In this digital age when people heavily rely on the internet for products and services, it’s important to have an online presence and Google My Business is a huge, must-have marketing and branding tool for architects. It is a powerful way to showcase your work and services as an architecture firm. It builds a targeted visibility on Google and attracts more clients to help you get an architecture project online. Through this listing, when people search for services that are provided by your studio or related to your firm, they will have access to all the information to find, contact and interact with you, including Google Search and Maps.

Before we get into how to list your architecture firm and website on Google My Business, it might be worth knowing how this will benefit you. Here are some of the perks that come with creating a listing on Google. 

Free Promotion and Marketing for Architects: Setting up a Google listing can highlight your architecture firm and make it more discoverable. It gives potential clients all the necessary details about your studio and helps to promote your work. You may also use this free marketing tool to show people your ideology and what makes you unique. Interaction with customers: Adding your architecture studio to Google can be a great way to connect and interact with your clients and allow them to find updates about your work. It is also a chance for you to get to know your audience which can prove to be invaluable in building engagement with prospects. You can publish posts, answer questions, and respond to public reviews. No missed opportunities: It provides the people with the option to contact you for work either through your added phone number or social media profiles while also having the benefit of driving additional traffic to your website. Your business posts and photos act as a social media feed for architects and can help you get you an architecture project online.  An air of legitimacy: Appearing on Google search helps to build credibility with the clients and builds trust as all legit information is presented to them. If you show up in a search for architecture firms and have high star ratings, people are more likely to get converted into clients. Google reviews can also help to boost your overall appeal.

How to Create and Set-up a Listing for your Architecture Studio on Google My Business

To add your architecture firm to Google, you need to create a Google My Business account. If you are an established firm, there might be a possibility that your firm is already listed in the database. In this case, you’ll simply need to claim your business and follow the other steps. However, if you have only recently started an architecture firm and want to build an online presence to attract more clients, here’s how to do it. 

Step 1: Sign in to Google My Business

Go to Google My Business website (https://www.google.com/business/) and sign-up for a new account or log in with your existing account.

Step 2: Enter the name of your Architecture Firm

Once you are logged in, you can enter your studio’s name and add your architecture firm to Google. If your business name has already been listed on Google, it’ll simply show up on the list.

Step 3: Select a Business Category

You can then select a category from the given list or type in keywords that best represent your architecture studio. This step is to find your target audience on Google and help people find your firm when they search for a service you offer. 

Step 4: Add your Firm’s Address

If your architecture studio has a physical location that people can visit, add the address to the listing and also mark it on Google Maps for making it searchable.

Step 5: Select your Preferences 

These are optional additions to your listing that let you pick your preferences of designated areas you already or would like to provide your services to. 

Step 6: Enter Contact number and Website URL 

This is highly recommended but optional information to add to your Google listing. This gives the reader a chance to directly get in touch with you or visit your website to view your work.

Step 7: Verify your business on Google

There are multiple options that you can use to verify your firm, however, not all options are available for every business. 

Ways to verify your listing:

By Postcard: This is the default verification option. It takes a little longer as a postcard with the verification code is sent through the mail to the studio location entered earlier. By phone: It is the fastest way to verify your business where you receive a call from Google and the verification code is given over the phone. However, only some businesses have this option so make sure to check if your architecture firm is eligible.By email: It is another way to verify your listing that is only available to some businesses. The code will be sent via email.Instant Verification: Verification through this option is only possible if you have a Google Search Console account and your firm’s website is verified through Google Console. Bulk Verification: A great option to use if your architecture firm has studios in multiple locations. It requires an extra form to fill out to verify them all together.

Once verified, your listing profile is all set up. However, to make the most of the benefits Google My Business has to offer, you need to optimize it.