1. Free advertising - It’s a free service that makes your website appear more prominently on Google Search. It allows you to stand out and display your logo, photos, and more directly in Google Search.

   In many cases, your Google My Business profile is your first opportunity to make an impression with your brand.

2. It adds your business to Google Maps - If you have a physical location where you run your business, Google Maps is a GPS tool that helps prospective customers navigate to your business. It helps your audience find relevant businesses by proximity, which essentially is more free advertising.

   In a survey conducted by The Manifest, 77% of respondents with smartphones make regular use of navigation apps, and 67% of respondents use Google Maps most frequently. 

   If your business is not connected to Google Maps, prospective customers may find the next closest business that is. 

3. It lets your customers know you are open - Just like a sign on a storefront, your Google My Business profile is what every patron at a business sees prior to entering your website.

   Your complete hours of operation, if applicable, should be listed, along with a contact phone number so that customers can call if they would like to double check that you are open. Be sure to update this on your Google My Business profile for any changes due to unexpected closure and holiday hours.

   Having incorrect information on your Google My Business profile can be a nuisance and sour the customer experience.

4. Gain popularity from customer reviews - Using the five-star rating system, you can demonstrate your superb customer satisfaction by striving for a lot of five-star reviews from your customers.

   Google engages users through the Google Maps app with reminders to rate the venues and businesses they are served at. This rewards system presents an opportunity to demonstrate your customer satisfaction and add to the credibility of your business. The more reviews you have, the more trustworthy your business will appear, and, the more five-star reviews you have, the better the expected customer experience will be.

   Despite popular opinion, negative reviews can actually present opportunities. This feedback can paint a picture of how your customers are feeling about their experience with your brand.

5. Essential for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - The more details you add to your Google My Business profile, the better Google can direct people to your business.

   If you’re a business operating in your local community, then having a Google My Business profile, and focusing on local SEO, will get you relevant hits based off of proximity to your customers. In many ways, this is how people in your local community will know your business exists.

   Having a Google My Business profile will make it evident in search results that you’re a business and not just a website.

For help guiding you through making your own Google Business Profile,