Google My Business Malaysia is a free online tool that is extremely handy for businesses and organisations to manage their online presence on Google Search and Google Map. By simply verifying and editing your business information, you can help customers to easily identify you on the Google Map and provide them with information pertaining to your business on Google Search, while Local SEO functions to optimise your local business listing, such as Google My Business or other listings alike. If done correctly, your business can appear in a higher position in Google Search Result Page.
Why Are Google My Business Malaysia & Local SEO Important?
- Based on GoGulf, 46% of all Google searches are looking for local information.
- According to Think with Google, 80% consumers use search engines to find local information.
- HubSpot Marketing Statistics revealed that 72% of consumers who did a local search visited a store within five miles.
- Nectafy reported that 88% of searches for local businesses via a mobile device either call or visit the business within 24 hours.
These are merely four of the many facts proving the importance of Google My Business and local SEO in today’s world. Long story short, if you are not ready for these new strategies, chances are you’ll soon be knocked out by your competitors.
Who Can Benefit Most From Google My Business Malaysia & Local SEO?
Any businesses, companies, and organisations such as trading house, hotel, restaurant, clinic, retail shop, corporate offices, NGO and other organisations alike who are selling products or providing services can avail themselves of Google My Business Malaysia and local SEO.
What are the Benefits?
- Google My Business Malaysia helps customers to pinpoint your physical location easily on Google Maps.
- It displays your business information such as your operating hours, phone number, business photos, product photos, and so on and so forth.
- It allows business owners to set up a promotion/ offer for their products and services, along with a “request a quote” button and “reservation” button for customers.
- It allows customers to leave comments, reviews, feedback, and ratings for the particular business, which the owner can respond to.
- All the said features are bound to enhance customers’ user experience, which is amongst the most crucial elements for local SEO Malaysia presently.
Steps to Effectively Set Up Google My Business Malaysia
Step 1 : Sign into Your Gmail Account & Head Over to Google My Business Website
First and foremost, visit Google My Business. Proceed to click on the “START NOW” button in order to get started.
Ensure that you are signing into the correct Gmail account of your company before you click on that button.
Step 2 : Name Your Business Using this Formula
(source : Navel Pillai)
Second, Google will request your business name. This is the initial step which many companies are prone to make mistakes in.
We strongly recommend that you follow this formula when naming your business : “Company Name” “Product/Services” – “Location”
To exemplify, Abigail Nail Parlour Kuala Lumpur
The reason is straightforward, it is the clearest way to tell people about your company, what products and services it is offering when they insert relevant keywords in their query.
The “location” part of the name is very important especially if you are in the service industry. This is because people are eager to know whether a particular service is available in their area; for instance, they will type in something along the lines of “manicure service in Kuala Lumpur” rather than a general term “manicure service”.
Having said that, based on Google’s recommendation, you should not include any marketing taglines, products or services, location, or other containment information when filling in your business name on the blank. This is rather debatable because if you check through Google Map, you will discover that the company names with “containment information” are not penalised. In terms of SEO, these companies are usually the ones providing the best information and are ranked on top positions on Google Search results. Hence subjective.
Step 3 : Make Sure you Have an Address
(source : Navel Pillai)
You are required to have an address for you to be featured on Google Map. Insert your country/region, street address, village/township, postal code, city, and state accurately.
Assuming that you are providing goods and service delivery to your customers, make sure you tick on the box that states “I deliver goods and services to my customers.” Then, pick the locations you will be delivering to.
Step 4 : Google Business Matching
To keep duplication of business listings on Google Map at bay, Google will showcase a list of businesses that resembles yours.
If you come across your business on the list, head over to Google Map and go through the business details on the map. If the business is yours, select it and Google will allow you to make necessary improvements to your listing.
With that being said, in most cases, especially when your business is newly established, nothing will match your business, so you should go for the “This doesn’t match” option.
Step 5 : Google Business Precise Location on the Map
(source : Navel Pillai)
This step is amongst the most important. If your address is correct and understood by Google, a red marker will appear on the exact spot on the map.
In some cases nevertheless, when your area is not particularly indexed in Google Map, you may need to zoom in a little further into the map, pinpoint your exact location, and drag the red marker to the very spot where your premise is situated.
This step is crucial because Google will forward all traffic and direct them to the location stated on the map whether it is correct to you or not.
Step 6 : Choose Your Business Categories
(source : Navel Pillai)
Google suggests using multiple categories to better describe your business nature from the provided list.
This is to mitigate the risk of misleading or confusing your customers who are trying to know more about your business.
The best advice here is to include all relevant services in your business category for you to describe your business better. Nonetheless, make sure that you are actually offering these services and not just for the sake of putting in.
Step 7 : Google Business Contact Details
(source : Navel Pillai)
You are to insert your company or business phone number here (not your personal number). This will then be displayed on Google Business listing for your customers.
Make sure you include your website URL. Suppose you don’t have a website, you may insert a Facebook Page or Instagram Account URL.
Step 8 : Finish Up & Verify Your Business
Finally, finish up and proceed to verify your business listing.
Ways to Verify Your Business Listing on Google
1) By Phone
Remember that only certain businesses can verify their location by phone. If you’re one of them, opt for the “verify by phone” option on the verification page.
Step 1 : Choose “Call” or “Text” if you have entered a mobile number. The text feature won’t be available if you entered a local phone number.
Step 2 : Click on “Call” or “Text” depending on your phone number.
Step 3 : If you opted for Text, you’ll receive a verification code. On the other hand, if you choose Call, you will receive an automated call with the verification code.
2) By Postcard
Step 1 : Enter the recipient’s name (your name in most cases). It isn’t a prerequisite but highly suggested to include one.
Step 2 : Double check your business address and make sure it is error-free.
Step 3 : Click on “Mail” once you’re done checking. Your postcard should arrive within 2 weeks.
Step 4 : Once you receive the postcard, proceed to log in to your Google My Business account. Click on “Verify Now”.
Step 5 : Finally, enter the five-digit verification code that is given in the postcard. You may click “Submit”.
3) By Email
Only certain businesses are allowed to verify their account by email. If you’re eligible, you’ll see the “verify email” option on the verification page.
Step 1 : Log in to your Google My Business account.
Step 2 : Double-check your email address and make sure it is error-free. Click on “Verify by email”.
Step 3 : Check your inbox for the verification email. Click on the verification button and complete the process.
4) Instant Verification Method
If you have had your website verified with Google Search Console, you can instantly verify your Google My Business Page account assuming you are using the same Google account for both.
Step 1 : Log in to your Google My Business account and make sure you are using the same account for Google Search Console (depending on eligibility).
Step 2 : Click on Instant Verification and your business listing will be verified on the spot.
5) Bulk Verification Method
If you are operating your business in more than ten locations, you MIGHT be eligible for this method.
Step 1 : Log in to your My Google Business account. If you see Chain in your verification page, click on it.
Step 2 : Fill in contact information, phone number, business manager email address, and lastly your Google Account Manager for each location.
Step 3 : Submit the verification form. On average, the waiting period for this is about 2 weeks.
Once you are done with the verification process, proceed to complete your business listing. Remember to make your business page as eye-catching as possible and provide information that captures the attention of your target market.
Optimise Your Google My Business Malaysia Listing
Info
(source : Search Engine Journal)
When you click on the info section on your Google My Business listing dashboard, add as much information as possible. This part is crucial as random people can easily suggest an edit to your business listing making it susceptible to inaccurate information. Stay away from false information and spelling errors.
Photos
(source : Respondelligent)
Businesses with photos are bound to receive more clicks to their site and more requests for driving directions in Google Maps than those without.
In terms of your business logo, the resolution should be 720 pixels wide by 720 pixels in height. The image should be either in JPG or PNG format with the size of 10KB to 5MB.
Next, add a cover photo, which will then be displayed on the search result. The resolution for the cover photo should be 1076 pixels wide and by 608 pixels in height.
Some additional photos you may add in are : exterior and interior photos, working environment photos, team photos, and so on.
Make sure your photos are as professional as possible to create a positive impression amongst your prospective customers visiting your Google My Business Malaysia listing.
Videos
(source : Biteable)
Add in videos that fulfils the following criterias :
- At least 720p in resolution, yet the higher the better.
- Size should be smaller than 100 MB.
- It is strongly recommended to keep the video 30 seconds or shorter.
Some of the videos you can upload to your business listing are :
- Products and services highlights
- Testimonials
- Store or office tour
- Awards and achievements
Google My Business Reviews
(source : Blue Corona)
No matter how far you go to boast about your business, social proof is still needed to enhance your brand awareness and attract more prospective customers. Never turn down negative reviews because they have a role here to play too.
Responding to negative reviews showcases your professionalism. Stay away from attacking negative reviews at all costs. Identity the factors contributing to your customers’ dissatisfaction and try to devise a solution.
Monthly Usage of Google My Business Malaysia :
- Search for Restaurants – 5 billion per month
- Search for Hotels – 3 billion per month
- Search for Clothing Shops – 1 billion per month
- Search for Salons – 600 million per month
- Search for Coffee Shops – 5 million per month
Bottom Line
You might wonder if it is necessary for you to engage with Google My Business Listing, if you’re targeting the local market, then the answer is Yes. It is a must and starting point for Local SEO initiatives.
MSL offers valuable service for Google My Business Malaysia. We are committed to make your business listing reviews and ratings appear on your webpage, incorporating rich snippets on your webpages for you to easily stand out in the Google search results. Head over to this page to find out more about our local SEO services.