Google My Business (GMB) has been a hot topic for quite some time, and there are many reasons why you should be paying attention. This listing is where customers find you organically, read reviews, click to call, get directions, see your hours, and can see events, specials, and products that you offer. 

All at no cost (aside from the time to keep it updated and relevant). 

This is where you can manage your online presence across multiple search engines, in Google Maps, and on search engine result pages. And with 49% of businesses receiving more than 1,000 Views on Search per month, you want to make sure your customers can find you easily.

It is vital that you manage your GMB pages to ensure you are maximizing this platform, but there are multiple elements to it, and it can seem a little overwhelming until you dive in. So BCP has broken down some of the key elements to help ensure your page has all the aspects customers are looking for. 

Basics to Ensure Your Google My Business Page is Up to Date

If you are a dealership, you most likely have a GMB page, even if you have not updated it in a while. Most businesses either have one or had one generated for them previously. If you do not, check out this quick guide from Google on how to set one up or claim an existing one. Once you are confirmed and verified, you will want to make sure you have these pieces in place.

NAP Information

NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) are the key pieces of information that connect your customer with your dealership, and accuracy is key. Check to ensure that the phone number is accurate and up-to-date, the address is current, and that everything links back to your current website. Often, there have been old tracking numbers still housed in the Google My Business account which can lead to missed calls and frustrated customers.

Also, if you have a separate GMB account for Fixed Ops (which you definitely should--read why here), verify that the service number is the one linked to the account. Also--make sure to let your reputation provider and service advisors know to send all service related reviews to this Google My Business account. Review volume has a direct correlation to improved SEO, which we will discuss in our next post.

Add Opening Date

This is a piece of information that recently was highlighted by George Nenni (Google My Business Expert and founder of Generations Digital), and can add value instantly. He shared an article from Sterling Sky that discussed why adding an opening date can impact your dealership, and it is a small element that has a big impact. Google started showing opening dates in the local pack results this year, and if you do not add it yourself, Google may choose a date based on the data it has, which could be inaccurate. If you are a dealership who has been in the community for years, you will want to ensure this is evident on GMB. It takes a minute, and will add credibility to your dealership instantly!

Add Photos to your Google My Business Page

This is incredibly easy to do, anyone can do this, and it adds instant credibility to your GMB page. Customers are looking at and uploading photos, and you want to make sure that you not only have volume, but also that your quality photos are being highlighted on your page.

Listings with photos are 2x as likely to be considered reputable and get 35% more clicks, and the more photos that you have, the more interaction you will see. 

Take a moment and review both your Sales and Service GMB page. Do you have a quality image as the cover photo? Do you have 100+ photos on your page that highlight not only your dealership, but your amenities, vehicles, and service? 

If there are photos that have been uploaded that should not be attached to your dealership, you can flag them to have them removed. If you want to add photos to GMB but do not know how, here is a quick guide

These are just three ways to start optimizing your GMB page. Next week we will dive into how to create and highlight your service page, and how to ensure it will show in Google Searches and in maps.