By Whitney Lemon
Over the past four years, thanks to the support of partners like America’s SBDC, the Get Your Business Online program has helped 325,000 businesses get a website.
This year, with a new program, “Let’s Put Our Cities on the Map,” we’re helping local businesses in every city update their information where customers are searching for them most – on Google Search and Maps.
Being on the map matters. Research shows that businesses with complete online business listings are 2x as likely to be considered ‘reputable. ’ 1 Yet, only 37 percent of businesses have claimed their listing on a search engine.2 Let’s Put Our Cities on the Map helps businesses reach local customers by updating their info on Google Search and Maps at no charge.
So, what should your business do to make sure you’re being found by customers? Start with a diagnostic tool that examines your presence on Google Search and Maps. It’s available at www.gybo.com/business. Enter your business name and you’ll see a report that provides a snapshot of how—or if—your business appears across Google.
The tool highlights suggestions for areas that could use your attention, including:
- Photos
- Address
- Phone number
- Hours of operation
From the report, you can access Google My Business, a central dashboard that allows business owners to manage information across Google.
Not showing up on the map at all? No worries. Follow the steps on the results page of the diagnostic tool to get started creating a Google My Business account to get your business listed on the map, at no charge.
Gybo.com also includes additional resources to help your business, like a website through StartLogic, a series of video tips for online success, and a Google+ Community for small businesses.
On behalf of the entire Get Your Business Online team, I wish you great success growing your business.
Whitney Lemon, Google Small Business Engagement
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1 Google/Oxera, The Benefits of Complete Business Listings, December 2014
2 Marketing Sherpa, Search Marketing Benchmark Report SEO Edition, 2012
BIO: Whitney is a marketing manager on Google’s Let’s Put Our Cities on the Map team. She hosts Friday 15: Small Business Tips, Google’s series to help small businesses succeed online. Friday 15 is part of Google’s Get Your Business Online program, providing small businesses with a custom domain name and web hosting–at no charge for one year.