Google helps small businesses get online

More than 3.5 billion Google searches are conducted per day globally, which equals more than 40,000 Google searches per second, according to Google search statistics.

As consumers increasingly live online, it is important for small businesses to have a strong web presence.

Google and Sen. Catherine Cortez Mastro recently hosted a free workshop at The Nevada Museum of Art to help small business owners in Northern Nevada get online and enhance their web presence.

“We know that about half of the small business in the U.S. don’t have a web presence,” Emily Harris, program manager of small business outreach at Google, said in an interview with NNBW.

According to the event press release, 47 percent of U.S. small businesses do not have a website and only 37 percent have claimed or updated their business information on a search engine.

Harris explained that Google puts on about 15 workshops a year in cities across the United States to help businesses reach new customers online. The workshops also allow businesses to interact with Google employees in person.

“It really gives Google a face,” Harris said.

The events also allow Google to talk directly with small business owners as the company continues to develop new products and services.

“Every small business has a really specific need,” said Bryan Solar, market development manager for Google.

Talking directly with business owners “is so much more valuable than reading an industry report,” he added.

There were approximately 125 members of the business community at the June event. Attendees learned about how to be found on Google Search and Maps, about the Google My Business service which lets businesses claim their business listing on Google, how to increase organic reach and about Google advertising.

“It is really important for a lot of the businesses here and us to figure out what we need to do to put ourselves online in the best position possible,” Cory Shrecengost with eMedia Advertising said before the event. “I think that events like this really help Reno to advance in that way.”

Many of the attendees were eager to learn new ways to attract new clients to help grow their business.

“It is a real struggle to get my name out there and compete with big businesses like Amazon,” Bert Carpo, owner of a local photography business and a Jeep accessory business, said.

Business owners can find some of the tips and resources presented at the workshop, along with short tutorials, at https://www.gybo.com/.

Mayor Hillary Schieve commended small business owners at the event for the part they are playing in the economic growth and attracting the attention of companies like Google to the region.

“They are noticing Reno and it is all the work that you guys are doing,” Schieve told attendees.