Is Your Business Showing Up on Google? A 5-Minute Checkup

When someone searches "coffee near me" or "boat rental Cass Lake," does your business show up? Here's a quick checkup you can do in five minutes with just your phone.

​1. Search for yourself. Open Google and search your business name plus "Cass Lake." Then search what you do, like "bait shop Cass Lake MN." Do you appear? Is the information correct?

​2. Check your Google Business Profile. That's the box with your map pin, hours, phone number and reviews. If it's missing, claim it free at Google Business Profile. If it's there, make sure your hours (including seasonal and holiday hours), phone, address and website link are right.

​3. Look at your photos. Businesses with real, recent photos get more clicks and calls. Add a few of your storefront, your products and your team.

​4. Read your reviews. Reply to them, good and bad. A short, friendly "thanks for stopping in" shows customers there's a real person behind the business. Then ask happy customers to leave a review.

​5. Click through to your website. Does the link work? Does the site load quickly on a phone? Can someone find your hours and phone number within a few seconds? If not, that's where customers give up.

Bonus: be consistent. Your name, address and phone number should match everywhere: Google, Facebook, the Chamber directory and your website. Mismatched info confuses both customers and Google.

If you found a few gaps, you're not alone. Most small businesses have at least one. The good news is they're easy to fix.

Want help? Waking Girl, the Cass Lake Chamber's website partner, helps Minnesota small businesses get found online, from Google profiles to simple, mobile-friendly websites. Get in touch and we'll take a look.