A Google My Business profile is a free and easy-to-use tool to manage your online presence in today's competitive, mobile-forward marketplace — even if your business doesn't have a physical location or post its brick-and-mortar address publicly. Here are four reasons every business should have an up-to-date Google My Business profile.Stand out on Google Search and MapsA Google My Business profile (or GMB) can help your business get found online. When customers search for business or products and services like yours using Google Search and Maps, you’ll be there. This is crucial, as 46% of all Google searches are looking for local information according to Hubspot research. They also found that 88% of searches for local businesses on a mobile device either call or visit the business within 24 hours, making your Google My Business listing a great place to get started with your local SEO strategy.Inform and engage your customersYour Google My Business Profile is a great way to inform customers of your opening hours, products and services, location and contact information, and special events or promotions. You can even add a link to your website for more information, or let customers book appointments directly from your GMB profile. A Google My Business listing also makes it easy for your customers to interact with you, via two-way messaging. If you enable this feature on your profile, visitors can message your company directly. Reply either through the Google messaging app or via SMS.Respond to customer reviewsNinety percent of shoppers rely on online reviews to help them make purchasing decisions — and 88% of shoppers trust such reviews as much as they would a personal recommendation. These reviews enable you to build trust among your local target audience. Consumers naturally respond to reviews from fellow community members, especially when a business answers online reviews they receive. In fact, research shows that this simple practice can make your business appear 1.7 times more trustworthy than businesses that allow reviews to go unanswered. The reviews you collect on your Google My Business profile can also help boost your search ranking determination by the major search engines.Get calls and direction requests from customersThose Google My Business profile views don't always spur visitors to action, but when they do, those views can help convert visitors into buyers. You'll be able to track how many website visits, phone calls and requests for directions your business receives from your Google My Business profile. So, even if you don't have a brick-and-mortar store, you can still attract (and track) leads that become new customers.Ready to create your Google My Business profile? YP can helpCreate a new Google My Business account using your basic business information including business name, business category, location, and key contact information. After Google has reviewed your account and taken steps to verify your business, you'll be able to edit and manage your listing. You'll want to enhance it with:

• Keywords

• Photos

• News

• Products

• Updates

• Attributes

• Special offers and promotions

Don't forget to keep the information on your Google My Business Profile up-to-date. Revisit it every so often, and add new photos and information about your products and services. The Google My Business app makes this easy to do on-the-fly from any location or device.Google My Business is a critical component of your overall digital marketing portfolio. When combined with strategies for SEO, SEM, and Social Media Marketing, a GMB profile can produce powerful results.Need help with the next steps? Yellow Pages can help you create and maintain your business listing on Google My Business, and 50+ of the most popular search sites and apps. Call 1-877-553-6883 to speak with our certified experts about our NetSync Complete Plus solution