You may notice when you get on Google and type in a business, the first results you’ll see are for local companies. For instance, if you are in Phoenix, Arizona and you want to find a local hardware store, the listings at the top of the page will include a few stores in the area along with the address and contact info. If you’re a business looking to get ahead, you can be among these local listings. To accomplish this goal, learn how to get on Google Places.
Creating and Using an Account
Google Places is a part of Google that allows you to enter in your business on the web. Your business listing will be easily found through google.com and Google Maps. To get started, enter in the URL http://www.google.com/places. When it pulls up, you’ll be asked a few questions about your business so just enter this info in before proceeding. You’ll be able to edit this information later. If your business appears to be on the same street as another business, Google may ask you if the listing already exists. You should click either “Add Listing” or “Claim Listing.” Then you’ll be asked to input all the extra details about your business. You can upload videos, photos, and logos as well as enter in payment methods and hours. Hit “Submit” when you’re satisfied with what you’ve entered. Your next step will be to verify the listing you have created. You can verify via phone or mail. Phone is the recommended strategy since it’s faster and mail means waiting two to three weeks to receive verification. Once you’ve picked your method, click “Finish.” If you chose to verify by phone, a green box will appear that informs you Google is calling you. Don’t miss this brief but important call. Google is calling you to give you a pin number you will need to enter in to proceed. If you miss the phone call, you’ll have to contact Google again since it will likely not call you up again. Type in your pin in the field under “Your Businesses.” You should be finished at this point. Expect to see a confirmation page from Google and see your listing online in about a week.
Other Helpful Tidbits
Now that you have your account set up, you still may have a few remaining questions. For one, you may be concerned about how to optimize your listing so more Googlers will see it. You gain more viewers by adding as much info as possible to the listing. Include photos, business hours, a website link, and a description of your establishment. Your listing will be matched to more searches this way. You’ll also get better business if customers know they can go online to get directions, coupons, updates, and customer reviews. Fortunately, Google adds more information to your listing found from other website and online directories so some effort on your part is spared. To get more out of Google’s services, you can invest in AdWords, Google Earth, Street View, Panoramio, Google Analytics, and other Google apps. Now you should understand all the steps for knowing how to get on Google Places.
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