Register your business on Google: step-by-step tutorial

Reg­is­ter­ing with Google My Business is one of the first steps for local busi­ness­es to jump onto the online marketing ladder. It forms an important part of local search engine op­ti­miza­tion because a business profile on Google increases the online vis­i­bil­i­ty of your company so that you can reach a greater number of potential customers. But what is Google My Business anyway and how do you get a Google business listing? We explain how to register your business with Google My Business and dive into the ad­van­tages of the search engine’s business tools.

1. Create a Google account or log into an existing account.
2. Sign into Google My Business.
3. Find, confirm, and manage any existing company profile > continue with step 5
4. Register your company with Google My Business.
5. Add company location.
6. Determine catchment area (e.g. delivery area etc.)
7. Add contact details (how can customers reach you?)
8. Select con­fir­ma­tion method (e.g. ver­i­fi­ca­tion by postcard).

Once confirmed, you can edit and adapt your Google My Business profile and add in­for­ma­tion such as photos, menus, booking options and so on.

Google My Business is a tool aimed at busi­ness­es. The platform is an interface between Google and busi­ness­es and acts as a digital business directory. A Google company entry contains the most important in­for­ma­tion about your business, such as contact details, location, and range of services. By setting up a Google company profile, you can control your business presence on Google Search and Google Maps and address new customers. In return, Google users can rate your business and leave reviews.

The ad­van­tages of a Google business reg­is­tra­tion include:

• Free marketing tool, that lets you influence your company presence on Google.
• Sim­pli­fied ap­point­ment setting and in­te­gra­tion of photos, service offerings and other at­trib­ut­es in­te­grat­ed as part of your Google company listing.
• Improved online vis­i­bil­i­ty through better ranking in local search results and in­te­gra­tion in Google Maps.
• Trust­wor­thy company ap­pear­ance through a well-main­tained Google business listing and Google ver­i­fi­ca­tion.
• Improved customer care through direct exchange with customers and easy man­age­ment of ratings.
• In­for­ma­tion man­age­ment via user-friendly Google My Business dashboard
• Valuable insights for search engine op­ti­miza­tion with access to data on the search behavior of potential customers.

A Google business reg­is­tra­tion is free and takes just a few minutes to complete while offering plenty of benefits (es­pe­cial­ly for small local busi­ness­es). If you would like to register your business with Google My Business, follow the steps below.

Once your company profile is suc­cess­ful­ly confirmed, you can proceed to step 5.

A Google Business reg­is­tra­tion alone is not enough to take full advantage of the marketing tool. A well-main­tained business profile gains attention and ends up in the Local Pack in Google searches. This is a block of in­for­ma­tion that high­lights the top 3 companies in the region that match a user’s search query. To ensure that your business ranks as high as possible and leaves a good im­pres­sion on Google Maps, follow these tips:

• Complete profile: Ensure that your Google company reg­is­tra­tion is complete so that potential customers have all the important in­for­ma­tion on hand. Besides contact details, opening hours, and range of services, you can add at­trib­ut­es such as online ap­point­ment sched­ul­ing.
• Pro­fes­sion­al images: Post high-quality photos that appeal to potential customers. It’s worth hiring a pho­tog­ra­ph­er to showcase your salesrooms or products perfectly and add a com­pet­i­tive edge.
• Unique Selling Points: The Google business listing is a unique op­por­tu­ni­ty to showcase your business online. Com­mu­ni­cate specific offers or special pro­mo­tions in the de­scrip­tion to set yourself apart from other sellers.
• Con­sis­ten­cy: Google compares your details with other online business sites and ranks your company as more trust­wor­thy if all in­for­ma­tion matches. It’s a good idea to keep company in­for­ma­tion and spelling of products or services con­sis­tent online.
• Customer care: Use the messaging function in the Google My Business man­age­ment tool to com­mu­ni­cate directly with (potential) customers and respond to customer reviews. Active profiles are better placed in the ranking.
• Website op­ti­miza­tion: Local SEO on your website also improves the vis­i­bil­i­ty of your Google business reg­is­tra­tion. Check all titles, headings, and content for relevant keywords and local focus. You can also take advantage of linking op­por­tu­ni­ties to other business di­rec­to­ries.