grown from a basic listing to much more:
- Google posts — 300 word posts with an image
- Customers tab for messages, reviews and followers
- Public Q&As — customers ask questions and your business replies to them
- Services menu
- Add a booking button so customers can book an appointment right on GMB
- Photos and videos
- Website builder — and if you have your own website elsewhere, link it from GMB
Google once relied on citations to confirm that a company was still in business. With all these new activities happening on your GMB business, they don’t need to anymore.
Best Google My Business Strategy
We encourage small businesses to watch the replay of this webinar to find out how they can get the most value out of using Google My Business.
If you are not actively managing your GMB account, you are definitely losing out on income you could be receiving.
We are very fortunate to have the very accomplished GMB expert Ben Fisher to share with us his best strategies.
Additional BizSugar Live Webinar Replays:
- BizSugar Live: How to Promote a Local Small Business with Ann Smarty
- Local SEO Ranking Factors with Darren Shaw of Whitespark
- SEO Basics for Online Small Businesses with Darren DeMatas of Orbit Local
- Are Featured Snippets Your Key to Getting More Traffic? with Ann Smarty
We hope to see you at all our BizSugar Live Events. Register for upcoming webinars now to receive the video replays and presentations via email.
Loved how well you explained Google My Business.
Can you share some tips to get more clients via google my business. I will wait for update.
Thanks in advance.
Mike
Hi Mike,
If you register for this event, you will be emailed the presentation and replay video. It will contain all kinds of tips and strategies for getting more clients using Google My Business.
I would also recommend you watch the video replay of the event prior to this on Local SEO Ranking Factors and Citations.
Loved how well you explained the importance of Google My Business in 2021. Will it affect the listing ranking in any way if I use more words in the GMB post?
Hi Chahat,
Watch the replay of the presentation (video in this post). He answered that during the event.
Can you share some tips to get more clients via google my business. I will wait for update. Thanks in advance.
Hi Jain,
You can see the presentation slides now in this post. But the video replay would be the most helpful. It should be edited and available soon.
Found interesting and useful for us.
Is is possible for us to generate leads through GMB account?
Hi,
The short answer is yes. Check out the presentation and the replay video in this post to see how.
yes, we generate large amounts of clients via our multiple GMB accounts. I should also add that we find Ben and his work very vital.
Really it is an useful article for entrepreneurs
I recently read an article by Darren stating he felt citations were still far more important than they are currently being given credit…. do you agree?
Hi Raphy,
Citations are definitely still important. You can watch the video replay and see Darren’s presentation where he talked about them at Local SEO Ranking Factors and Citations with Darren Shaw of Whitespark.
Hii there, the way you have described Google my business and how to optimize it is really very commendable.
With Google’s algorithm changing so frequently, how much of this can still apply? Is there a best way to keep up with all these changes?