Have you ever wondered how Google knows when you search online for a business whether it’s currently open or closed? It’s because they gather the information from your Google My Business Listing.

Google My Business allows people to find you more easily, know when you’re open and what you look like (photos you've uploaded can include logo, cellar door, wine bottles, etc.). Your listing will not only provide customers with 'click to call', 'directions' to your cellar door or link to your website, and customer reviews, but allows you to promote offers, coupons and much more.

To have a Google My Business listing, you will need to have some face to face interaction with customers, but it’s free and easy to set up.

1. Get a Personal Google account for yourself
2. Create a Google My Business account for your business*
3. Verify your business and location (usually Google will send you a postcode to enter a code)
4. Optimise your listing by completing all the sections including trading hours
5. Update what you’re doing and create offers for customers
6. Load images of what you’d like customers to see when they’re searching for you.

*(Check to see if you already have a Google My Business listing before creating a new one - and you can claim the listing if you’re the owner)

By posting updates and offers directly to your listing, it will display when people search your business or potentially when they search your local region, almost like a mini add or social media post. We recommend you update your offers at least once per month, so people have a reason to come back and check what you have on (we have seen that this has potential to get you placed a little higher in map listings as Google likes to have fresh content to display and know that you're keeping your listing up to date).

Having a listing also enables you to:

• Solicit reviews and respond to them
• Promote offers, specials and coupons
• Publish images 
• Link customers images of your location to your listing
• Promote your wine club

Your Google My Business listing allows the public:

• To ask and receive answers on your service and facilities
• Create star rated reviews and give feedback
• Suggest edits if they think you’ve got it right or wrong (if many people say the same, Google will actually change your listing and send an email to advise of that change)

Other Benefits of having a listing:

• Get insights about your posts and what keywords are enabling your listing to be displayed
• Find out how many people are asking for directions to your premise
• Determine how many people called you from your listing
• Promote events and other experiences for those searching what to do when they visit your region
• It helps with your search engine optimisation (SEO)
• There is speculation that if you use an emoji that describes your service, you will get younger searchers on mobile finding your listing for example by [wine bottle] + nearby. Read more on Moz.com

If you aren’t sure if your winery even has a Google My Business listing - open a browser - add your business name and see if you view a listing something like this (if not - you probably need to get started now):