Do you have your business’s Google Places page filled out yet? You should! It’s a free web marketing service that you can use to describe your products and services as wellas list your hours of operation, business address, phone number, email address, and add a link to your website. You can even add photos and videos to your Places page,you’re your customers can leave you glowing reviews.
Google Places are also frequently affecting how Google search results are ranked. A properly maintained Google Places listing is much more likely to be ranked more highly by Google than a poorly filled out page. That’s why you need these 10 tips for how to properly fill out, maintain and improve your Google Places listing:
1. Describe yourself, and use those keywords!
Google lets you describe your business with up to 200 characters, so make them count! Make sure you use your most important keywords that you’re targeting, but try and make it sound good too. A useful, compelling description will appeal to readers as well as to Google’s algorithm.
2. More than one shop? You need more than one Places eage.
As far as Google users are concerned, each location is its own business, even if that’s now how you think of them. Make sure to list each location’s phone number and unique address. Don’t use a corporate headquarters address or toll-free phone number. If your business services many locations but has only one physical address, it’s best to simply create one Places page for your actual location and then add the areas you service to your listing.
3. Categorize yourself.
When building your Google Places page, you can list up to five different categories to describe the products or services you offer. Using standard category descriptions, such as “Internet Marketing Service” rather than custom descriptions, such as “Social Media Marketing,” will help your Places page rank better in search results.
4. Don’t keyword stuff your business name.
This is a rookie mistake, but we’ve seen it on occasion. Google doesn’t like inconsistency. If your business is named one thing on your Places page and another thing in other places, Google gets confused and decides that your listing might not be as worthy of a high ranking. (Remember, Google is smart and always on the look-out for people trying to game the system.)
5. Get some reviews up from your customers!
It’s easy for your users and it helps your Google Places listing look legitimate. Try to get as many positive — and legitimate — reviews posted to your Google Places page, and avoid the urge to review yourself. Google is savvy, and they can track these sorts of things. Legitimate reviews are best.
6. Get listed! Sign up for other directories.
Google looks at other directories online to help figure out what company is where in a city. The more online directories you can get your business listed in (with accurate information entered!) the better. Listings of your business in directories such as Local.com, Yellowpages.com, your local city’s chamber of commerce, or a directory affiliated with your profession can help boost your Place page’s ranking.
7. Keep tabs on the stats! Watch your Places page analytics.
Make it a point every so often to log in to your Places page account. You can learn the top search queries that caused users to see your listing and how many clicks occurred to your website over the past week or month. The information isn’t nearly as comprehensive as what you get with Google Analytics, but it’s helpful nonetheless. You can have analytics automatically emailed to you as well.
