What is Google My Business Page?

Google My Business replaces the old Google Places feature.  A Google My Business page is a free online tool for businesses to manage their online presence across Google and maps.  Have a look at what happens when you search for a local business in Google.  Eg.  searching in Google for “cafe Mornington” (refer to image).  What you are seeing is called a knowledge graph with 3 local listings, plus sometimes a Google Ad listing.

It is important that every business has one, as appearing in local searches is another way of ranking well in Google.

How do I create a Google My Business  (GMB) page?

To create your own Google My Business page. First you will need a Google account.  To create a Google account, go to your web browser, eg. Safari, and type in https://accounts.google.com/Signup

Once you have filled in your data, and created your Google account.  Open a new window in your web browser and type in https://www.google.com/business and then click the green “Start Now” link.  You will be asked a number of questions regarding your business.  Eg.  Business Name, address, phone number, email address etc..   Once you have entered all your data, you will be sent a verification code in the post.  Whilst apparently this usually takes 6 business days to arrive, from experience it can take up to 3 weeks, so you need to be patient.  The verification code can then be used to validate your listing, so that it will start showing in Google.