How to Set Up Google My Business | Summer School Lesson 4

Video transcription:

Hi everybody. In today’s summer school, we are talking about something I feel like I am talking about constantly, and that is Google.

So, let’s get into it. Here is what you need to know about Google My Business, why you should set it up, and how to set it up.

Let’s start. First things first: What is Google My Business?

Well, simply put, it is a way for you to claim your company and create a profile for yourself on Google Maps and Google Search.

That’s about it. OK, so if that’s all it is, why do you need it? There are 4 big reasons that I want to highlight today for why every company should have a Google My Business listing. Here they are.

1. It improves your visibility in Search, especially in local search results. It can be an assist for you there.

2. It’s a good way for people to see where you’re located. You will check your hours when you’re closed, when you’re not. Now, I’m guessing as a financial advisor, you are probably not getting a lot of drop-ins, but that’s OK. That’s just another way to showcase your office, your physical location, and let people know that you’re open.

   • If you are someone who works remote and you don’t have a physical office, totally cool. You can just check a little box and tell Google My Business, “Hey, I don’t want to show this address. This is not where people want to go,” so that you don’t have your home address showing up in search results.

3. Google Reviews. When you sign up, Google will provide you with a handy little “Share Google Reviews” Form that you can send directly to clients. And this, we all know, is especially critical for advisors now because finally, SEC-registered advisors can acknowledge that they have clients and that those clients like them. This is a pretty big deal.

4. The Google algorithm likes it when you have it. This is kind of tied with #1, how it can improve search visibility. Hey, let’s be honest—Google creates these services because they want people to use the services so they can point people to those services when they do a Google search. So it just makes sense.

OK, so what about actually setting up a Google My Business profile if you don’t have one already?

Here we go. Another 4 steps.

1. Go to google.com/business.

2. Enter your basic info. Put in your address, put in your phone… that type of stuff. Simple. You don’t need a walk-through for that.

3. Choose a category for your company. For most of you, that’s going to be choosing financial planning or investment services. You can make up your own mind there. Again, you don’t need me to tell you what to do. Now, once you choose that broad category, you don’t have to be done yet.

   • You can keep going. You can add more detailed services. You can even create your own service names, so you can get in there and be specific and really let people know what types of things you offer, like tax planning, estate planning, et cetera, et cetera. Get in there and describe what you do.

4. The last step is actually an analog step. So, Google is going to take things offline and they’re going to send you a postcard with a verification code to the address that you put in. So, usually that comes in about a week. It can take up to a month, I believe they say. But look out for that, putting your registration code, your verification code, and you’re done. You have set up your profile. Now you have given yourself just one more building block in better search visibility and another arrow in the quiver to make sure that people can easily find your business.

So that’s it. There’s no worksheet in today’s episode. Instead, it’s homework.

Go through what we just listed to get your Google My Business profile set up if you haven’t done yet already. If you have done it, go take a peek with fresh eyes. Make sure you’ve got everything filled in that you can to make sure your profile is complete. And that’s it.

Everybody have a good week!