Mom-and-Pops Get Help ‘Getting on Google’ with Google My Business

Google has a new tool aimed at helping small businesses connect more easily with customers online.

Small businesses using Google My Business tools will register in Google’s Search tool, Google Maps and Google+, the search engine’s social network.

On the homepage for Google My Business, Google says the tool will help customers find must-know information on all devices, including computers, tablets and smartphones. For instance, the integration with Maps helps would-be customers find directions to businesses.

Google My Business also encourages business owners to become more heavily involved in the Google community by helping them share photos and videos.

Bringing Online Analytics to Mom-and-Pops

The new tool also aims to help business owners get a better sense of how customers rate their businesses. In “Reviews,” owners will be able to read reviews for their businesses from around the web, respond to reviews on Google+ and see analytics related to reviews.

Business owners already using Google Analytics and AdWords will also see information related to those accounts on the new dashboard.

Business owners already using Places for Business or Google+ will be transferred over to the Google My Business dashboard. Entrepreneurs new to Google can start using the tool by clicking the blue button that says “Get on Google” in the top right-hand corner of the Google My Business page.