Google Local and other local listings

Local sales are very important to many small businesses and having your website found by local customers will send them to your door steps.

By Alain Houle, Alco Web Design LLC

• Take your time, do it right, it is important and it is worth it.
• Claim your business if it is not already done.
• Make sure the information you submit is accurate, especially for the business name, address, phone number and website. Use the precise and complete local address for the business.
• Use your complete local phone number, not your 800 number.
• Use a complete physical street address for your business, not a PO box.
• Use all available fields and enter as much information as possible, including pictures, company logo, and videos. Reuse your website keywords, title, and description as appropriate.  Don’t skimp on details about your specific products and services.
• Verify your location on the Google Places map and, if necessary, correct it.
• Choose the correct categories for your listing. Use multiple categories if you can.
• Eliminate duplicate listings that may exist, this is confusing for Google.
• Do not create multiple listings of the same business, even if multiple services are offered or if you operate in multiple areas. Use categories instead and pick a central location.
• Play fair and do not try to manipulate the information you enter.
• Encourage visitors to review your business. Include a link on your home page and encourage customers, business partners, or website visitors to review your business in Google Places. Use an incentive such as a coupon or discount for providing a review.
• After a while, use the data provided by Google Places to refine your listing as appropriate.

Google Places is the new name for Google Local. All Google search results are based on keywords but Google Places also uses geographic distance to list local businesses on top of the search results, just below the sponsored links. This area is prime real estate for any businesses interested by local sales.

Google Places is a free service; here is how to get a good ranking with Google Local search results.

MAKE SURE YOUR WEBSITE IS CONTENT RICH AND GOOGLE FRIENDLY

• Make sure your website is useful, original, and content rich.  Plan ahead and don't make your content an afterthought. Work and rework the text of your pages.
• Carefully select your keywords and meta tags.
• Google optimize every page with a special focus on your home page.

MAKE SURE GOOGLE KNOWS WHERE YOUR BUSINESS IS LOCATED

• Include your complete address and phone number on every page of your website. Use your local phone number, not a 1-800 number.
• Include your city and perhaps your state in your home page title.
• Get other local websites to link to yours.

CREATE YOUR GOOGLE PLACES LISTING (http://www.google.com/places/)

BUILD TRUST (Google Places will validate your listing from multiple sources, make sure your business information is consistent)

• Register your business with other top shelf local directories and social networks such as Google+, Yahoo! Local, Bing Local, FaceBook, SuperPages, YellowBook, YellowPages, Yelp, Citysearch, Merchant Circle, Topix, Insider Pages, Angie’s list, etc.
• Register your business with local organizations and directories such as the chamber of commerce, professional associations you are member of, etc.
• Review your artwork, business cards, letterheads etc.
• Review your phone book listings.
• Browse the web and look for your business. Make sure every website linking to yours provides consistent information about your business.

Alain Houle, President
Alco Web Design LLC - http://www.alcowebdesign.com
N1337 Westgreen drive, Greenville Wisconsin 54942, 920-850-4642