Local Search Marketing - Google Places Setup and Optimisation - Step by Step Guide

 

Local Search Marketing - Google places setup and optimisation guide

A simple guide to starting your own Local Search Marketing campaign.

With over 65% of Irish people using the internet to find local products and services, and over 80% of those using Google, it is absolutely essential that every business has an online presence. If your business can't be found in the search engines, it is simply invisible to these prospective clients. Add to that the fact that by the end of 2012 it is expected that over 50% of mobile phone users in Ireland will own a smartphone and it is becoming more important by the day that your business is visible in the local online search results.

Here is your simple step by step guide to setting up and optimising your Google Places page:

Claim your listing!

This is a pretty obvious first step but one which is often overlooked and if another Google Places page is set up, can result in duplicate listings. To avoid this, do a full search in the "Maps" section of Google for your full business name and phone number. Often Google has already "scraped" a listing for your business from data found in other online business directories and if so, you need to claim ownership of this listing and verify it by postcard.

Keyword research:

Before completing your business profile it is important to decide on which keywords would be most beneficial for your business to rank for. There's lots of software available that can help with this but the free keyword tool provided by Google is usually good enough. Be sure to check the "exact match" box for the most accurate search figures. These keywords should be included where suitable in the business description and categories columns.

Upload photos and videos:

Choose ten photos of your business premises, products or whatever you think is suitable and get them optimised them for your Google Places page. If these are quality photos of the business premises upload them to Panoramio or get them geotagged in Picasa or Flickr to help Google associate them with your business Places page. If you have any quality videos associated to your business get them uploaded to YouTube and be sure to include your business NAP (Name, Address, Phone No.) in the description!

Build citation builder pro:

A Citation builder pro builder profor a Google Places listing is the equivalent to a backlink in organic SEO. These are basically every time the Google bot sees a reference to your business "NAP" online. The more relevant the citation builder pro, the more credit Google will give to your Places page. e.g. if you are a Plumber, a Citation builder pro builder profound on a builders directory will be given a lot more credit than a Citation builder pro builder proon a "Places to eat" directory. It is also very important that you make sure to keep all your business listings in exactly the same format to make sure Google can associate them correctly.

Get reviews:

Don't be shy in asking clients past and present to leave reviews on your page. Get a QR code linking to your Places page and have it visible in your shop window, on your reception desk, on invoices, wherever! This same QR code will bring clients to whatever vouchers or special offers you might be running at that time. These reviews don't all have to be 5 stars either, no business has a blemish free reputation but it is how you respond to the not so good reviews that shows prospects your business integrity.

Business address visible on site:

If you have a website make sure your business address is visible in text/html format in the footer or somewhere on every page. You can also upload a geo-sitemap to your root folder to help Google make the connection between your organic website and your Google Places page. If your business has multiple locations you should have at least a separate page on your website for each business location and link this individual page to each of your separate Google Places pages.

Keep your customers "sweet"!:

Now that you have increased your business' visibility online it is all the more important that you make sure you keep your customers happy and make sure they continue to leave those good reviews. It is important to remember that customer reviews can be scraped from other online directories like Yell or Hotfrog and posted on your Google Places page so offline customer service must be maintained to ensure your online reputation stays intact.

Setting up a Google Places page isn't rocket science but making sure you get it ranking well for your desired keyword/phrases involves at least a basic knowledge of SEO, especially if the market is competitive. To guarantee your Google Places ranking on page 1 of your local search results contact us now for a free consultation.

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