Latest update 20 May 2021
Online findability is extremely important for your B2B company. Besides the use of SEO and SEA, there are other tools to achieve this. In this article our experts tell you how you can significantly improve your findability by creating and correctly setting up a Google My Business account. Also known as Google business page.
Every company should create a Google My Business page. This certainly applies to companies active in the B2B domain. Your Google business page is immediately visible when people google your company name or keywords on which you score very high organically (see also our article on SEO).
Your company page is directly visible to the right of the search results that Google recommends. A Google My Business page, however, shows much more than just text, which makes it stand out, and makes you appear reliable as a company.
What does a Google My Business page show?
- A sleek (online) business card
By placing photos of your company / products in your Google My Business, people get an immediate impression of the company. Make sure you have attractive photos, because this is the first thing people see. Please note: these photos should always be higher than 720 x 720 pixels! Good quality photos are considered relevant by Google and are therefore displayed more often. Additionally, you can also implement Google Maps, so that people can immediately see where you are located. Finally, you can also use 360 degree photos with the help of Google 360 Street View. - Address and contact details directly visible
Your Google business page also directly displays your website, address and contact details. A handy feature is that people can click on your telephone number to call you, without having to open your website first. Note: refer to the secure version of your company website! This helps to build up your domain authority. - Opening hours
You can directly display your opening hours, so people can immediately see when you are open and when closed. It is even possible to set different opening hours during holidays. Very convenient! Tip: enter your opening hours as broadly as possible. Google shows companies that are open. With a search after 18:00, for example, your company will be shown, unlike competitors with less generous opening hours. Of course, it is important to be available within the specified times. - Questions from customers
People can ask a question directly, without visiting your website. It is therefore advisable to keep a close eye on this, so that you can answer any questions promptly. This will make you look professional and helpful and it will also be good for your ranking. - Possibility of Google Reviews
It is possible for your customers to leave a review directly on your Google company page. Several positive reviews ensure that potential customers are interested or even convinced in you as an expert and that makes the step to a conversion a lot smaller. Another important advantage of reviews: it helps your Google My Business ranking. Companies with a lot of reviews are almost always shown better than companies with fewer impressions. As a business, respond to reviews from time to time! - Show updates of your company
Finally, it is possible to place updates about your company at the bottom of your page. These can be short posts, but also links to interesting articles that you have written and placed on your own website. This way you show that you are the expert and that people should do business with you.
To take into account
So there are many possibilities with a Google My Business account. However, there are a few things to bear in mind when creating an account or updating your existing one.
Create a Google My Business?
Don’t have an account yet and want to create one? That’s great! After all, it offers many opportunities for your business. However, it is advisable to fill your account in the right way. That is: do not upload all information at once! Do this instead in several sessions, with a high frequency. Google considers activity to be important and this will have a positive effect on your rankings.
Change your Google My Business?
It is important that your account is always up-to-date and complete. However, keep in mind that major changes can cause a temporary drop in rankings. This is because Google’s algorithm must recalculate where your Google My Business ranks compared to your competitors. Generally, this does not take longer than 48 hours.
Major changes:
- Title
- Address (if you move, you will be temporarily less visible!)
- Categories (if you change this from, for example, “B2B wholesale” to “Bookstore”, then it is logical that your ranking needs to be reassessed).
- Website
- Phone number
Also Google My Business for your B2B company?
The most important arguments to create a Google My Business page for your B2B company are to increase your online findability and to come across as reliable. Besides a Google My Business page, we also advise you to improve your findability by focusing on SEO. The Google My Business page, if set up correctly, can also have a positive influence on your organic positions in Google.
Are you curious about all the tips & tricks to set up your Google Company Page as complete and effective as possible? Then get in touch with one of our experts. This service is part of your B2B online marketing department.
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