Google My Business for your law firm

Google's newly released platform is designed to help SMEs connect with potential customers in new and more efficient way.

Traditionally, Google’s plethora of business tools – Maps, Google+, Places, Analytics, Adwords, Insights - were scattered across its platforms. This makes it relatively difficult to manage them all at once, especially for small firms getting to grips with the power of social media.

In answer to this, Google has created ‘Google My Business’. It brings all of those tools together in one very simple platform.

When you sign up for ‘Google My Business’ you’re asked to input your business name, its location and the category that best fits your law firm. This creates a listing on Google, and becomes visible to those searching Google for law firms in your region.

A Google listing complete with address, phone number and website increases the likelihood of being visible on the first page of a local search. This is especially true for law firms given that most do not have a listing yet.

The time to get ahead of the game is now.

Once you’re signed up, a verification code is sent to you through the post. Though ‘Insights’ and ‘Reviews’ require the verification code before you’re able to access them, you’re immediately free to use the remaining tools on offer. These are all neatly presented on the new dashboard:

Under one roof you can now:

- create a listing on Google

- update your business information for search and maps

- understand the online behaviour of visitors to your site with ‘Analytics’

- monitor and respond to ‘Reviews’

- manage your ads, share information, videos and pictures with Google+

- review your ‘Insights’ to better target your new clients

In short, ‘My Business’ makes social media life much simpler for SME owners constrained by time.

For small firms, managing a presence on Google is indispensable. Prior to ‘My Business’, doing this was at best time consuming and at worst confusing. Google has clearly listened to feedback and designed this new tool specifically for small firms and the associated ease of use.

In a year when law firms are getting to grips with the power of social media, ‘Google My Business’ is a tool you’ll quickly learn to love.