Google Places

Did you know that 1 out of every 5 searches on Google is related to location!  That 's over 400 million searches every day by people looking for something in their local area. Therefore, it's important that you get found by these consumers in your area.

One thing you can do is to claim and optimize your Google Places page. Once you have claimed your page and identified yourself as the owner, you will want to verify that all of the business information is correct.  There are also several things you can do to optimize this listing that will make you stand out of crowd.

Here are 8 steps to build your Google local seach strategy…

1.  Check to see if you're already listed.  Google pulls information from many sources, and you may be already ranking high on the local search map completely by accident.  If that's the case, count yourself lucky, it won't last.  Don't ignore the following steps, because sooner or later you will lose that position to someone else.  As more and more businesses come online, it wil change your position. Also, make sure that your Google Places page is using your actual business name and that it matches exactly the same as it is in the offline world.

2.  Do some careful keyword research.  This is a critical step if you want to gain maximum exposure to local searchers.  Sometimes the most obvious or general search terms may not result in the highest returns, so make sure you pick the best keywords for your business.  Google has tools to help you do this or we can help you with that task.

3.  Include accurate local information.   Check and double check that you list accurate information for your business details, including email address, website, descriptions, and categories.

4.  Claim your business.  This tells Google you are the owner of this business. Don't be lazy here, anyone can attempt to claim you business listing.  If someone fraudently claims your business, it could take months to get it corrected with Google.  You must claim your business and keep checking to make sure it stays claimed.  Google does do frequent updates, and sometimes your listing may need to be re-claimed.

5.  Optimize your listing.  Make sure you're using your top keywords in all the right places for SEO purposes.  Also, check and re-check your website and any other online directories or websites you might be listed on to be sure all information matchs exactly.  Any conflicting information can cause Google to penalize your listing.

6.  Enhance your listing.  Make your business stand out as the best and obvious choice.  You can get this doine by using photos, video, customer reviews, and offer coupons.  Reviews are extremely important since people rely on the opinions of others to help them make up their minds.  You should be monitoring reviews on a weekly basis.

7.  Submit your listing to online directories.  These directories, such as yellowpages.com or Superpages.com, can help your Google Maps listing stay on the first page.  There are over 90 directories you should be listed in.  You can submit your listings manually, or you hire a service to do it for you. A couple of things to remember:  submit identical listings with the same information that's on your website and your Maps listing, and submit every year, even if nothing has changed.

8.  Monitor your listing regularly.  You absolutely must do this weekly to avoid a serious loss in revenue.  If something's wrong, and you don't get it corrected, it could mean months of frustration.  This is a major reason local businesses fail with online marketing.  If you don't have the time or need help, you should seriously think about using a servide to do it for you.
 

Leave a Reply