Improve your Google Places Listing

The Google Place page is a free service where a business is able to post a description of their business, the hours they are open, their business address, email address, and phone number, as well as the URL for their website. Consumers can use Google Places to locate a local business that fits their criteria quickly and easily. Let’s look at the top 10 Google Place tips.

1. Rank better in the search engines once you create a Google Place page. Google gives those businesses preferential in the search engines at a local level. In just a couple of minutes you can have your Google Places page setup and you can enjoy the benefits for years to come.

2. If your business has more than one location you can set up a Google Places page for each location. You cannot use a post office box or Google may remove your listing.

3. You will want to add keywords to your Google Place page. You can have a 200 character description so make it count by using by choosing keywords that are relevant.

4. Whenever possible use standard categories when you are describing your business. You will be able to add five categories that are relevant to the products/services you offer. Using the standardized categories will help you to place better in the search engines.

5. Never add a keyword to the name of your business unless it’s actually part of your business name. For example, if your business name is Tiny Tina’s and you sell tutus’ but it’s not in your name then do not add it. However if your name it tiny Tina’s Tutus, then that is how it should appear. Google is smart enough to know when you are trying to trick the search engines.

6. Encourage customers that are happy with the service they received to add a review to your Google Places page. It’s a breeze for your customer to do so and it helps you immensely in your search engine rankings. One word of caution – do not offer your customers a prize or a reward for doing so. Google shuns such action and it could get you removed from Google Places.

7. Try to space the reviews out so there is a steady stream of them rather than a large grouping and then nothing. This could be picked up by the search engines as spam or as fraudulent reviews, which could cause Google to place you lower on the Google Places page.

8. Take the time to get your business listed in as many relevant business directories as possible. This helps to build your ranking and placement on Google and on Google Places since it legitimizes your business.

9. You are allowed to add up to 10 photos and 5 videos to your Google places page. Take advantage of this as it will help to boost your page ranking in Google Places. Potential customers are also drawn to this type of promotion.

10. Finally, take the time to monitor your Google Places analytics. You can find out what the top searchers are that potential customers are querying. You can learn how many clicks are happening, and you can find a host of information that is relevant to your business and how you market your business.