The Yext Guide to Google My Business - INCLUDES APRIL 2018 UPDATE
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The Yext Guide to Google My Business INCLUDES APRIL 2018 UPDATE
Yext Guide to GMB 2
Introduction
With the launch of its Google My Business (GMB) “This release is the biggest
API, Google introduced the biggest change to development in digital knowledge
local search since Yext launched Listings in 2011. management since the launch of
The Google My Business API is a new avenue for our network nearly six years ago.
businesses of all sizes to get digital knowledge
Our integration eliminates the
about their locations into Google Search, Google
inefficiencies of manual submission,
Maps, Google+, Waze, Ads, and Google Home.
delivers a better consumer
More than ever, businesses can control how
experience, and gives business
they appear to customers in search, improving
the consumer experience by giving them the
owners unprecedented control
information they need when deciding where they’ll over their business listings across
make their next purchase. Google Search, Maps, and Waze.
We couldn’t be more excited about
Our three-part guide will teach you:
working with Google to deliver
1. How to claim your business on Google more customers to the front door
of businesses around the globe.”
2. Everything you need to know about the
Google My Business API
—Howard Lerman
3. Why managing your Google listings with Yext Yext Co-Founder & CEO
is a winning combination
With over 3.5 billion searches made by consumers Since 2014, GMB has provided a manual means
every day,1 Google is the world’s most preeminent through which brands can manage the facts
search engine. Google also operates Google about their business across Google Search,
Maps, one of the most popular local search Google Maps, Google+, Waze, Ads, and now,
and mapping apps. For businesses increasingly Google Home. With GMB, businesses can add
dependent on mobile consumers, the accuracy of and claim locations, edit listings data, such as
their digital knowledge on Google can often mean opening hours and attributes, leverage analytics
the difference between thriving and struggling. to optimize local ad buying, and more.
1
Interactive Live Stats
yext.com
Yext Guide to GMB 3 How to Claim Your Business on Google The first step to managing your digital knowledge on Google is claiming your business via GMB. You will need a Google account in order to access GMB. If you have an existing account for Gmail, you can use that account to log in, or you can create a new account. Whichever account you choose, it should be one that pertains to your business. The claiming process differs slightly depending on whether your business has fewer than 10 locations, or 10+ locations. yext.com
Yext Guide to GMB 4
Businesses With Fewer Than 10 Locations
1. Add/Claim Your Business Address Entry Guidelines*
To claim your business on GMB, visit the GMB Enter the complete and exact street address for
dashboard and search for your business using its your location.
name and address. If your business name autofills in
Example:
the search bar, click on its listing. If your business is not
2650 Broadway Street,
listed, enter your business information.
Redwood City, CA, 94063
Only include information that is part of the official
address. Adding information like cross-streets or
nearby landmarks may make it more difficult to
determine your location on Google Maps.
Suite or office numbers may be added separately from
the street name and number in Address Line 2.
*Source: Google
yext.com
Yext Guide to GMB 5
2. Verify Your Business
Now that you have selected or entered your business information, you must verify its accuracy with Google
and confirm that you are the owner.
There are three options for verifying your business. Not all options are available for everyone.
To verify your business: Select the location you would like to verify and click VERIFY NOW.
a. Verify By Mail b. Verify By Phone c. Instant Verification
•• Click MAIL to have a •• Make sure that you have •• If your business’s website
verification postcard access to the business phone is verified with Google
mailed to your business. number that you provided to Search Console, you may
•• When your postcard receive your verification code. be instantly verified.
arrives, add the verification •• Click VERIFY BY PHONE to •• Make sure you are signed into
code on the postcard to have the code sent to GMB with the same account
your GMB dashboard. your phone. you used to verify your website.
•• Add the verification code
from the message to
your GMB dashboard.
Assign at least one person at your place of business to be on the look
out for the postcard. Most failed verifications are the result of either bad
phone numbers, missed phone calls, or lost or misplaced postcards.
Troubleshooting:
What if someone else verified my business? If you know the
owner of the page, you can ask them to transfer ownership. If
you do not know the owner, click REQUEST ADMIN RIGHTS and
Google will attempt to contact the current owner.
What if I do not receive my verification postcard? Log in to the
GMB dashboard and click REQUEST ANOTHER CODE.
yext.com
Yext Guide to GMB 6
Businesses With 10 or More Locations
Businesses with 10 or more locations are To request bulk verification:
eligible for bulk verification. Bulk verification
•• Visit the GMB Locations dashboard
is the process through which a business can
make updates and add new locations without •• Click the verification icon
undergoing additional manual verification (i.e., in the top right corner
postcard/phone verification). This means that
•• Complete the verification form
updates may go live on Google within hours.
with the contact information
To become bulk-verified, a business
•• To expedite approval, use a contact email with
must have at least 10 locations in their
the same domain as the business website
account for the same business and must
fill out a six-field form, which includes: Once you submit the form, a verification team at
Google will review the information provided and
•• Contact name
the data in the account to ensure the business
•• Contact phone is eligible for bulk verification, and that the
contact person is a legitimate representative of
•• Contact email (on domain)
the company. They will also verify that all of your
•• Business brand name(s) locations, or a subset of your locations, exist
at the address and phone provided. This can
•• Business countries
take anywhere from one to several weeks.
•• Google AdWords account manager (if applicable)
yext.comYext Guide to GMB 7
Everything You Need to Know About the
Google My Business API
In December 2015, Google launched the GMB API, Businesses can also provide Google with their
which enables approved data providers to send digital knowledge via the GMB API. Previously,
information to Google directly. Prior to the GMB API, Google relied on a mix of crawling, third-party
verified business owners could only update their data, and manually submitted data to populate
digital knowledge on Google manually or via bulk the information that appears in business listings.
upload using a spreadsheet. This process was not The launch of the GMB API shifted that approach
only time consuming and inefficient, it unfortunately entirely. Now, Google puts verified business owners
undermined the accuracy of these facts due to the in control of their digital knowledge, treating them
lag between submitted and published changes. as the most authoritative source about themselves
— reducing the likelihood that conflicting
With the launch of the GMB API and its subsequent
information from data aggregators, crawlers, and
enhancements, Google continues to make it easy
other third-party sources will confuse consumers.
for brands to update the facts about their business
in a way that reflects the real-time realities of how Accurate, real-time digital knowledge is a big
they operate. Today’s mobile consumers rely on win for everyone — businesses, Google, and
Google to help them find what they’re looking consumers alike. Moreover, these facts are also
for, and they expect information to be complete, a critical element in the operation of Google’s
compelling, and most importantly — accurate. entire ecosystem of search, maps, and ads.
With the GMB API, Google makes it possible for
businesses to meet consumers’ high expectations.
yext.comYext Guide to GMB 8
Managing Your Business Listings
on Google With Yext
The GMB API replaces the manual work consistent and up-to-date everywhere consumers
normally required to update Google listings search. Syncing Yext with your GMB account takes
with an automated feed. However given the just minutes and instantly unlocks the power of
complexity of collecting, storing, and managing our integration — which can help inform your
information, especially across multiple locations, business strategies, boost brand awareness,
many businesses will choose to leverage the drive foot traffic, increase sales, and beyond.
API through a data management partner.
The Yext Knowledge Engine enables companies
“Without Yext, we wouldn’t have had
of all sizes to manage the public facts about
any way to update our store hours
themselves across their websites, mobile apps,
across Google, which we now rely on
internal systems, and more. By centralizing this data
in the Yext Knowledge Engine, you can publish
to serve our community of customers
your digital knowledge across our expansive with transparent, real-time updates
network of 100+ maps, apps, search engines, specific to their neighborhood stores.
GPS systems, directories, and social networks. And the addition of Google to the
Our network includes not only Google, but also Knowledge Network enables us
Apple Maps, Facebook, Foursquare, Bing, Yahoo, to enter new communities with all
Yelp, and many more services consumers use to of the critical location and contact
search every day. Updates in the Yext Knowledge information, so we can connect with
Engine push to GMB in real time. From there, the local neighborhood the moment
Google syncs that information with Google our doors open.”
Search, Maps, and Waze — all within minutes.
—Farryn Weiner
This means less time spent making manual VP of Marketing & Brand Strategy,
changes, faster updates when your hours or other Sweetgreen
key business details change, and greater ability
to ensure that your digital knowledge is always
yext.comYext Guide to GMB 9
Yext’s best-in-class integration with the GMB API Drive Consistency Where People Search
provides you with unprecedented opportunities •• With a central source of truth for the facts about
to optimize your marketing, operations, and your business, and a robust network of 100+
planning strategies with the ability to: services, you can drive brand consistency.
Control Your Google Listings Reach more consumers at their moments of
high-intent, wherever they’re searching.
•• Update the facts about your business, including
name, address, phone, categories, website, Yext built the industry’s first Knowledge
photos, and special hours — in real time. Engine, and the GMB API integration further
demonstrates its position as the market leader
•• Add details to your listings with business — with the largest ecosystem of partners and
attributes (e.g., accepts new patients, has free the most robust product feature sets. Now,
wi-fi, takes reservations), your menu URL, for the first time, brands can control all of the
and more. public facts about their business across a vast
•• Make sure the menu information that consumers network of services consumers use today — all
see for your brand in search results is accurate. from one powerful, cloud-based platform.
Gain Enhanced Features
•• Measure Google Search Queries, Search Views,
Maps, Customer Actions, Phone Calls, and
Driving Distance analytics — by day and across
locations — directly from Yext, to optimize your
multi-location strategy.
•• Protect your listings from being overwritten by
unauthorized Google updates, with the ability to
accept or reject consumer-suggested edits via
Yext Publisher Suggestions.
Leverage Our Partnership
•• With direct points of contact on the Google
team, Yext can escalate unforeseen events on
your behalf.
•• Resolve issues, including bulk verification
approvals, disabled locations, and incorrectly
‘closed’ locations — more quickly.
yext.comYext Guide to GMB 10 Next Steps As we look to a future of drone delivery, self- As the originators and operators of the world’s driving cars, and increasingly mobile consumers, first and best Knowledge Engine, we here Google has rightfully placed the power over digital at Yext stand ready to help your business knowledge where it belongs — in the hands of seize all of the opportunities that the GMB verified business owners. This shift gives businesses API affords. For more information, and to set of all sizes the opportunity to improve their up a demo, please visit yext.com/google. consumer experience, drive operational efficiencies, and deliver more traffic to their front door. yext.com
Yext Guide to GMB 11
Yext is the leading Digital Knowledge Management (DKM) platform. Yext’s mission is to
give companies control over their brand experiences across the digital universe of maps,
apps, search engines, voice assistants, and other intelligent services that drive consumer
discovery, decision, and action. Today, thousands of businesses, including brands like Taco
Bell, Rite Aid, and Steward Health, use the Yext Knowledge Engine™ to manage their digital
knowledge in order to boost brand engagement, drive foot traffic, and increase sales.
Yext has been named a Best Place to Work by Fortune and Great Place to Work® as well as
a Best Workplace for Women. Yext is headquartered in New York City with offices in Berlin,
Chicago, Dallas, Geneva, London, Paris, Tyson’s Corner, San Francisco, Shanghai, and Tokyo.
For more information, visit www.yext.com.
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