How to expand Google My Business (GMB) reach for small businesses?

A small business is typically defined as an independently owned and operated company with a limited number of employees and relatively low revenue compared to larger corporations. The criteria for what constitutes a "small" business can vary by country or industry.

In the U.S., for example, the Small Business Administration (SBA) generally categorizes a business as "small" based on factors like:

1. Number of Employees: Often fewer than 50 employees.
2. Annual Revenue: Revenue thresholds differ across industries.

Google My Business (GMB) is particularly important for small businesses because it helps level the playing field against larger companies by boosting local visibility. (see ➡️ Local SEO) Small businesses rely heavily on local customers, and GMB enhances their presence in local searches and Google Maps. This increased visibility helps attract more foot traffic and local online engagement.

In contrast, big businesses often have widespread brand recognition and extensive resources for digital marketing, making GMB less crucial for their local targeting efforts compared to small, community-based businesses.

1. Keep Your Information Up-to-Date

The first step to mastering your GMB presence is to ensure that all your business information is accurate and up to date. This includes your business name, address, phone number, website, and hours of operation. Many businesses lose potential customers simply because their information is outdated or incorrect.

Google prioritizes businesses with consistent and accurate information.

So, making sure your details are correct will not only help customers find you but also improve your local SEO ranking. It’s a small step that can have a huge impact

2. Increase visibility on Google Maps

Improving your business's visibility in local search results starts with a fully optimized Google My Business (GMB) profile.

For a more detailed guide on how to get the most out of your GMB profile, you can read the full post here.

3. Encourage and Manage Reviews

Reviews are one of the most crucial aspects of GMB. They serve as a form of social proof, helping new customers trust your business. Ask your satisfied customers to leave reviews, and make it a habit to respond to all reviews—both positive and negative.

While positive reviews highlight your strengths, responding to negative reviews in a professional and solution-oriented way shows that you care about customer satisfaction. Engaging with your reviewers creates a positive image of your business and builds credibility.

4. Use High-Quality Photos and Videos

A picture is worth a thousand words, and in the case of GMB, it’s worth even more. High-quality photos and videos showcase your products, services, or even the atmosphere of your business. These visuals make your listing more attractive and inviting to potential customers.

Google has confirmed that businesses with photos receive 42% more requests for directions and 35% more clicks to their websites.

So, take time to upload professional photos of your store, products, team, or even customer events.

5. Post Regular Updates on GMB

Did you know that Google My Business allows you to post updates just like you would on social media? Posting regular updates, such as special offers, events, new products, or announcements, helps keep your business top of mind for potential customers. These updates also improve your search rankings by signaling to Google that your business is active.

But, as a business owner, it’s hard to remember to post regularly. That’s where Circleboom Publish comes in handy. It’s a fantastic tool that I personally use to schedule my GMB posts ahead of time. With Circleboom Publish, I can plan out my updates for the week or month, ensuring my GMB profile stays fresh and relevant without having to worry about it daily.

How to Schedule Posts on GMB Using Circleboom Publish

Let me walk you through how I schedule posts on GMB with Circleboom Publish:

Step #1: Log in to Circleboom Publish.

If you don't have a Circleboom Publish account yet, you can get one in seconds!

Step #2: On the first page, you'll find options for Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Business Profile, Instagram (and Pinterest soon). Click and link your Google Business Profile into the Circleboom Publish dashboard.

If you would like to manage multiple Google Business Profiles at once, it's easy-peasy with Circleboom Publish. You can add up to 5 different Google Business Profiles to Circleboom Publish and schedule GMB posts to each of them.

Step #3: You can click on "Create New Post" or select specific post types for each platform to proceed to account selection and content creation phase.

If you select "Google Business Specific" option, you'll be directed to Google Business specific post screen.

You can create a normal post or choose "Event" or "Offer" options to generate Google posts with extras like CTAs or coupon codes.

Then you should fill the blank spaces with auto-generated texts and images. Thanks to ChatGPT, you can auto-write product and service descriptions, offers, events, discounts, etc. and this way, you won't waste time and effort to think and find the best sentences for your business!

Also, thanks to Canva, you can find ready-made templates, images, animations to enrich your Google posts. You can edit them with extra effects, filters, texts, etc.

Find and design Google post images from Canva, and other built-in tools: Unsplash and Giphy.

Step #4: If we return to OpenAI, you can create your text and define of your words' style, warmth and add extras like relevant hashtags, emojis etc.

AI Google Post Generator is your best assistant to create easy, engaging Google posts!

OpenAI continues to modify your words.

And you can add extras like hashtags, emojis, translations, etc.

Now your Google post is ready! You can use auto-generated text by AI as it is or modify it by your need.

You can add CTA buttons, dates, links to your Google photos and make them more authenticated, detailed, and captivating.

Additional Features: You can discover articles by your niche and share them with Google audience, thanks to Circleboom Publish!

This is one of the best ways of keeping your Google Business accounts active and fresh.

Or, you can connect RSS Feeds to Google accounts and share the latest updates from the sources that you selected.

By using a tool like Circleboom Publish, you can ensure that your GMB profile stays active and engaging without needing to spend time every day managing it.

5. Leverage GMB Insights

Lastly, don’t forget to monitor your GMB Insights. This data shows how people are interacting with your profile—whether they’re calling your business, visiting your website, or requesting directions.

Understanding these metrics helps you refine your strategy.

For example, if most of your visitors are coming from photo views, you might want to prioritize uploading new, high-quality images. If people are interacting with your posts, you know that consistent posting is a strategy worth continuing.

Conclusion

Maximizing your presence on Google My Business doesn’t have to be a difficult task. By keeping your information up to date, encouraging reviews, using high-quality visuals, posting regular updates, and leveraging insights, you can take your GMB profile to the next level.

Don’t forget—Circleboom Publish makes managing your GMB profile even easier by allowing you to schedule posts in advance, freeing up your time while keeping your business active online. Try it out and see the difference in your engagement!