That’s right! Claiming your Google My Business listing won’t cost you a cent, and neither will updating it on a regular basis. List your website, phone number, hours of operation, services, and products, upload professional photographs for customers to see, read and respond to reviews, and more!

An essential step in any local Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) strategy is to claim and then verify your Google My Business listing. Google My Business listings occupy prime real estate in the search results page on Google, and as such customers are more likely to find you and more likely to make their way to your website. The listings appear in the Knowledge Panel, a valuable and highly visible space on the right-hand side of the screen on desktop devices or right at the top on mobile devices. Google My Business listings also appear in ‘The Local Pack’ in Google search results – a set of 3 local business results together with a map of their locations pulled from Google Maps, and on Google Maps itself.

Two of the best features on Google My Business are the Services Editor and Product Editor. The Services Editor allows certain businesses to list available services on their profile along with a 300-character description and a price. To keep them organised and to make it as simple as possible for users, group your services into predefined or customised sections. For hotels and lodges, list services such as spa treatments and activities. Along a similar vein, the Product Editor provides merchants with the ability to showcase their products and consequently drive customer interaction. Products are also separated out into categories and must include a photo and name. Setting the price and description of each product is optional but encouraged!

Maintaining an accurate, detailed, and up-to-date listing helps put your best business face forward. Uploading relevant and striking photos gives your customers an idea of just what your hotel has to offer. Setting your logo and a cover photo that best represents your business and writing out a thorough description lends to a professional appearance online. As Google says itself: “Businesses that verify their information with Google My Business are twice as likely to be considered reputable by consumers.”

Google My Business listings enable hotels and other businesses to engage with existing and potential customers through Google Reviews quickly and easily. Not only do reviews influence the way customers think about your business, they can also help or hinder your local search ranking.

Over the past two years, Google has overtaken sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp to become the number 1 site for online reviews. According to ReviewTrackers, “64 percent of consumers say they are likely to check reviews on Google before visiting a business”, that’s more than any other review site. For customers with an existing Google account, there’s not much friction to leave a review as you’re more than likely already signed in. These reviews can be viewed and responded to using Google My Business and provide valuable feedback for your business. Regularly replying to them builds trust amongst your customer base, helps your business appear more professional, and lends itself to legitimacy.

Now that we’ve answered the question “how to get your business listed on Google“, are you ready to get started? Find out how to claim your Profile here, or simply get in touch with us and we’ll give you a hand.