Get Yourself On The Map By Claiming Your Google My Business Listing

Like many small to medium-sized businesses, you probably get calls several times a week from companies wanting you to claim your Google My Business Listing.

You probably don’t need to hire someone to claim your listing, although you may want to get some professional assistance to complete your profile.  See my article on Completing Your Google My Business Profile should you need help.

Why You Need to Claim Your Google My Business Listing For Your Business?

A Google My Business listing will show your business location on Google Maps and local search results.

You can display important information about your business, including the opening/closing times, contact details, or a link to your website. More recently, Google has also released a new feature allowing you to post a link to articles or up-and-coming events. Making sure you have a Google My Business Listing that is correct can do more to help you show up in the Search Results than almost any other thing you can do.

Be Sure You Are Listed, And The Information Is Correct

Google loves accurate information because it gives users a pleasant experience.  And a correct listing can drive traffic to your physical location or website.

First, you should see if Google has you listed or if you have already claimed your listing. You should know if you have already claimed the listing, although an employee may have claimed it earlier, or you may have forgotten that it was claimed.

Google has already created a listing for most businesses in the United States. It should not surprise you that Google knows a lot about your business.  Where did they get the information?  They likely created you a listing from public records.

First, just search in Google for your business name and address.  If you are already listed, a box will show up on the right-hand side like the one shown here for Bagwell Marketing.

If you see a message: Do you own this business? You will need to claim and verify the listing. Otherwise, your listing is probably already claimed.

On the other hand, if you don’t see that message, you may have to research to see who your company claimed your listing.  You can recover the listing, but it may take some work.  If you have difficulty, you can always call in a professional.

Claiming Your Listing Is Easy

If you are already listed in Google, claiming the listing is accessible. Google will just want to make sure you are the rightful owner. You can verify quickly with a call back to the phone number listed or a postcard to the physical address (it takes a bit longer).  If Google has an incorrect phone number or lousy address, that can slow the process down, but it is easy to correct that.  Google has probably picked up your listing from public records. That is why you should consider keeping a business listing.  See my earlier post, Does Your Business Need a Landline, for more information.

If your business is one of the few that is not already listed, it is easy to create a listing, although it may take a bit longer.

For help, Google My Business lists easy steps for you to follow.

Always Maintain Ownership of Your Google My Business Listing

You should never let any outside third-party claim or have complete control of your business listing. Register it under a company email that you will always have access to.

If you use an outside company, just make sure they use your company email –not their business email for ownership.

If you allow an employee to manage the account, ensure that the ownership stays with the company. Employees come ad go, so some must always be managing the listing. Never let an employee use their personal email to create your listing.  Often, third-party companies will claim a listing under their email, and later if you want to change providers, you may have to pay a fee to get your own listing back.  It is okay to let others manage the account. Just be sure that your company “owns” the listing.  That is why it is best to register your listing yourself instead of using a third party.

You, Need A Listing For Each Location

If you have multiple locations — such as a retail store — you will need a listing for each site.  You can, however, maintain them under one account.

Managing multiple locations can be difficult, so you may wish to hire a professional to manage your account.

Get A Free Report To See Your Listing

Bagwell Marketing offers a Free SEO Report that will show your Google My Business Listing and how your website ranks.