Google My Business — Getting Started

Connie Ragen Green
7 min readDec 17, 2020

A Google My Business Listing Checklist and Optimization Guide

Connie Ragen Green — Google My Business — Getting Started

Showing up at the very top of a Google search can mean money in the bank due to the fact that more than 30% of all clicks go to the first result listed (not including ads). As a local business, showing up in the top three listings is an opportunity to stand head and shoulders above your competitors. It’s also a way for you to beat all of those directory-listing services trying to get your customer’s attention. When it’s all said and done, your Google My Business listing is only as good as the content you post and optimize.

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To ensure you’re getting the most out of your My Business listing, make sure that you’re optimizing your information by doing the following:

  • Enter your business location The format should be your business name, your physical address, and your phone number (it is important to keep this the same across all listings and update it whenever it changes).
  • List your official website on your Google My Business listing. This will help Google improve its search results and display your listing for more Google users.
  • Fill out your profile completely. This means you should include high-quality videos and images and provide as much information about your business as possible. Think about answering your customer’s questions before they have a chance to ask them — this practice makes for a great listing.

Business Description

Have your business description sound natural and human, as opposed to stiff and formal. Don’t attempt to keyword stuff. Google will catch that.

Here’s a Good Example of a Great Business Description

Add Photos

It’s very important to add a profile photo to your GMB listing. Customers who see an attractive, inviting cover photo are a lot more likely to click on your listing than another one that doesn’t include a photo.

Below are the types of photos you can post to your Google My Business listing.

Connie Ragen Green

Online marketing strategist, author, speaker, and publisher working with entrepreneurs on six continents. https://ConnieRagenGreen.com