Today, It must be said that without being on the top of search results on Google, a real estate agency or any other type of firm, will have a hard time gaining visibility on the internet. With “Google My Business” anyone can advertise their “shop window” online and for free, to obtain the best possible positioning in the search results. For this reason, there are a few things to consider, here are our tips on “Google My Business” for you as an auto-entrepreneur.
To get started with Google My Business!
This referencing tool is free and easy to use, it allows you to control information and opinions posted about your company, to gain online visibility and a good e-reputation.
From the site, https://business.google.com/locations (a Google account is necessary) verify that your company file already exists, or add it. If the file doesn't exist, click on "Add an establishment" and follow the steps. Without following these steps, you cannot reply to questions asked nor increase your visibility. 
☝️ Fill in the essential information!
The more information you add with relevant keys words, the more likely you will be brought forward by Google when someone searches for an example of a property in your town or neighborhood. If you already have access to the file, access the file and adjust or complete all the information to be sure that the file is complete. Don't forget to update the information regularly, such as the opening hours and upcoming events.
The most important information to add is: the address, phone number, opening hours, and the website.
✍️ Add a description of the company activity
Make sure it's the same as on your website since google will scan the information to determine your referencing (https://www.google.com/intl/en_en/business/).
Define a precise category of the services of your company, and the different services proposed, with relevant key worlds.
(https://www.blogdumoderateur.com/google-my-business-astuces-optimiser-fiche-etablissement).
To check the ownership of a file, Google may ask to transmit a code by phone or by post (within two weeks). Once this code has been added to the Google My Business file, it will finally be available and accessible! 🕺🏻
📍 Ranking of the search results
Google works by algorithms that take into consideration 3 elements to rank its search results: relevance, distance, and prominence. It is therefore not necessarily the local establishment that will be on the top of the results.
The relevance is measured by: the quality of the content on your site, the owner of the domain name, the quality of the links, and the relevance of the keywords in the title of the web pages (https://www.seoh.fr/seo-technique/les-criteres-de-pertinence-de-google.html).
The distance is calculated between the actual location and the location of the search, if the user does not specify a location in their search, the distance will be calculated from their current positioning. Make sure your site is mobile-friendly as most customers search on Google using a cell phone. (https://www.google.com/intl/en_en/business)
The prominence indicates if the establishment is well known to the big public. The information available about your company such as articles and reviews affects this influence. Don't forget to check and respond to positive or negative customer reviews, as this is important for your company's e-reputation. Non-justified reviews should be avoided.
✨ Create interesting content
For better natural referencing (SEO), you need to publish interesting content regularly on your website.
As actualities in different forms, publications on social networks, publishing articles and keeping a blog, publishing youtube videos and company events online. The texts need to contain keywords that the customers might search by. Also, think of improving the text on your website, small improvements will have a big impact on the natural referencing.
(Apimo team at Rent, Proptech exposition in Madrid)
📄 Write google articles my business
Google posts, are articles dedicated to the news of your company. By writing articles on google my business you inform your customers about the news of your company and at the same time, it will boost the natural referencing of your site.
You will find your different articles at the bottom of your page, below the description.
📸 To choose photos
The photos and videos of your company are essential to attract clients and should be recent to make it to the top of the results. Photos of the interior and exterior will help the clients to recognize the establishment (https://support.google.com/business/answer/6103862?hl=fr).
The quality of the photos and videos:
- JPG or PNG,
- Between 10KO and 5KO
- Size 720x720, minimum 250x250
- Videos up to 30 sec, in 720p resolution
Choose photos: the logo of the company, a cover photo, and a photo of the team
We also suggest that you create a virtual tour that will help clients to have an even better idea of the layout of the premises. With Apimo you can create a virtual tour without any cost virtual tour.
📊 Measure your influence
The statistics provided by google allow you to know how users found your business (e.g. by direct search, discovery, brand, and a total number of searches). You can consult what was made when looking at your website. To find out if your agency is well represented and influential, Google my business has a statistics section, and depending on the keywords used in the search the leads to your agency listing. Check this data regularly, at least every quarter, to see the trends and adjust the website content or your Google My Business listing accordingly.
(https://developers.google.com/search/docs/beginner/seo-starter-guide?hl=fr)
We at Apimo, wish you good luck with the creation of your Google My Business file!
Sources :
1 : https://www.blogdumoderateur.com/google-my-business-astuces-optimiser-fiche-etablissement
2 : https://www.google.com/intl/en_en/business
3 : https://developers.google.com/search/docs/beginner/seo-starter-guide?hl=fr
4 : https://www.seoh.fr/seo-technique/les-criteres-de-pertinence-de-google.html
Maria Tjäder Larsson