Google is still KING (at least as of now) for anyone looking to have a real trust building online presence. So how does a small business or startup begin to capitalize on this platform's marketing power when there is limited startup capital? In this blog you will be exposed to 8 totally FREE ways to gain exposure for yourself, your brand and your business on Google.
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF GOOGLE
As with anything else in business, the first step in mastering it is to understand it. So, before we dive into the 8 FREE ways to increase your exposure on Google, let's get to know the psychology of Google.
In our current culture, Google has transformed from a noun into a verb. I mean, one of my favorite things to ask my clients to do is to "Google my name" or "Google George L. Rosario." I've used it as a tool when trying to show clients what makes George L. Rosario different from other consultants.
These days, when we don't know something, we don't say "search for it" or "research it", but rather we say "Google it." This is a direct result of Google's ease of use, and of individuals finding just about any information by using Google’s search engine.
This is not an accident or a coincidence. Google's psychology has clearly been to develop a mutually-beneficial system between their company and every other business in the world. Google's approach to you is to know you and understand you as intimately as possible. That's because if the folks at Google understand your business, then they can provide accurate information to others about your business making them the experts or "go-to-guys" on you.
Google's goal from the very beginning was to provide accurate information to their users in order to get their users to rely more and more on Google for their information. If a lot of people become dependent on Google, then Google increases the number of eyes looking at them for info, and then Google can make money from ads and paid services. It all comes down to creating a great experience for Google users that Google can get paid on.
In order to store and show accurate information about other businesses, Google has developed a tool called Google My Business. Basically, this is their modern day version of what people called the "Yellow Pages" back in the day. If you are too young to remember the term, go ahead and Google "what were the yellow pages" and I'm sure Google will inform you on it.
If you follow the simple steps to upload your business’ information to the Google My Business tool, Google will give you the equivalent of a FREE, full page, full color ad in the old Yellow Pages.
This blog is all about how to gain exposure by developing your Google My Business account. These are the same steps that I have used throughout the years to enhance my web presence and attract new clients on Google. Best of all, these 8 strategic action steps are absolutely FREE.
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF YOU
Before you let that little voice in your head tell you, "click away from this blog and go Google something fun to do", think about the following. Your competitors are probably already taking advantage of Google My Business. And if they aren’t, then by YOU taking action now, you will gain a huge advantage over them. That turns into a lot more revenue from your business for you to jump back into Google and search for lots of fun things to do that you can now afford.
If you have any doubts about the effectiveness of the Google My Business tool, then think about your own experience when researching new companies online. Did you get in your car or on your bicycle and go from door to door, store to store or business to business, walk in, ask questions, meet the business' leadership in person, ask more questions, take notes, go home, read your notes, sleep on it and then make a decision as to who earned the right to your business? Probably not. You probably Googled businesses that provide the product or service you needed at that particular time, and made the decision from what you found on Google.
Being on Google is not enough. You need to have the right presence on there. You’re probably more likely to purchase from businesses with a well-established web presence, correct? You look for the ones that look more professional, or more modern, and from those whose online reputation and persona gains your trust. By considering your business’ appearance on Google a priority, you can easily establish an edge over your competitors.
STEP 1 - CLAIM AND VERIFY
To get started with the Google My Business tool, you first need to create your account. It’ s very simple, and you can do so by clicking this link: https://business.google.com/create
Claim OR Create
You will have the option to either claim or create your business' Google listing. If your business pops up when you enter your business’ name, then select it and claim it. If you search for your business but don’t find any results, then you will need to create a new listing.
Verification
Either way, the next step is verification. This is the process by which Google ensures that you are the owner of your business. For most businesses, verification is done by mail. However, in some cases, you will have the option to verify by phone, email, or search console. Check with Google about the different verification options, and see which methods you qualify for. Be aware that verification can take up to two weeks, so don’t delay if you want all the perks of managing your business listing on Google!
STEP 2 - CHOOSE CATEGORIES FOR YOUR BUSINESS (aka SERVICES)
After you’ve passed the verification check, you will be prompted to select categories for your business. You can choose one primary category, and up to nine secondary categories. This may seem like a straightforward task, but really take your time choosing the best categories to describe what you do! After all, as of 2022, there were almost 4,000 categories for you to choose from.
Tips For Choosing Your Primary Category
The primary category for your business is given top priority in Google's algorithm. This is the main deciding factor in whether or not your business will pop up during a user's visit to the search engine. You've probably heard of the term SEO or Search Engine Optimization. The first step in optimizing your presence on any search engine is to be categorized correctly online. I mean, isn't it great when you search for something specific on Google and you find exactly what you need?
BONUS: For more information on SEO, read 110 Top SEO Tools That Are 100% FREE.
Be Specific!
Be as specific as possible when selecting your primary category. The more specific you are, the fewer businesses you'll be competing against. No one who is searching for dog food online wants to land on the GC Rosario Group business page because George and Claudia Rosario spoke about their dog Gunner the Runner on their website. By specifically categorizing our business on Google as a consulting firm, we eliminate the potential for Suzie to land on our page when searching for vegan dog food. We wouldn't want to waste Suzie's time, or ours.
Tips For Choosing Your Secondary Categories
When choosing your secondary categories, try to select as few as possible. This may seem counterintuitive or counterproductive, but it actually increases the likelihood of users finding you. You see, if you only use 3 categories to describe what you do, then Google will be dividing its user directing resources into only 3 channels. On the other hand, if Google has to re-route users to your business based on 10 different categories, then this weakens the effectiveness of its algorithm.
STEP 3 - ADD IMAGES OF YOUR BUSINESS
Have you ever Googled a business and the only photo you find is a blurry shot of Google's street view camera? Or worse, have you ever Googled a business and you don't even find that blurry photo? I don't know about you, but that's an instant red flag for me. I mean, do I really want to do business with an entity that hides its face from the general public. You definitely don’t want that to be a client’s first impression of your business.
Google GC Rosario Group and you will find plenty of photos, including my personal favorite (click here to see it).
The images you upload should give potential customers a mini-tour of your company. This can be a physical tour, where you showcase the outside and inside of your building, or it can be more of a conceptual tour, where you try to communicate the feel and mission of your company. If you opt for the latter, then you may choose to upload photos of your staff, or photos of the products/services that your business offers.
When choosing the right photos for your Google business page, place yourself in your clients' shoes. Try to imagine what they would like to see before deciding to hire you for your products or services.
Your photos and images should be high-resolution, and professional quality. They should be a reflection of your mission and vision. They should let your clients know who you are and what you do. They should be current, especially if you are uploading photos of yourself or your staff. No need to upload a profile picture of yourself from 20 years ago, or when you were 50 lbs lighter with no gray in your hair. Be what I like to call "today appropriate." Let them know who they will see when they come to shake your hand.
If you have an impressive workspace, if you have redone the interior of your office, or if you’ve made a lot of new hires, then make sure the photos show your current setup. If you don’t feel confident taking photos yourself, then hire a professional photographer. I suggest if you do go that route, that you hire someone local and give them credit for the photos. This will help you cross brand yourself and their business, increasing traffic to both of your businesses.
We will be sharing a blog about cross branding at a future date so don't forget to follow and stay tuned.
STEP 4 - ADD ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER, & BASIC INFO
Please add your address and phone number to your Google My Business listing. First of all, it will make you come across as legitimate, and will begin to build trust immediately. Also, you want your potential customers to be able to easily reach you. If your address and phone number are published in multiple places on the web (like on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Indeed, Twitter, your company site, online classifieds, etc.), then make sure that this contact info is the same across all of these locations. You want people to be able to find you and contact you. This is not time to be a secret agent.
Use a Local Phone Number
When adding a phone number to your business, make sure it’s local and current. Potential customers may be confused if they think that you’re a local company, but then find an unfamiliar area code when reaching for the phone. My personal cell phone still has a New York City area code on it. Our company phone has a local South Florida area code on it. We have offices in New York City and in South Florida. Claudia is originally from Maryland. If we were using her old number, people would see a Baltimore area code and would probably wonder why our area code doesn't look familiar to them.
Of course, GC Rosario Group services clients nationwide. So perhaps for us, having different area codes (such as 561 for South Florida, 347 for New York City or 410 for Baltimore) wouldn't make much of a difference. But we like to be transparent and consistent, so our South Florida office number is 561-365-8005, while our New York City office number is 347-671-7653.
Accurate Business Description
Your Google My Business page gives you a section for you to describe your business. This is not a place for you to go overboard on details. Keep it to 750 words or less. Usually, less is more as long as you can be accurate and specific with less. No one wants to come read a blog in your company's description. This is a spot for you to give an overview of your company. Make sure you provide valuable information to your customers that will help them know who you are and what you do. Use important keywords that add supportive information for online searches. Keywords are a big tool in SEO. Again, read all about Search Engine Optimization here.
Website Address & Appointment Links
Provide a clickable link to your website (GC Rosario Group) on your Google My Business page, as well as a place where your clients can book an appointment with you.
STEP 5 - KEEP TABS ON YOUR REVIEWS
GC Rosario Group has had the pleasure of working with clients who were superstars at handling their online reviews. They were quick to thank any customer who gave them a 5 star review, and even quicker to address and rectify any issues with customers who gave them less than 5 stars.
When you’re about to hire or buy from a business, what do you look at to make your decision? Today's potential customers and clients will jump on Google and Yelp reviews. So, once you have your profile up online, make sure you monitor your reviews.
You want to get as many positive client reviews as possible. This will help build trust with potential clients before they do business with you. You want them to see you as their #1 option for the service/product they need.
You don't have to worry about getting your reviews specifically through Google. Google is awesome at scanning the web and integrating reviews from other websites into your GMB listing. So focus more on the volume of reviews, not so much on where they’re from. The best way to get great reviews is to reach out to your clients after they’ve received satisfactory service from your company and your team. Motivate your team to ask their customers and clients for reviews. Offer incentives to both the clients who give honest feedback (whether great or not so great), and to your staff when they receive a five star review.
Reply to all your reviews, whether they are five star or one star reviews. Address all complaints openly and professionally. Offer to regain a clients' trust if he or she leaves you a negative review. Do this publicly. Transparency is far more important than perfection. This will tell other Google users that you care about providing a good experience to your customers.
STEP 6 - ADD OFFERS or CALL TO ACTION (CTA) BUTTONS TO YOUR LISTING
If you look at your Google profile, you will see that you have the option to add posts to your listing. This means that you can add compelling content for FREE that Google will promote to others. It's a freebie, so why not take advantage of it.
At GC Rosario Group, we advise our clients to pay close attention to the “offers” option. With this option, you can partner up with Google, again for FREE to users know about special deals, special offers, discounts, packages and upcoming projects they can receive through your business. You can pair these offers with Call-to-Action buttons, redirecting Google users to your website or landing pages. The CTA buttons you can currently choose from are "Book Online", "Ask Online", "Buy", "More Information", "Register", and "Call Now."
Offers are not just a way to grab Google users’ attention, but it's also a great way to track their engagement. See, you have this option in your profile. Any qualified and experienced business consultant will tell you that tracking user engagement is a valuable entrepreneurial tool. Tracking viewer engagement gives you insights that will allow you to gauge the success of your offer. You can use this data to create a plan for future offers, including which ones were effective and worthy of offering more often, and which ones were ineffective and need to be tweaked or scrapped.
STEP 7 - MAKE REGULAR POSTS TO YOUR LISTING
WHAT’S BETTER THAN EVEN MORE FREE EXPOSURE?
Now that you have a well constructed and highly effective business listing on Google, the real work begins. This listing is not like the Ronco Showtime Rotisserie Oven. Sorry, don't remember the reference? How about this... "Set it and forget it!" NO! Your Google business listing is not a "Set It and Forget It" product. You need to stay top of mind by staying on top of your business’ listing. Add frequent posts to your listing to let Google know that you are 1. real and 2. active.
Don't post about your favorite slice of pizza from Bambini's Garden Pizzeria in Delray Beach Florida, or your favorite slice of tiramisu or chocolate cake from Grandma's Bakery next door to Bambini's. Don't post a commentary about whether the coffee from Cute Cat Cafe in Ridgewood Queens is better or worse than the coffee from Norma's Corner Shoppe in Ridgewood Queens. Don't post pictures of your favorite steak from Peter Luger Steak House in Williamsburg, Brooklyn if your business has nothing to do with supplying beef to this restaurant.
Your posts should be interesting, engaging and related to your business. Your posts can be updates, events, offers, or new products that have to do with your business. You can and always should add photos, videos, and CTA buttons to your posts to attract client attention, drive traffic to your company website and foster engagement.
Posting on your Google business frequently will increase your business' chances of appearing in user search results. The more you post, the more information is linked to your business on the web. This creates more material and more opportunities for your information to match your target audience's search terms.
STEP 8 - SET UP IN PROFILE MESSAGING OPTIONS
By setting up GMB messaging, customers can contact you directly through your GMB listing. This increases convenience for your customers, as they are far more likely to contact you if all they have to do is press a little button next to their search results. Sounds pretty good for your business, right?
Here is how you set up GMB messaging:
- Download and open the Google My Business app!
- Tap the ‘Customers’ tab Select ‘Messages’
- Tap ‘Turn on messaging’
You’ll receive a notification in the app every time a customer asks a question about your listing, and every time a customer tries to contact you through the listing.
CONCLUSION:
Does this feel like too much work? Do you feel like this is overwhelming? No worries. At GC Rosario Group we offer a way for you to have your GMB profile set up for free. That's right; FREE! I mean, who has the time to wait 2 weeks for verification, and then upload a bunch of info to your profile, then stay of top of your profile's public engagement, then message potential customers, all while still running a business? You may not, but we do. It's what we do.
Let's Talk About It! Book your FREE Consultation Here and we'll get started on it immediately.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
George L. Rosario is a Brooklyn NY born & raised businessman & entrepreneur turned consultant. He started GC Rosario Group with his lovely wife Claudia. With over 30 years of service to the marketplace in NYC, George has relocated and been graciously adopted by the business community of South Florida. He now travels the country helping businesses and organizations thrive in today’s noisy environment. The post-Covid era forced many to close their doors, but also opened new doors of opportunity, growth and prosperity for innovative thinkers. George & Claudia Rosario help companies, businesses, organizations and teams develop the necessary skillset and plan of action to not just survive, but thrive in this new world. GC Rosario Group helps both secular and Christian based institutions meet their goals.
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