Local business is big business for most brick-and-mortar companies. According to Google, 20% of all searches are related to location. Over 3 billion searches each month include local search terms.
So it stands to reason that you need to capture your local customers, or risk losing your share of this valuable web traffic—and the all-important word-of-mouth referrals it brings.
Google Places is a free service that allows any company marketing online to claim a local listing and get found. It’s basically the online version of a Yellow Page listing, with a lot more reach. Setting up your Google Place Page is easy! Just follow these steps for better online visibility:
1. Claim your Page
If you don’t already have one, start a business Google account. This should be separate from any existing personal Google accounts. Then log in and list your business. At this point you’ll add basic information such as physical address, phone number, email address and website URL.
Google allows you five categories under which to place your listing. Since these categories are how visitors will find you in their searches, be accurate, and be sure to choose as many different options as possible. This will help you capture more search traffic.
Here’s a tip: when filling in your business description, use your keywords and always write for humans, not search engines. This description is visible to people on Google search results, so it should engage them and encourage them to click through.
2. Verify your listing
Once your Page is set up, you’ll have to verify with Google that you are the business owner/administrator for the listing. This can be done by phone, postcard or SMS text. Make sure that the phone number you added to your Page matches the phone number you use to verify.
3. Add optimized content
Optimizing your listing with content involves several factors. First and foremost, you want to make sure that you populate the Page with valuable information. Remember—nothing pulls people in like interesting content! So be sure to include images, photos of your business/products, videos, promotions and company news.
Another important factor is keywords and related terms. Your Google Places Page, just like any other page on the Web, should be keyword optimized so that both search engines and people can find it. Sprinkle them throughout your content—but don’t overdo it or your Page will be penalized as spam.
4. Allow reviews
Reviews are like online word-of-mouth recommendations. They not only give you valuable feedback—their content can help you rank for your search terms. Allow reviews on your Place Page, and manage them wisely.
5. Monitor results
Google provides a quick and easy way to keep track of statistics for your listing. From your Dashboard, you can see data about views, keywords and visitor interaction. Use this information to stay on top of your listing and find out where you can improve.
A Google Places Page gives businesses a cost-effective way to get better online visibility. It’s a powerful tool that anyone can use to reach more potential customers for fewer marketing dollars. Have you claimed your Page yet?
