There are numerous ways that online brands and businesses achieve recognition and attention. Some may utilize paid marketing methods to boost their exposure. Others might use content and the power of social media to organically reach audiences. Email marketing provides some brands with a recurring form of lead generation. Many use all of these tactics and more – but improvements are still possible!

In achieving visibility in search results – particularly Google’s – the need to use its services to further bolster your brand’s legitimacy is paramount. Google My Business listings can actually be a great way to garner attention for your small business.

What benefits can you expect from it? Keep reading to find out!

You’ll Show Up on Maps

Arguably one of the biggest benefits brands can enjoy from GMB listings is the fact that local searches often display maps of nearby relevant results. By using GMB, you will be able to more easily rank in map-based search results.

Whether somebody explicitly is using Google Maps to find local businesses or merely executes a locally-relevant search, the chances of showing up on such a map exponentially increase. By pinging to Google vital information about your brand via GMB, you too can be physically visible in both text-based and map-based results!

You’ll Collect Reviews

One ranking factor that Google considers when ranking local brands or businesses in general is the number of ratings or reviews they have amassed. Especially if you are earning these reviews through GMB itself, the effect this can have on visibility in a variety of search results is major.

Reviews of course can also have a major impact on how people perceive your brand. Given that shoppers are more likely to make purchases or visit businesses with more established reviews, starting your GMB page today in order to take advantage of these benefits simply makes sense.

You’ll Earn Authority and Trust

As mentioned above, factors such as visibility and reviews can help boost your credibility among customers. However, the sheer fact that you are more likely to be visible in map-based and traditional searches by using GMB help instill a feeling of trust and authority for those who see it.

GMB does require a verification process in order to be listed – while most shoppers or visitors won’t know that, they do implicitly trust search rankings to be reflective and accountable. As such, GMB helping your brand rank for prominently can in fact build additional trust and authority for and toward your online and/or physical presence.

You’ll Get Free Exposure

Given how much effort and/or money most forms of digital marketing require today, any source of free exposure is definitely worth the effort. While GMB does require a bit of patience to setup, the process is straightforward. If you want to be pinging to Google a variety of products, services or pages that might not otherwise be visible, then it only makes sense to sign-up!

Thanks to the prominence that GMB can bring for brands in search results, this extra exposure can help reduce the amount of paid marketing you need to conduct or simply allows for a greater number of clients to find you. Either way, free exposure in this context is absolutely worthwhile.

Given it costs no money but can provide an array of benefits, signing up for Google My Business is a no-brainer. By taking this action, you can begin increasing the amount of trust, visibility and traffic your business or brand can enjoy.