Google my Business is a service offered by Google which allows you to list your business within their search engine.
It’s different from your business website appearing in their search results. Instead, your business listing will appear in other locations such as Google maps and within the right-hand side of search results where business information is kept – an example of this can be seen below for John Lewis.
The listing provided via Google my Business can be incredibly useful. Especially as many people will use Google to quickly get an address for a business or event whilst on their mobiles, or even click on the ‘Opening Hours’ section to get a quick overview of when the business is open and closed.
Google my Business for Service Businesses
Google my Business has grown in popularity over the year and many bricks and mortar stores have a Google my Business account as it allows them to showcase their physical location to their customers and potential customers.
However, the use of Google my Business for service industries has been slowly growing. The main reason for this is that most service industries don’t have one fixed location.
Examples of service industries that don’t have fixed locations include:
- Repairmen
- Tradesmen
- Landscaping and Gardening services
- Cleaning Services
- Locksmiths
These typically travel to the location where the service is undertaken, such as the customer’s home.
There are also new businesses in industries that typically have fixed locations, they include:
- Travelling beauty therapists
- Mobile Hairdressers
- Tutors
- Mobile mechanics
Previously, businesses without a fixed address were put off having a Google my Business account because they didn’t have a business address to use. Most of these types of businesses are run from a home base and people are typically put off posting their home address online.
However, there is a little bit good news for you. You can now create a particular service business listing on Google my Business which allows for your home address to be hidden from your listing. Instead, the service area that your business covers is shown.
Perfect for service businesses, especially those that don’t have a fixed company address.
Should I, a Service Business, have a Google my Business account?
Yes!
Most definitely, it’s free adverting space within Google. Why not grab it?
And now there is the option to not list your address, there is no excuse for businesses in service industries.
How to get a Service Listing on Google my Business
If you don’t already have a Google my Business account, you can set up your service listing on as a service business straight away. Simply log in to your Google account and follow the instructions.
If you already have a Google my Business listening for your business, you can amend it to a service account by clicking on your ‘Info’ tab, find the address section and click ‘Clear’. Once the address information has been removed, ensure you head to your service area section and add the locations that you cover.
Tips to ensure your Google my Business account is useful
There are several things you can do to ensure that your Google my Business account, they include:
Tip #1: Ensure that your service area is set up correctly within Google my Business to ensure that you have a chance of appearing in local search queries.
Tip #2: Complete every section of your account, including imagery and logos where requested to give Google every opportunity to showcase your business to Google search users.
Tip #3: Don’t resort to Google my Business spam. By spam we mean, don't keyword stuff your listing, it looks poor and stands a higher chance of being rejected by Google. Keep your listing simple, accurate and relevant.
And finally, Tip #4. Please ensure that you set up your Google my Business account using a company email address / Google account.
There are simply too many cases whereby company accounts are set up using personal email addresses. If that email address is then no longer used, the password gets forgotten, then you lose your ability to access your Google my Business account. Or even worse, when they are set up using an employee’s personal account and that person then leaves the company!
Keep things tidy and professional by using your company email address for any login details.
If you need any assistance in setting up your Google my Business account, or perhaps you already have one and you want to ensure that it's working for you, simply get in touch with the team today.
Published: 22nd Nov 2019