What Is Google My Business?
Google My Business is a free tool for businesses and organizations to manage their online presence across Google. Want your law firm to appear in the “three-pack” of local search results that show up in the maps box when someone searches for law firms in your area? Google My Business is one of the most important tools to help you accomplish that goal. GMB also lets you control the contact and business hours information that search engine users see for your firm, provide answers to frequently asked questions, and create posts that give updates about recent developments at your law firm.
Claiming Your Google My Business Profile and Optimizing Your Listing Is Simple
We get into some more advanced tactics you can use with Google My Business later in the episode, but the basics are quick and easy. To claim and optimize your GMB listing, just go to Google’s page for GMB and click on the button that says “Get Started.” You’ll need to fill in your business’ essential information, including:
- Name
- Address
- Phone number
- Website
- Category of business
- Description
Once this is done, Google will send you a postcard in the mail (as in snail mail) with a code that will let you verify that your business resides at the address provided.
Also, don’t forget to upload a few photos of your business, including shots of the interior and exterior and perhaps a group shot of your team as well. According to data from Google, business listings that feature pictures get 35 percent more clicks through to their website.
Get More Reviews With Google My Business
Online reviews are critical for law firms, and Google encourages businesses to solicit them through Google My Business. To get a link that your clients can use to review your firm, use the following steps:
- Open a new web browser and go to google.com/maps.
- Type the name of your company into the search bar in the top left, then click on your business’ name in the drop-down that appears under the search bar.
- After selecting your business, click on the menu option in the top left (which looks like three horizontal lines).
- Click the option that says “share or embed map” (about two-thirds of the way down the menu).
- Next to the URL under the “link to share” heading, click “COPY LINK.”
- Paste the link into an email or text message to your current and former clients and ask them to review your business.
Studies have shown that consumers look favorably on businesses that respond to reviews, so make sure to respond to every review your firm receives, regardless of whether it’s positive or negative.
Add Posts to Share Updates About Your Business
Many businesses don’t know they can use Google My Business to share social media-style posts that potential customers or clients can view within Google search results. Google has offered this Google Posts feature since 2017, but it remains underused. You can use Google Posts to share information like:
- Notable case results
- Client testimonials
- Commentary on news and current events as they relate to your law firm’s practice areas
- Snapshots into your office culture and the professional lives of your team members
Google even allows you to add a “call now” button to your posts that will link directly to your firm’s phone number, which is an unusual but helpful feature for a social platform.
Google Posts also has another unusual feature: posts only stay up for seven days before they disappear permanently. So, you’ll need to create new posts at least once a week. However, you can use OneUp to schedule your posts around this limitation. You can even rotate through a set of a few preferred posts that repeat every few weeks, allowing you to adopt a “set it and forget it” approach that only requires you to review your posts every few months to make sure they’re still relevant.
Reference
Optimize your presence online: Make your business listing awesome. (n.d.). Google. Retrieved from https://support.google.com/business/answer/6335804?hl=en#Share_photos
