Creating a presence in Google Places

It is well known that Google is the leader in global search, but less known that they are using their dominance to be the local leader as well. If you do a search for a geographic based business like, "Atlanta plumber" you will notice that the first result that shows up is a map with local businesses pin marked. This is a result of the business being listed in the Google local directory which is now known as "Google Places." Many business owners are not aware that this exists and are losing out on potential customers. This presents another opportunity for you to provide a great service for you clients.

The Official Google Blog describes it as "...more than 50 million places around the world to help people make more informed decisions about where to go, from restaurants and hotels to dry cleaners and bike shops, as well as non-business places like museums, schools and parks. Place Pages connect people to information from the best sources across the web, displaying photos, reviews and essential facts, as well as real-time updates and offers from business owners."

This gives you an idea about how powerful it can be to have a listing in Google Places. It allows a local business to include hours of operation, photos, videos, coupons, product offerings and more in the search results. A dashboard is included that will give all the relevant keyword and search activity relevant to the listing. This will give great insight to a business for knowing where their customers are coming from.

The first step is to head on over to http://www.google.com/places and create an account. Next you will be asked to enter the basic info, which includes address, phone number and website address. Then you will be asked to select a category for the business. Next, you can provide hours of operation, payment options, photos, videos and additional details. After all the information is entered and to your liking, you will be asked to verify your site by phone or postcard. After verification, the local listing will show up in Google after 12 hours.

Google Places is an important part of any local marketing strategy and every small business should have a listing. It is easy to create a listing and doesn't take much time to manage, yet it will increase exposure to customers searching for a local business or service. This is why it is critical to include Google Places as part of your service portfolio. We have even more great ideas coming up in the next lessons, so stay tuned.