Step by step instructions on how to use Google My Business App

<<<<<UPDATED 2018 there is a new feature called “Posts” section. Read below and check it out. >>>>>

If you have a business, you probably have signed up or claimed your business on Google. Here are the instructions on how to do this through “Google My Business.” But, have you reviewed it out recently and updated your information? From the desktop, you can go to https://business.google.com to modify your data. This step might have been a site you forgot about which is the reason for my post. When we set up our business, we tend to forget about how and when we did these tasks. Then, we may wonder years later, why you are not getting business from Google searches or why people aren’t visiting your site more.  I’m here to remind you that task is necessary to do at least once a year.

And, today I will be reviewing a more natural way to modify your Google Business information, photos, insights, reviews.  Google introduced the Google Business App on iOS and Android, and I just love the usability of the app. If you haven’t set up your business yet on Google, bookmark this page and return after you do the verification process. Don’t worry; I will wait for you…………

OK, ready? After you confirmed your business on your desktop, you can now install the Google Business App (iOS) or Google Business App (Android).  Enter your username and password.

On the Google Business App home page, it includes the following information.

• “Post photos” on your device. This area is where you can upload the photos you took of your business. By clicking on the images that you want and press photos, it will add it to your business’ photos section.  This section is handy if you take lots of after pictures for your business and use your phone. The photos will show up on Google Maps, Search, and Google+.
• Further down is the “Insights” section, it shows share information on how users find and interact with your business on Google.
• There is a “YouTube” section. In this section, it shows how many views or new subscribers you received in the last 30 days. If you click on it, you will go to your YouTube dashboard for your YouTube Channel. That is if you have the YouTube app installed on your mobile device.
• There’s a section called “Reviews” where people can 5 star your company. And you can respond to the review as well.
• And, then there is an “Ads” section which takes you to the Google Adwords Express (they have an app also on iOS) where you can review your ads. More about that app another time.

NOTE: If you click on any of these sections it will take you to the other parts I describe in more detail below. 

In the Google business info page, you can edit your business information easily by clicking on the pencil to the right of the section you want to change.

You can change things like address, service area, phone number, website, hours of operation, special hours, mark as a permanently closed business.  It does mention that your edits may take several minutes to go live. But at least you can change it right away and not have to hunt down the website online. That’s handy.

In the Photo section of Google Business App, you will notice a Photos at work section where you can add the photos from your device as I mentioned above.

A section for Team photos, where you can add at least three photos showing your management team and your employees. They suggest showing pictures a little less formal of your team to humanize your business.

And a section for additional photos, where you can show “unique and compelling features of your business” that doesn’t fit into the other two areas.

The last section is your identity photos which include your profile of yourself, logos of your business, and cover photos that will show your business’s personality. You can do an “advanced options” where you can select if you want the profile photo or the cover photo to show first on Google. 

The next section is “Insights.” 

This section shows you the search results in a little more detail. And, customer actions in the last 30 days. There are additional stats about driving directions requests, phone calls, photo views, and photo quantity. This information is just to help you see where your customers are coming from and what they were searching for you.

Well, there you go. To help you get into the habit of updating this information often, here are some tips:

• Update the information and photos as you get new photos, so Google knows they are are a part of your business.
• Add new employee images within one month of them starting at your company, so they feel a part of the team.

There is a new section of Google My Business and it is called “Posts”.  

While all this information above is still correct, this added a new feature is one I particularly like. Here’s how I use it and how you can use it too.

First, you need to log into your account.

Then, on the left-hand side, you will notice a menu. Select the menu topic that says “Posts”. Select Posts and you come to a page that says “write a post.”

Then, start writing your post. Start out by importing an image to your post. It only allows you a small space so using a partial image worked for me. (See below.) Write your description of what you want the post to be about. Don’t forget to add a call to action statement. Here’s an example of one I wrote recently.

If you don’t want people to go to a different page, like your website, you can just click on Preview. If you’re going to add a button, follow these steps. Turn on the Add a button toggle then select the type of button you want. I like to use the Learn more button for posts that are just information. They give you many options to choose from so pick the best one that works for you and your post. You can also select the date range you want the post to show in your business information section.  

Now, it’s time to see the preview. This is how the post appears. Looks cute, right? If you like it, you can press “Publish” and you are done.

And, here’s how it looks.  You can see that it shows the posts right under your business name.  Cool, right?  Have you ever tried this section before.

Since I have two sites at the same address, I like to add both site’s posts to this business section. That way, people can visit all of my business’s posts and sites instead of just one. Google only allows you to associate one website with your Google My Business page.

Another great feature is when you revisit your app or business page, you will notice that there will be an eye near the bottom. This shows you how many people have viewed the post since the last time you posted it.

I hope this section helps you get inspired to update your information often. If you want more tips on this section, feel free to check out this post by Moz that talks further about these steps.

Well, there you have it my tips to help you keep up-to-date with your data to Google. I hope this has encouraged you to download the app and make updates today.  If you already have the app, please leave a comment on any tips you may have for using it. I would love to hear from you.

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