Google My Business is extremely flexible when it comes to personalisation. After all, you want to bring in customers with accurate information and let them know what you have in store for them. Enter Google My Business products, a powerful tool in showcasing product details on your listing.
The search engine giant explains why they’ve rolled out this feature recently:
The Product Editor allows merchants to build a presence on mobile and the computer to showcase their products and drive consumer interactions. Consumers will see a more curated showcase of a store’s products on the Business Profile Products tab on mobile, or the Product Overview module on the computer. Items added through the Product Editor appear in Business profiles on the computer and mobile version of Google Search.
Think of it as a sneak peek into your store’s catalogue. When you have a fully optimised GMB listing (we’ve got optimisation guides Part I and Part II on how to do so), you can use Google My Business products to give customers more reasons to choose you instead of your nearby competitors.
If you’re still figuring out how to make Google My Business products work for you, you’re definitely not alone. You’ve probably got some questions about it and we’re here to help you sort through the information.
1. How do I add products?
The GMB Product Editor is available to many business categories since it was rolled out internationally.
On your Google My Business Manager, you can look at the left-side menu to see if you have the Product Editor. You can start building a collection by adding a photo and a detailed description of your products. The image accompanied with the description is mandatory so you need to think of a good photo that sums up what that product is all about. You can take inspiration from our more recent blog post about Google Photos and what Google requires from you.
PRO TIP: Be sure to strategically add keywords – when appropriate – on your description so that when a user searches for that keyword, your listing has a higher chance of ranking and being seen.
The product name is optional but we recommend that you add it in especially if the item does have a model name, like mechanical keyboards or mobile devices.
Google My Business products also has a drop-down menu of calls to action that you can add to each item. If you want your customers to go to your website to learn more about the product, for example, use ‘Learn more’.
When you publish your product collection, customers can see it just below your business details. They will be able to click on it and find out more about your products. This also provide good backlinks to your page.
You can read through our Support Article on how to add products on Google My Business.
2. Can I use services instead of Google My Business products?
Products and services are different features on GMB so it has its own link on the left-side menu. The services available to you will depend on your primary category – for example, if you are a roofing specialist, one of your services can be re-roofing. You can also add custom services if you do not see the ones you offer on the list Google provides.
Select and add the ride services for you. You can edit them further to add prices and a description – again, very handy if you sprinkle in your keyword. When you’re done, press Save. You’ll be able to see them on your GMB listing.
One small benefit of using services over products is that it’s not so in-your-face as it does not require an image. However, if you really want an image to go along with your description, you can use the Product editor instead.
3. Why is this important to me?
We’re pretty sure you’re asking why it’s important to add products to your GMB listing. We get it – customers can just search for your website or even make calls to you if your NAP is updated.
But think about it: your goal online is to bring your customers to you. The logic isn’t counterintuitive. When you place products on your listing, it provides customers with a better idea of just who they are doing business with and what to expect from you.
This is also important if you want to boost certain products like bestselling dishes or new gaming gear. You can also use this in conjunction with Google Posts when you have a sale or a limited-time offer. This way, your sales-related post won’t be buried in newer product posts, as these post only have 7 days before they ‘expire’.
So if you want to improve customer engagement with your business without putting so much effort to be in front of them all the time you can use Google My Business products to do that for you.
This feature will soon be available on the DigitalMaas Platform as well. We’re always on top of things to help our own customers improve their business’ online visibility. You can sign up for the Platform, import your listing and run audits to improve your details, making sure that your customers are looking at you and your products.
