The new free tool from Google that helps to put your Aussie business on the map and ditch the Octopus.
Google have recently launched a new free platform for Australian Small Business which is designed to change the way you manage your crucial presence on Google forever.
But what exactly is this new tool Google My Business supposed to do?
How do you sign up to the service and is it really worth taking a look?
Essentially, Google are promoting the new platform as a handy solution for bringing together Google Search, Maps, Google+ and more under one easily manageable roof.
It might just mean that Martin Print can finally get rid of the annoying Octopus that we hired earlier this year, whilst you can quickly enhance your online business presence without tying yourself in knots.
Attempting to keep on top of all your different Google-shaped profiles and platforms could often be a bit of a nightmare, especially when things like Google Maps, Google Places, YouTube channels, customer reviews, and Google + Local were scattered around all over the place.
Old Bert’s proposal to hire an Octopus to handle Martin Print’s presence on Google seemed like a good idea at the time, but I really wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
Yes, the extra pairs of arms were fairly useful for keeping a tighter grip on the messy and fractured world of Google, but the general behaviour of the Octopus was appalling.
He had no respect for the rest of the Martin Print team, he caused absolute chaos in the canteen on a daily basis, and he refused to take his turn in fetching the lunch time orders from the Sweet Pastry Shop.
Worst of all, when he thought nobody was looking, he would sneak into our website code and replace all the images of our business marketing products with pictures of prawns, whelks, and clams.
The good news is that the Octopus is no longer required and we’ve found him alternative employment working in a casino on the roulette wheel.
You see, Google My Business has taken out some of the fiddly work in maintaining your presence on the search engine by presenting you with a single streamlined interface which can be used to control a wide range of Google services.
Aussie businesses without an online presence should find that this free tool is the quickest hassle-free way to jump online for the first time, whilst businesses with an existing website can use Google My Business to further enhance the experience of potential customers – with very little effort and just one pair of human hands.
Signing up to Google My Business involves answering a set of fairly straightforward questions about your business which should take around ten minutes or so.
When everything’s up and running, the free tool will give you the power to;
Control your Google+ page, YouTube channel, customer reviews and your presence on Google Maps all from one single dashboard.
Share the location of your business with a red ‘drop pin’ on Google Maps.
Add a virtual tour function which allows Google users to get an insightful glimpse into the interior of your business.
Share news, stories, and important updates from your Google+ business page.
Monitor and respond immediately to customer ratings and reviews on your Google Places listing.
Access your all-in-one Google dashboard from your Smartphone for extra convenience!
Android and iPhone apps for Google My Business are already available.
So…is it worth a look?
Rich Flanagan, head of SMB Marketing for Google Australia, certainly thinks so.
“Through our research internally and with external partners, we’ve found that small businesses are time poor and they are not necessarily marketing or digital experts,” says Flanagan.
“So we want to give them a very simple tool to manage their presence online. And we wanted it to be free.”
“We think back to just a couple of generations, when it was unthinkable if a small business didn’t have a phone in order to be connected with people who were interested in them,” Flanagan continues.
“And we think nowadays it is that same message for getting an online presence, whether it’s a website or a Google My Business profile. We think online is the rocket fuel for businesses and they absolutely need to think about having a presence.”
It has to be said that Google has taken a few wrong turns on the way to Google My Business, although I’m sure they would prefer to call this “a natural evolution” rather than a string of mistakes.
Do you remember Google Local Business Directory? Or Google + Local?
Don’t worry if you can’t, they’re dead and buried now despite originally being hailed as essential new services.
On past evidence, we can’t be sure if this new tool really is the future or merely a short-lived stepping stone to the next stage of the evolution process.
But in the meantime, I would definitely advise taking a good look at Google My Business.
I’m particularly impressed by the ability to respond to customer reviews from the one-stop solution dashboard, as this is a task which often gets overlooked or forgotten – with damaging results.
And it certainly looks as if some of the messier and more complex aspects of maintaining your scattered presence on Google have been simplified and streamlined so that even a complete newbie can dive in without getting too much of a headache.
Oh, and let’s not forget that Google My Business is entirely free…
Still, I have to admit that I’m actually beginning to miss the Martin Print octopus just a little bit.
He was pretty good at sharpening pencils and doing the washing-up.
But I gather he’s much happier now raking in the bets on the roulette wheel, and rumour has it that he’s met a nice female octopus who works on the poker table.
But what do you think? (About Google My Business, not the octopus romance.)
Will you be signing up to the new free service?
Send to Kindle