Many of our clients use Google My Business (GMB). This is a free account through which they can manage information that shows up on Google’s Local Search Engine Results Page (SERP).

Although it is a useful marketing tool, many don’t know how to make the necessary changes to their business profiles. In turn, this affects their ranking in search results.

Here are 4 steps to take to update your Google My Business profile:

1. Log Into Your Google My Business Account

If you already have a Google My Business account, simply sign in through their website or app. However, if you don’t already have one, you can add or claim your business. Many people get their information from GMB without going to your website, so it’s important that you have a presence on this platform.

Then, verify your Business Profile, so it shows up on Search, Maps, and other Google services. While it is important to verify your GMB by mail, phone, or text, you can hide your address for more privacy. However, you should keep your hours, phone, and location up to date to help potential customers find you.

2. Decide Which Information You Need to Update

There are a lot of different kinds of information that you can add to your business profile on Google My Business. List all your services, since that can help you appear in searches. You can choose from a list or create your custom services.

Other information you should update includes:

• Business hours
• Physical address and service area
• Phone number
• Category
• Attributes
• Website

You can find these categories under the “Info” section on Google My Business once you’ve selected which of your location pages to manage. Once you finish updating your information, click “Done Editing” to finish.

Make sure your primary business category is as accurate as possible. You can only choose from the list provided by Google. You can add secondary business categories, but don’t add too many to ensure accuracy.

3. Add Photos

Along with relevant information about your business, you can include photos on your GMB profile. To keep your brand consistent, GMB photos must match those on your website and social media profiles.

What types of images should you include on your GMB?

• Your logo
• A cover photo that best represents your business
• Other photos that highlight features of your business

Keep in mind that Google’s minimum size limit for images is 250 px x 250 px. You need images larger than that to meet this requirement.

4. Be Consistent

Like with any other marketing action you take, you need to update your GMB profile consistently. Ideally, you should be posting on Google My Business once a week as posts on GMB expire after a week. Google tends to give higher rankings to those who regularly update their profiles, so not posting regularly can affect your ranking in search engine results.

Is it Time to Update Your GMB?

To keep your business information on Google accurate and up to date, edit your Business Profile on Google. This is the best thing you can do to help potential customers find and learn more about your business. If you need help updating your GMB or would like to learn more about this marketing tool, contact Links Web Design for a free consultation.

Links Web Design is a Google Partner Agency in Bangor, ME, and Fruitland Park, FL.