Google has some great products that are extremely helpful if you’re serious about marketing your business online. Some of these google products are websites that you want to list your business on, some Google tools provide  information you need to tweak your marketing message, correct site performance problems and drive revenue. There’s just one little problem. Google has created so many products it can be difficult to determine which ones are appropriate for a small local business.
We can help you sort it out. Outlined below are the essential Google tools for small business that you need in order to be competitive online and a brief summary of why you need them:
The Top 5 Google Products for Small Businesses
- Google My Business. Back in 2012 Google rolled out its social network Google+ and with that came Google+ Local to replace Google Places for businesses. Google+ Local ended up transitioning into Google My Business. You can post updates, add/change photos, announce promotions and much more. But here’s the problem. If your business was listed in a phone book prior to 2012 then your business probably has a Google My Business account (whether you knew it or not) and it’s your job to claim and manage the listing for your business on Google.
- Google Analytics. This is an absolute must. There is a bit of a learning curve to understand all of the data generated by the traffic coming to your site but once you have a handle on it you’ll be able to take action to improve conversions.
- Webmaster Tools. The perfect complement to Google Analytics, Webmaster Tools will (among other things) tell you which keyword phrases you are ranking for, how you rank for them in the SERP and what the CTR is. This is really strong tool to optimize your content and to understand what topics/subjects resonate with your audience.
- YouTube. YouTube (owned by Google) is the third most visited site on the internet and the second largest search engine. If videos are not in your marketing mix they should be. Not only can they build brand awareness and reputation but they do an amazing job referring traffic as well. You may have noticed that if you search Google for a “how to” question page one will typically be loaded with links to YouTube videos.
- Calendar. If your business provides classes, public presentations or other time specific services then Calendar is a handy way to remind your audience. You can post and update a calendar on your website, Google+ or newsletter to keep your customers informed. And of course it works great internally as well to keep track of contractors, deliveries, meetings etc.
There are more Google tools for small business campaigns but we feel these are the “must haves.” Now there is one little challenge you may need help with. If you had a Google Place page you may end up with multiple, separate Google accounts for Google+, Google Places and YouTube. The challenge then becomes finding a way to merge and manage all of the accounts without having to login and logout of multiple different accounts. We can help you with that. In fact we are happy to offer up our ideas on how to best implement these tools so they make sense for your business and are easy to manage. Give us a call now and we will be happy to answer your questions.
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