Your Facebook page isn't the same as being on Google (and the gap is costing you)

Here's one we gently correct all the time: "I already have a Facebook page, so I'm covered." Facebook is great. Keep it. Post on it. Talk to your regulars there. But there's a gap between having a Facebook page and being easy to find on Google. And that gap is quietly costing you customers every week.

Watch what happens on Google

Picture someone new to the area searching "best [what you do] near me" on Google. That's what most people do when they're ready to spend money. Google shows its own map and its own list of businesses. Your Facebook page usually isn't there. So you can have a busy, popular Facebook page and still be totally invisible the moment someone uses Google. It's a different door, and it's the busiest one.

Why the two aren't interchangeable

It helps to think of them as doing different jobs:

• Facebook keeps you connected to people who already know you. It's great for loyalty and updates.
• Google is where new people who are ready to spend money go to find someone. That's how you get found.
• Google shows its own map. It usually won't show your Facebook page there.
• Without a website and a Google Business Profile, you're missing from the biggest door there is.

Keep the Facebook page. Just don't let it be the only door. Google shows its own map, and that's where new customers look.

The fix isn't to give up Facebook. It's to cover the door Facebook can't. That means a simple website plus a Google listing set up right. Then when someone searches, you actually show up, with hours, photos, and a tap-to-call button. The two work together. Facebook keeps your fans close. Google brings you new faces. Let's get you on the map you're missing right now.