In 2014, Google released a free service called Google My Business.
I happen to read more about it when I started to get my feet wet to get more "digital juice" for our business during the pandemic.
What is Google My Business ?
Google My Business is a free and easy-to-use tool for businesses and organizations to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps.
To help customers find your business, and to tell them your story, verify your business and edit your business information.
Source Google My Business (GMB)
How long does it take to setup Google My Business ?
From my experience, it takes roughly 10 minutes to setup.
You will need a Gmail a/c to get started. After the basic information about your business is saved & verified by Google, keep exploring the various options.
Google keeps updating this service. So it would be a good idea to keep checking about new features they keep adding.
It would also be handy to download GMB (Google My Business) app from Google Playstore or the iOS Appstore.
Reason 1. All updates about your business on this service is now a few clicks and types, away. 2. Get notifications from GMB on their updates or any reviews about your company and other mentions.
Here is an example of Google Search Page when someone searches for us.
You might notice Website?? in the image below, whereas the article mentions "Website, do you really need one ?":)
Well, our website existed before this service was started. Nevertheless, you can link your site to GMB for more traffic and if you don't have one, you can still begin with GMB to establish your digital presence.
Go ahead, give it a try, it's free. I believe it is a good compliment for your existing website. The more Google sees your business mentions in the digital sphere, the better for you.
As they say , "The Best Place to Hide a Dead Body is in Page Two of Google" So let your business be found, everybody is searching.
People trust Google :)