How to Use Google My Business for Service-Based Businesses

Google My Business allows you to list your business on Google and make it visible on Google Maps and in Google searches.

Service-based businesses often overlook Google My Business because they don’t have a physical brick and mortar location with specific hours. However, Google My Business can still be an incredibly useful tool for your biz and can help you get found on Google! Here is how to use Google My Business for your service-based business.

How to Set Up a Google My Business Account

If you have an existing Google account, this is pretty easy!

1. Go to business.google.com
2. Click Manage Now
3. Sign in with your Google account
4. Enter your business details in the walkthrough steps. You can Skip any sections that don’t pertain to you or where you are unsure of what to enter. You can always edit these details later.

How to Verify your Business with Google

This step is very important! Before your business is live on Google, you will need to verify it. If your business is not verified, you will not be able to collect reviews and post visible updates on Google.

The most common verification method is via a postcard in the mail. If you choose this method, Google will mail a postcard to your address listed on Google with a verification code. You should receive this card within about 5 business days. Once you receive the postcard, you will need to log back in to your Google My Business account and enter the verification code. Google will then activate your business and make it visible to all users on Google.

Key Google My Business Features for Service-Based Businesses

Services List

The Services listing feature on Google My Business is obviously key for service-based business owners! Once you are logged in to Google My Business, go to the Services section in the left-side menu. Click Add Another Service to enter your services. Be thorough here. Ensure all the services you currently offer are listed. Try to use the defaults pre-loaded in to Google as much as possible. Keep this updated. If you start to offer something new or terminate a service, be sure to update it here in Google. This helps Google match potential clients with you as they look for services in your area.

Service Areas

In the Info section of Google My Business, find the heading labeled Service Areas. Click the pencil icon to edit and add new areas. This feature is amazing for service-based businesses, because we often don’t have a singular location. Instead, we have regions where we typically like to serve. For example, as a photographer, I have a region around my home I prefer to shoot. If you offer destination or remote services, you can enter desirable locations here. This doesn’t mean you only serve these locations, but it helps Google match you with ideal clients. Enter as many cities or regions as you’d like.

Reviews

This one is probably obvious. Service-based businesses rely heavily on Reviews and word of mouth. Clients will be able to leave you a review on Google. As a business owner, make sure you are responding to Google reviews. It makes the reviewer feel acknowledged and validated, but it also helps Google see that your business is active and people are talking about it! Therefore, it will rank your business higher than others that are not seeing review activity.

Posts

Posts are an under-rated feature of Google My Business. As the business owner, you can post updates that will be visible on your Google Business profile. You can use this feature for a variety of purposes. Do you have important announcements for your clients? Did you recently finish a project you’re super excited about? Are you launching something new? The possibilities are endless! With each Post, you can include photos as well as a link out to another page. As a photographer, I have used the Posts feature to feature my latest work and link out to a corresponding blog post. This not only improves your SEO by increasing opportunities for Google users to click on your content, but it also allows you to build out the images and content on your business profile. It’s a win-win!

Conclusion

If you’re trying to grow your business and improve SEO, Google My Business needs to be part of your workflow. Using Google’s own business feature is a no-brainer! If you need more help with your SEO rankings, check out my SEO services for small businesses and additional SEO blog posts.