If you are not taking advantage of Google My Business in your auto dealership’s online marketing campaign, you are missing out on the incredible opportunity to boost visibility and to attract more qualified leads. Google My Business, which is also known as GMB, is the Internet giant’s business listing feature. Understanding how it works and maximizing its benefits are essential for competitiveness in any dealership’s online marketing campaign.
Understanding
Google My Business
When an Internet user conducts a Google query, relevant search results are returned. Business listings may be returned at the top of the page as well. While there are many business listing platforms available on the Internet, a GMB listing can be customized by you with very detailed information.
More than that, it directly and significantly impacts search engine optimization and elevates visibility. While Google may populate your car dealership’s GMB listing with basic details, you can and should expand and update this information as much as possible.
The business listing can also be viewed through the knowledge graph, the local pack and Google Maps. Because of the prevalence and importance of
GMB in online searches, your Google My Business profile must be detailed and accurate in order to maximize online visibility.
How Google My Business Listings Are Accessed
The most common way for your dealership’s Google My Business Listing to be accessed is through an online search. Given the nature of business listings, your dealership’s GMB listing may be visible when a user conducts a localized search for a car dealership on the Internet. This may be through a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop or other connected devices. However, accessibility to the listing is also available through voice searches, and these may include via Google Home and Google Assistant.
The Evolution of Google My Business Listings
When Google My Business listings were introduced, businesses were solely responsible for the content included in their listing. Today’s listings include information that Google has located. This information may be pulled from third-party websites in some cases, and this could include unverified sources. Other updates may include reviews and photos submitted by your customers. Updates to your business listing do not need to be approved by you.
Google has built-in features that encourage interactivity. For example, the Suggest an Edit feature enables customers to submit revisions to primary details in your listing. This includes basic and essential information like your hours of operation, your business address and more. The Google Q&A feature enables customers to pose questions and to answer other users’ questions, and these are linked to your business listing. With these and other ways for your dealership’s listing to be updated without your permission, you should regularly review your profile for accuracy.
The evolution of Google My Business also includes the introduction of useful analytics. For example, through Google My Business Insights, you can learn how users are identifying your dealership’s business listing, the distance that they are from your dealership when they search for your address on mapping features and more.
