How to Add Your Business to Google Maps
It’s time to increase the exposure your business gets online. Get your business on the world’s most popular map with these three steps.
Why Put Your Business on Google Maps?
While getting your business listed on the first page of Google can increase traffic to your website, getting your business listed on Google Maps can increase traffic to your physical store. When you create a Google My Business listing, you are making it easier for potential customers to find your business and learn more about what you offer.
Here are some of the benefits of having a Google My Business listing:
- Increased visibility: Your Google My Business listing will appear in search results when people search for businesses like yours in your area. This can help you attract new customers who are already looking for what you have to offer.
- Improved customer engagement: Your Google My Business listing gives you the opportunity to interact with potential customers by responding to their reviews, questions, and comments. This can help you build relationships with customers and create a positive impression of your business.
- Increased website traffic: Your Google My Business listing includes a link to your website, which can help you drive more traffic to your site. This can lead to increased sales, leads, and other business goals.
If you don’t already have a Google My Business listing, I encourage you to create one today. It’s a free and easy way to improve your online visibility and reach more potential customers.
Here are some additional tips for optimizing your Google My Business listing:
- Complete your profile: Make sure to complete all of the information in your Google My Business listing, including your business name, address, phone number, website, hours of operation, and categories.
- Add photos and videos: Adding photos and videos to your Google My Business listing can help you make a positive impression on potential customers and give them a better idea of what your business is like.
- Respond to reviews: When customers leave reviews for your business, be sure to respond promptly and professionally. This shows potential customers that you care about their feedback and are committed to providing excellent customer service.
- Claim your listing: If your business already has a Google My Business listing, be sure to claim it. This will give you the ability to manage your listing and make sure that it is accurate and up-to-date.
By following these tips, you can create a Google My Business listing that will help you attract new customers, improve customer engagement, and drive more traffic to your website.
If You’re Already on Google Maps
If you’re already on Google Maps and have claimed your listing, check to see if your business is optimized to appear for relevant searches. You can also schedule with a consultant on how to improve your listing .
3 Steps to Putting Your Business on Google Maps
You may now be saying, “Alright, let’s do it. Tell me how to put my business on Google.” We’ve got you covered. We’ve outlined the process—which is FREE, by the way—in this easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide. Here is short, listed version. Below, we’ll go into more depth for each step.
- Check to see if you are already listed
- If you aren’t listed, create a place on Google Maps
- Claim your listing through Google My Business
Here are the steps laid out in more detail.
1. Check to See if You are Listed Already
Search for your business on Google Maps. If it shows up, this means your business is already listed.
If your business does not show up, you’ll see a prompt to add a missing place.
2. If You Are Not Yet Listed — Create a Place
To add your business as a place, click the prompt that shows up in the search result.
Provide your name, address, and category. Your category selection is important as it enables your business to show up in results for searches other than your business name (like “appliance repair “). These are the searches being performed by potential customers!
In the category box, you’ll see a drop-down box with common categories, but you can also start typing in your industry keyword(s) to see the most closely matching categories.
3. If/Once You Are Listed, Claim Your Google Listing
Adding your business as a place will put your business on Google Maps, but that doesn’t ensure you will rank on Google Maps. In order to rank for searches relevant to your business (and get new customers), you need to optimize your listing. This requires submitting accurate information and updating it as needed, which requires you to have ownership over your listing.
Anyone can add a place (which is why your business might show up on Google Maps even if you yourself haven’t added it.) In order to be able to add and update your information, you need to claim your listing.
To claim your listing, click on “Claim this business” once you’ve added your business as a place.
After you’ve filled in all your info and selected a business category, Google will verify your business’s address by physically sending a postcard to you.
This postcard is inscribed with a verification PIN, which you will then input online to complete the verification. Phone verification, email verification, and instant verification do exist but are only available for select businesses. Here is Google’s page on verifying your business listing.
Getting your business on Google Maps is only the first step in the process. Head to our page on How to Rank Higher on Google Maps to get your business showing up higher for relevant searches.
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