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Google Your Business

In some ways there may not be enough room on our website to host a blog on just what Google is looking to accomplish with their business strategy. And let’s be honest here, I’m not remotely qualified to put forth that kind of analysis.

What I can address is how to best utilize Google for your local business. That’s essentially what I do for a living … or better stated, that’s what super smart people who work with me do for a living. My role is best described as customer acquisition, client relationships, and “strategically staying out of the way…”

I feel like I’ve really nailed that last role.

Google My Business, which used to be called Google Places, and once tried to get into a nightclub using the name Google+ Local, is your business’s profile/listing on the 900 pound search engine that is Google.

Before we go further let me throw some statistics at you:

• Over 86% of all US searches are done on Google. Yahoo and Bing combined account for about 12% of search market share.

• Nearly 60% of all searches are done on mobile devices

• Google controls over 90% of the search volume on mobile devices (much of which they pay Apple for or happen on an Android device)

• Manny Wilkins currently has the 17th highest QB rating in the country (3rd in the PAC 12)

OK, so I just threw in that last one to make sure you were paying attention. I’m over 200 words into this blog and I still haven’t gotten to my topic. Is that a record? I think not.

Some of the businesses we meet with have not claimed their Google My Business listing which is kind of like not having handicap parking at your wheelchair store or giving a presentation on global warming to a bunch of polar bears.

It’s easy to do, really. You can call us here at ReThinc and we can do it for you for a small fee or you can endure the pain of reading this blog and follow these relatively simple steps.

1. Sign into your Google account (if you don’t have one, just file for bankruptcy… it’s inevitable).

2. Go to business.google.com and click ‘manage now’

3. Google will ask you the name of your business. Enter it here. If there is an unclaimed listing for your business. it will show up automatically. Click it.

4. Stop and get a drink of water, it’s important to stay hydrated at all times.

5. Google will ask you a few questions about your business, answer those.

6. Get another drink of water… this is taking longer than anyone thought

7. Once you have have answered all the questions, Google will ask you to click “continue”.

8. Every morning I ask Stephanie to click “continue” … that’s just an aside and not relevant to what we’re doing here.

9. Be sure to “validate” your listing to prove to Google you are the owner.

10. Every morning I ask… oh never mind.

11. Next you will want to make sure you have completed as much of the profile as possible. You can add photos, specials, business updates and more.

12. Click “submit”.

13. Call it a day … you’ve done a good thing for you, for your business, for your employees, and for America.

Google will now send you a verification code in one of three ways, most likely using super primitive means like a phone call or worse yet, a janky looking postcard that will show up in 5 days, long after you’ve forgotten that you even did this. On that postcard is a pin number (aka verification code). Once you have this number, you can enter it in your Google My Business account (by visiting business.google.com). In a very short time, your listing will appear on Google searches, in Google Maps, and you will now be on your way to triple digit growth and a much bigger home in a nicer zip code.

See? Marketing is easy. This very basic step should be done by everyone who owns a business. If you have done this, print this blog out and put it on the fridge with a big gold star. If you haven’t done this please do so when you have time, unless you compete with one of our clients. Lastly, if you know someone who owns a business, forward them this email, say something nice about me, and give them the gift of taking that first step to marketing success.

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