Did you know that you can list your business online for free using a Google My Business Profile? This profile can help your business get found by potential customers in North Idaho searching for your services. An attractive, accurate Google My Business Profile is crucial to respond to reviews, and attract new customers. This article will help you set up your Google My Business Profile.
What You’ll Need:
I. A Google account (some people call this a “Gmail account” – but this isn’t accurate) I’ll call this a “Google account” in this article. You might already have one or two Google accounts—one for your personal life and one for your business. If you don’t have one yet, please see step 1
II. A mailing address that belongs to your business and at which you can receive mail.
Here are the steps we’ll use to get your Google My Business Profile ready
- Make sure you have a Google account for your business.
- Create a Google My Business account and check to see if there’s already a Business Profile for your business
- Verify ownership of your business.
Ready, Set, Go!
The steps outlined below are simplified and written step-by-step. In some cases, you’ll need to skip down a step. But I’d still suggest reading all the steps first to avoid creating duplicate accounts.
Step #1: Make sure you have a Google account for your business.
If you already have one, skip to Step #2. If you don’t have a Google Account for your business, follow the steps below.
a. Go to accounts.google.com/signin.
b. Click “Create account.”
c. You’ll see a drop-down with two options. Choose “To manage my business.”
d. Supply the necessary information.
*Note that this process doesn’t mean you’re creating a new email address. It’s simply giving you access to Google services.
Step #2 Create a Google My Business account
If you already have a Google account, here’s how to sign up for a Google My Business account.
1. Make sure you are logged into the correct Google Account for your business.
2. Go to google.com/business.
3. Select “Manage now.”
4. Enter your business name – at this point, Google will check to see if the listed business already has a Google profile. If so, you can request to take over that profile just in case it was set up for you by someone else previously.
5. If Google’s check shows that your business doesn’t yet have a Google profile, enter the information Google asks for, including:
- Business name – use the publicly recognizable name of your business.
- Address – make sure the address is unique to your business and that you can receive mail there.
- Website – it’s ok if you don’t have one.
- Phone number
- Service area (if applicable)
- Category
6. Once you’ve entered the standard information, new fields will allow you to provide even more information about your business. Add images, an accurate description, and hours. Fill out AS MUCH of this information as you can to optimize your profile.
Step #3: Verify ownership of your business
Finally, you’ll need to provide information to prove you are the owner of the business. Depending on the type of business you have, you might get validated right away. However, Google will usually send you a verification code via a mailed postcard. When the postcard arrives, you’ll return to your Google Business dashboard and enter the verification code. Please note that only once your business is verified will it be publicly visible on Google Maps and Google Search.
Step #4: Give yourself a high-five! Your business can be found online!
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