By Elmer on May 22, 2009

If you own a business and have an online presence (read: website) then you may want to consider adding a free listing at Google Local Business. This listing allows your company to be visible in Google Maps and enables your customers or prospects easily find your business.

For example, if someone wants to visit BeansBox but does not not know what’s our office address, they can go to Google and search for “beansbox” (hopefully it shows up on the first position in the results page), but if only address is available on the website but no directions or map guide (BeansBox has map on its Contact Us page by the way) is available, the visitor still won’t be able to pay us a visit. Therefore, the he or she goes to Google Maps and enters the address. That’s quite an effort, right? Maybe not so. But compare it with going directly to Google Maps and typing in “beansbox”, it’s easier to know more about us.

The process is quite straightforward.

1. Go to Google Local Business Center homepage and select either Add new business (for one or a few entries) or Upload data file (for several entries, like for HSBC, branch offices).

2. Enter basic information such as website, mailing and email address and phone number, as well as not so basic such as videos, photos, operating days/hours and payment methods. Many of these items are not required, but always good to inform profile visitors.

3. Once necessary information is entered, Google will now prompt a verification to prove that you control this business’ online listings. (Everyone can add BeansBox information, but a verified listing should be given priority.) Google now verifies using phone so be ready with your phones as right after you click the verify by phone button, you’ll notice the phone number you entered in the form will ring (so make sure you enter the right phone number). In the past, if no longer implemented, Google verifies accounts by sending a letter to you containing the PIN code. This code is also what you’ll hear after the phone rings.

4. Once verification is successful, now your listing will now be visible to everyone who accesses Google Maps. Now people can do more than just view the map. They can save the map and post reviews.

But it’s not enough. As more businesses add listings, naturally competition for top ranking becomes more difficult. The ranking criteria of Google’s map service still behaves like how search engines do: based on algorithms.  Not surprising enough as Google does the same thing with media types like blogs, paid search ads and images. So the next challenge is how to optimize our listings. Similar to other algorithms, Google Maps’ is also kept secret. But somehow we have ideas on trying to improve our listings.

1.  Add necessary photos such as logos, products, office interiors or anything that adds value to the listing.
2. Use target keywords to in the description field. Classic SEO technique right there.
3. Let people add reviews (of course those who have had business with you). A listing with no review indicates newly published business, not to mention the lack of text content in your business listing.
4. Develop links from external pages directly into the business listing.
5. Be generous in explaining your business. If you need three or more categories to be listed, list them all in the category listings provided. This may not help in obtaining rankings but certainly helpful in achieving referrals from wider range of keywords.

Google Local Business Center also features coupons where business owners can generate them and promote the business while offering good deals to customers.

So if you haven’t done so, add your online presence to Google Local Business Center.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites