Can Smartphone Users Find Your Business in Google Maps?

All over the world, people rely on Google Maps to find businesses, navigate different cities, and generally learn about what happens around them.

Google Maps is not popular for nothing. There are lots of reasons for its popularity. Not only does it offer reliable directions, route planning, business information, and traffic data, Google Maps continually adds new features that benefit both users and businesses. With that being said, internet marketing companies say that Google Maps can be a great platform for advertising because people can find your business regardless of the device they are using, mobile, computer, tablet, etc.

The importance of Google Maps and why you should list your business?

Wherever your business is located, it is for sure that there will be people using smartphones to make purchases and select venues for their afternoon coffee or evening entertainment. Whenever they do this, Google Maps is the app most people use, and if your business is not listed, you will lose the chance of getting these customers.

Most of the time, customers prefer businesses with accurate information and a lot of reviews. If a business owner fails to optimize its business listing, the location information could be misleading, and there may be very little feedback which will affect the business ranking in local search engine optimization.

In addition to that, Google Maps offers additional advantages. Businesses listed on Maps tend to get SEO benefits. It helps to establish your local identity, and it also offers an easy way to provide information and direction for people when they need to find your business.

How to add your business to Google Maps?

All business listings on Maps are hosted by Google My Business service. Before starting, keep in mind that verification will be needed. This may take four days or a couple of months as most verifications take place by mail. So, don’t expect to be able to instantly create a business listing.

Here are the steps to follow on how to list your business:

1. Go to Google My Business official website and click on the “Start Now” button.
2. On the first page, type in your business name. Alternatively, your business name may appear on the drop-down list. So, if it is there, just select your name and proceed.
3. The next step is to provide your business address and select a business category.
4. On the next page, choose to input the contact details you want to be visible on your listing.
5. Finally, you should reach a page asking you to “finish and verify this business.” Press “finish” and you’re almost done.
6. The final step is verification. Google needs to check that you are the real owner of the business that you just listed. To do so, they will send a postcard to your business address with the verification code.

Google My Business is a valuable tool that offers so much more than listing your business to Google Maps. Adding your business to Google Maps is one of the quickest, easiest ways to promote your business and get more visibility online, so follow these simple steps to help customers find you. If you are unsure how to start and want to know more about the benefits of Google Maps, get in touch with Creativo. We know every detail of digital marketing and that includes listing your business on Google.