Google serves billions of searches per month and is the primary source of organic traffic for customers looking for reliable information on opening times, locations, and the latest news and promotions. You know what Google is, but many don't know what Google My Business is. It's much more than just another tool to boost your digital real estate on search engines; it's a free advertising tool that offers MSPs a new method to generate a steady flow of local leads.
Google My Business (GMB) profiles represent the first chance for you to stand out above your local competition, with solid reviews and photos representing your business's culture and atmosphere.
How to get started with Google My Business in 5 easy steps
1) Claim and optimize your Google My Business profile
To begin, determine if your GMB profile has been claimed. If not, click "own this business?" and start the process of claiming your profile. After gaining access to the admin side of your GMB profile, start to optimize it by adding information like business hours, business address, links to your website, phone number, and hours of operation.
Adding photos that feature your business signage, logo, and pictures of your staff can help with your ranking and create a brand identity on the platform, as well.
2) Position your business with category listings
When setting up your GMB account, you'll need to set one primary category for your business. Then you can set up nine secondary categories. Category selection is crucial to how your business appears in the “map pack” to potential customers; make sure you select the right categories for your business.
3) Add attributes to differentiate your services
This feature seems best suited for businesses in the food and hospitality industry, but it can also be used by MSPs to help you stick out from the competition (if used correctly).
Try searching for your favorite local restaurant, and you may find attributes on their Google My Business listing like "Takeout" or "Delivery." MSPs can add attributes like help desk, on-site services, and languages you use to service your clientele.
4) Generate customer reviews
Many consumers see Google reviews as a primary source of trust in determining what business delivers a quality service over another. Generating new positive reviews is key to improving your ranking and cracking into the map pack.
To create a consistent flow of positive new reviews, start by asking your "superfans" to review your business (if they haven't already). Other tactics include creating a link and running an email-based review generation campaign, or adding that link to employee email signatures or company marketing materials.
If you’re already collecting CSAT scores or other forms of customer feedback, you should also consider building in automation to automatically request a review from anyone who submits a score above a particular threshold.
5) Create conversations with a "Request a Quote" button
This final activity will not be for all MSPs, as it requires a solid follow-up process for incoming inquiries. Otherwise, you may inadvertently put your business at risk of getting negative reviews for slow response times. That said, the "Request a Quote" button allows potential clients to message your business, which can work wonders for organic lead generation and shortening your sales cycle.
Maintaining and optimizing your listing for better results
Google My Business is not a set-it-and-forget-it activity. Like other social media and digital marketing profiles, you'll need to check back at least every quarter to ensure your information is still correct and that you're not missing out on any new features that Google has introduced to the platform. If you have the staff or time to manage your GMB profile regularly, look into proactively posting new content on the platform and spend time responding to customer reviews. This will all pay dividends for your business and its reputation in the local community and online.
Additional free resources
For more detailed tips on establishing and leveling up your Google My Business presence, see the following:
I also highly recommend you watch our MSP Live Chat with Ayan Adam of CX Atelier, an MSP Marketing Agency. Ayan is an expert at helping MSPs improve their GMB listing and grow their digital footprint, and she shares a variety of great, actionable tips you can put to use right away.
Our Live Chats are even better in person. Find out when we're hosting our next one, and be part of the conversation!
Author Dom Scafidi is content marketing manager at NinjaRMM. Read more guest blogs from NinjaRMM here.
