Google My Business complements your brand’s website with a free listing on Google that can appear in Google Maps and Google Search (see image below). If your company has been around a while you may already have a GMB listing even if you didn’t create it. To create, or claim your business listing, click here. If someone else has already claimed your business, click here to request access.

Complete Any Missing Business Information

Check your listing to be sure that your company information is accurate, up to date and complete. Be sure all information is current: company name, contact number, location, website link, business category, description, link to Google Maps, working hours, questions and answers (Q&A), company photos, and customer reviews and ratings. You can add a link to schedule an appointment, which is a great way to drive quality leads.

Select a Business Category

The Google My Business category is one of the most important factors in local search algorithms. Selecting the right primary and secondary GMB categories helps ensure your business shows up on relevant search results. There are more than 3,000 GMB categories available. Some relevant for the grower industry include Greenhouse, Christmas Tree Farm, Farm, Orchid Farm, and Organic Farm. You can select one primary category. The more secondary categories you choose, the lower each one will rank. The more specific you are, the less competition you will have.

Write a Compelling Description

Highlight what sets your company apart. Highlight what you do and what you sell. Keep it concise. Do not include links or sales.

Upload High Quality Images

Customers and prospects prefer to engage with real people. Upload quality images of you and your employees. You can upload JPEG or PNG images up to 5 MB in size with a minimum Resolution of 720 x 720 pixels. You can also upload videos up to 30 seconds long and up to 100 MB in size.

Highlight Safety and COVID-19 practices

Update your listing with current information. Google has Covid information you can add that tells your customers the things you are doing to protect customers and employees like requiring masks, temperature checks, and frequent cleaning of surfaces.

Google My Business Questions and Answers

The Questions and Answers are public on Google, so use this area to attract attention by answering questions that your customers may have. If your customers ask the specific question, your answer may even appear at the top of their results. Your answers can strengthen your online trust and drive quality leads to your website.

Share Relevant Content With Posts

While posts do not necessarily improve SEO ranking, they do help with engagement which can bring more visitors to your website. Promote special deals, updates or new products here.

There are five post types available that you can add on your GMB profile:

• What’s New
• Products
• Offers
• Welcome Offer
• Events

Ask Customers to Write Reviews

Customer Reviews are helpful with Google rankings. People are more likely to trust reviews from third party sites than from reviews on your website.

How to Respond to Negative Reviews

Always respond to reviews, good or bad. If you receive a bad review, use it as a learning experience and respond positively. Give them a phone number or email to respond privately. Remember, you are not just responding to this customer, but to every customer who reads these reviews.

Maintain Your Google My Business Listing When You Are Done

Double-check that your Google listing is consistent with information from your website and social media. You should monitor your listing for new reviews, questions you can answer, and update your listing if any information has changed. You can build brand awareness, generate new leads, and engage with customers with a good Google My Business listing. Good luck!