Everyone knows Google. The search engine is not just an integral part of personal and professional lives, but its importance is such that the noun is now an accepted verb! How many times have you heard, “Just Google it?” Every day, Google records roughly 3.5 billion searches.
For SMEs, being on Google can improve visibility, make access easy for customers, and improve brand value. Apart from that, Google offers a host of other benefits that can improve your efficiency at lower costs. Google’s dedicated “Google for Small Businesses” is an initiative to help SMEs acquaint themselves with the digital world and improve their reach. Here are some tools to get you started:
1. Google My Business
To get your SME listed on Google, you can use the website’s Google My Business Account. The free business profile will improve your search results, putting your business listing higher up when people look for a related service. Apart from improving your leads, the business account has other features like listing on Maps, that will help clients find your physical or online location, permit them to review your products and services, and will allow you to connect with then.
2. Google for Retail Business
One of the most underrated tools that the portal provides is Google for Retail Business. Using this tool, you can list your products for sale, manage inventory, set up targeted ad campaigns and manage deliveries. Payments can also be collected online.
If you are unsure of what will work for your SME, Google offers a digital product coach service that you can use to find solutions for your individual business goals. According to the site, some success rates have been as high as 33% increase in revenue after listing.
3. Google Ads
A well-placed ad at a targeted customer can work wonders for your small business. In the digital era, where people spend a large portion of their day online, investing in online advertising can drive more traffic to your business and eventually increase sales. With Google Ads, you can reach more customers with a lower budget. Google lets you set your own monthly or annual advertisement budget, choose whether you want to appear on web or mobile searches, and even helps you improve your ad strategy over time.
4. Google Analytics
Data is key to all businesses. Sometimes, SMEs may not have access to the right data or the resources to analyse them for targeted growth. With Google Analytics, you can get a detailed profile of the people who engage with your website. This free tool will give you all the information you need to improve your marketing strategy, content, products and services.
5. Google Trends
Google Trends is the perfect tool to get a peak into the bigger picture. You can monitor market trends, the most-searched events or topics, compare keywords, and narrow in on what is trending in a particular region or a year. Google Trends can be immensely useful to improve your SEO game online, one of the key strategies that make your business more visible on the internet.
6. Think with Google
Think with Google is a good resource space to explore and understand how to navigate the digital space. Apart from industry insights, this tool is frequently updated with case studies, research content, interviews from top leaders, and other insights that are curated to inspire you to do better.
7. Other Google Business Tools
Apart from these targeted tools for businesses, Google has many other features that you can explore to improve your SME’s performance. For instance, G Suite can take care of all your business needs, like emails, remote meetings, storing essential documents, generating feedback forms, to name a few. You can access Google Digital Garage to learn more about building a digital strategy, get employees certified on using digital tools, and also formulate a long-term social media plan.