With the advent of smartphones, people have completely changed our behavioural habits, as seen in the huge decline in daily computer users and the huge increase in daily mobile device users.
This has created many new opportunities for advertising and presence in mobile media. As more and more people browse the internet on mobile devices, Google has developed Google Business Profile - a platform that helps us find local providers on maps and browsers, based on location.
If we think about it a little bit more, this is a top opportunity for all local businesses that are visited by customers in physical locations or offices - mainly restaurants, hotels, banks, insurance companies, banks, travel agencies, etc.
The first step to making sure your customers find you online and on mobile devices is to verify your offices in Google Business Profile.. This is important for the display of each branch on Google maps and search engines. It will help you to rank your business locally in search queries based on the activities and services you offer.
But beware - one of the biggest or most common problems is unconfirmed locations.
The problem of unconfirmed sites!
Imagine people search for you or your location on Google and find the wrong address or the wrong phone number, the wrong opening hours... The visitor has a negative experience before they have even visited you.
There are 2 types of locations in Google Maps - confirmed and unconfirmed!
When a location is unconfirmed, Google does not know whether the data is accurate. Neither do your potential visitors, who are unsure whether the location really exists and whether the data is accurate. Google draws information about unverified locations from various sources and registries, and anyone can change the information, but as a business owner, you have no control over it.
Not sure if your location is confirmed? Search for your business in Google search and see if any of the information is missing. As an example, take a look at the image below:
As you can see in the picture, this location does not have enough useful information. In addition, it gives the appearance that the company is not even at this location, or that the location is remote and unverified. Without contact details, a potential customer cannot contact them, cannot click on their website, check their opening hours, navigate to the location and the list goes on....
Unconfirmed locations in Google Business Profile are inconsistent from Google's point of view and consequently show up less well in search results on Google search, Google maps and other services. If you don't know how Google displays your business information, you can check for free Here.
Confirmed locations attract more customers!
Verified locations on Google have been shown to attract more customers. In Google's eyes, verified locations are much more trustworthy locations, which are automatically better highlighted in Google search and maps.
The main advantages of the approved location are:
- Improved visibility among local results in search engines and Google map.
- Trust in your company or brand increases.
- It helps potential customers find you and contact you easily directly from their mobile phone.
- You have full control over the information you publish.
- Google Business Profile gives you insight into analytics related to each store, such as visits, clicks, and navigation requests.
- Once your location is confirmed, you can also receive and respond to reviews and feedback from your customers.
Below is an example of a validated and optimised Google location display:
How do I confirm my Google Business Profile locations?
It's fairly easy to confirm locations in Google Business Profile. You can order a pin code to validate your location via the post, where delivery usually takes a week or two, but it may not necessarily arrive at the right address. Therefore, the process sometimes needs to be confirmed several times.
Sometimes the company has the option to confirm the location by phone or email, but this is rare. All location confirmation options are completely free of charge. If you have a choice, we would definitely recommend confirming by phone as it is much easier. Detailed instructions on how to confirm Google Business Profile locations can be found at here!
But the easiest way for you to do all this is to let us take care of it for you. At GeoSplet, we specialise in managing the digital locations of local businesses and can instantly validate your locations in your Google Business Profile.
Once confirmed, we also analyse and optimise the locations according to the most frequent searches of your potential customers. A complete Google Business Profile should have all the necessary information that a potential customer needs - e.g. the exact location of the business, phone number, opening hours, business activities, additional attributes, etc.
Once your locations are confirmed, you can manage them within your Google Business Profile account.
Want more local customers?
Not sure how to get started with listing your business on Google Business Profile and validating your locations? Or would you like to get more exposure for your already validated locations?
Not only does GeoSplet take the burden off you when it comes to managing your Google locations, but through our partner network we also publish and optimise your data in the world's largest navigation databases and maps, such as Apple Maps, Tom Tom, Here and others.
Need help? Contact us. We are happy to help.
