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How to Get the Most Out of Google Places

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As a small business owner, one of your primary objectives is to stretch your marketing dollars as far as you can, while gaining the maximum return for your buck. For years, small business owners relied on word of mouth advertising and a thick, yellow phone directory to attract customers and stretch those marketing dollars. The Yellow Pages has now morphed into a concept called Google Places, a free service Google offers to business owners.

The Yellow Pages and Google Places share a common objective: getting your small business noticed. With the Yellow Pages, you add color and large font to your ad, so it stands out among your competitors.

To get your business noticed in Google Places, you need to implement slightly different, yet equally effective, steps. You want your small business to rank high on Google’s search engine results page, preferably in the top seven. Google commands nearly two-thirds of all local business searches, so you need to know how to get the most out of Google Places.

Like your business’ organic website, the key to ranking high in Google’s search engine is optimizing your Google Places content. This is where we can help you.

We will identify the keywords that customers use to find your business. Once we identify the keywords or a string of keywords, we will strategically integrate them into your Google Places information.

While keywords certainly enhance your small business listing, you need to follow additional steps to ensure your small business lands on Google’s all-important first search results page.

Business Information

The first, and most important step, is to complete the business information page. You must accurately input information such as your business name, local phone number, physical address, and website URL.

The physical address is especially important, since many a searchers add geographic modifiers to their searches. You also choose up to five categories to list your business.

Additional Information

Once you fill out the general business information, Google Places prompts you to provide details about your business. This is where you can maximize your search engine optimization (SEO).

By listing the products and service that your small business offers, you make it easy for prospective customers to find your business. For example, if you sell golf equipment, you want to list the brand names that your business carries.

The adage of “the more the merrier” applies to the Details section of your Google Places listing.

Visuals

Content ruled search engine optimization, until YouTube came along and changed the rules of the game. Google now includes video and photograph keywords in its search engine rankings.

Google Places provides you the space to upload ten photographs and five videos. Pictures of your products enhance your local business ranking. “How to…” videos are an especially effective way to bolster your business listing.

Reviews

Google culls all of the reviews about your business from myriad third party sources, such as Yelp and Trip Advisor. Google also incorporates its own consumer reviews. Encourage your loyal customers to post reviews online. Engage reviewers with responses to their reviews. Be proactive when it comes to negative reviews.

Third Party Directories

Google does not monopolize your business listing. In fact, your business listing ranks higher in Google’s search engine when you list in third party directories.

Make sure your business lists in the Yelp, Bing, Foursquare, and Yahoo! local business directories. You can review how effectively you have utilized these directories by going to www.GetListed.org and checking out your score.

Many small business owners believe they have to make a substantial financial investment to implement a compelling Internet marketing campaign. Shrewd small business owners understand that by using Google Places (and practicing Google Places SEO), they can accomplish a high search engine ranking, without spending the money that is required from PPC or other types of costly Internet marketing strategies.

The process to get your small business noticed is not complicated. You just need to devote a little of your time to get the most out of Google Places.

Get Your Small Business Noticed for Free

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get-your-small-business-noticedYou can spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on an Internet Marketing strategy that does not come close to providing your small business with at least equal return. Why pay for Pay Per Click advertising, when Google offers a service that will list your business for free?

Maybe you have taken advantage of this free service, but your SEO strategy has fallen far short of getting your small business ranked on Google’s first search engine results page. In either case, we can help your small business get noticed by implementing a few strategies that will build your online traffic. After using our service, your Google Places listing will rank higher than your organic website.

You can find your business listing in a number of search engines, but it is your Google local business listing that matters. Google is part of the “Big 3” search engines that also includes Yahoo! and Bing. The three combine to comprise 95 percent of local business searches. Google commands two-thirds of all search engine traffic, so it is important to practice Google Places Optimization.

We have a 98% success rate for finding the right search terms for our clients. Our strategy does not rely on one or two keywords, but a number of terms that utilize long tail keyword optimization. By strategically integrating keywords into your Google Place’s listing, you will receive more traffic than if you had participated in Google’s costly Adwords campaign. Our proprietary methods will get your business noticed online!

For a limited time, we offer your business the opportunity to rank high in Google’s search engine results. We will identify the keywords that will make your business shine brighter than your competition. We will help you complete the all-important business information section and suggest ways to enhance your listing’s SEO. We know the type of information that Google pulls from the Details section of your business information. We will show you how to take advantage of consumer reviews and how to maximize the SEO value of videos and photographs that highlight your business’ products and services.

During tough economic times, you cannot afford a trial and error approach to marketing your small business online. You need a professional team of Internet marketers, with a proven track record, to help you navigate the numerous obstacles that inhibit other businesses from reaching their online potential. You can save money and grow revenue by implementing a few simple steps, beginning with getting your business listed in Google Places. Leverage this free Google product by working with us to get your business ranked on Google’s first search engine result page.

The Quick and Easy Way Your Business Can Utilize Social Media Channels

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Why do we make social media marketing so hard?

The answer lies somewhere between the advice of SEO experts and the expectations of a generation that conducts most of its communication via social media channels. As a small business owner, you feel both sides tugging you in opposite directions. You face a difficult decision that determines your social media-marketing plan. Here is a little advice that will go a long way in saving you both time and money.

You do not need to make your social media efforts complicated!

Many small business owners run around spouting social media to do lists. I have to post on Facebook. My Twitter followers want to know about my latest product. My Google+ profile needs to be updated too.

The demands of social media marketing take its toll, if you fail to adhere to one simple guiding principle. The quick and easy way your business can utilize social media is to respond to customers whenever they have questions or issues with one of your products and services. Make yourself available to help your customers and you will maximize the return on your social media marketing plan.

A recent Maritz Research survey demonstrates the importance of swift customer responses. Out of 1,300 respondents, only 29% said a company contacted them after they initiated contact through a social media channel. Of the 29%, an overwhelming 83% loved or liked the fact that a company returned their queries.

The bottom line is customers want the same prompt response to a problem that they receive when they visit your business. You certainly do not ignore customers who contact you in person. Why would you ignore customers online?

Most small business owners have tight marketing budgets, which is the first reason why they invest their time and money into social media marketing. Nearly 60% of small business owners spend less than $100 to market on social media channels. They eliminate costly direct mail campaigns once they register with Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The problem does not lie with the money small business owners spend, but how with how they spend their time.

Encouraging your customers (and potential customers) to communicate with you directly online through social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter can be highly effective. These channels allow you to directly communicate with your customers without having to commit a lot of time or money.

Follow the time-tested business adage that “less is better.” Limit your number of social media channels. Register with Facebook and Twitter, since a vast majority of your customers will communicate with you through those channels. Facebook allows you to create a business page and Twitter gives you instant access to your customers.

Once you register with Facebook and Twitter, consider consolidating management of your social media channels with a social media manager such as Ping.fm or HootSuite. Social media managers allow you to manage all of your accounts on one site. Instead of clicking through social media pages to find out who contacted you, you can obtain that information from one application.

Don’t be overwhelmed when it comes to social media. Keep things simple and use these social media channels as an extension of your customer service efforts.

What Do You Think Is Your #1 Business Asset Online?

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As a business owner, you take a consistent inventory of our physical assets. You account for office supplies, machinery, vehicles, land, among other physical assets. How you utilize your business assets often determines whether your business succeeds or fails.

The popularity of the Internet has created another business asset. It’s easy to neglect this asset for the allure of social media websites, you know, those wonderful places where everyone congregates to learn more about your products and services. Your #1 business asset online is not Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

Your “real estate” on those sites is rented property. You do not own them. Those social media companies can shut down your business pages, without giving you any notice. Here today, gone tomorrow, is a very realistic possibility and you have no control over it.

Despite the raging popularity of Facebook, there is no guarantee it will be here forever. Everyone thought AOL and MySpace would dominate Internet marketing strategies for decades and look what happened. Your primary business asset online should not be something that, like a David Copperfield act, can disappear right before your eyes.

If your Facebook business page does not represent an asset, then what online asset do you have to attract more customers? You need to invest your time and money in a tangible online asset. The only option you have is to maximize the return of your own small business website. This asset allows your business to gain exposure to new local and regional customers. How you approach creating your small business website determines who enters your online front door.

Your small business website provides you a way to develop a convenient platform where you can provide original content and build your brand. Your website becomes an asset, one that you cultivate with as much care as any physical asset your business owns.

We’re not saying you should ignore social media. There is no doubt social media is important in the overall marketing mix. However, we’re advocating that you should spend the majority of your time and money building up your own small business website. Your social media efforts should compliment your website – not replace it!

Is There Really Such Thing As Too Much SEO?

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SEO is the strategic use of keywords in the content of your business website. It is the process of attracting free traffic to your website by ranking high on search engine results pages.

Keywords comprise the words customers most likely will use to find your business online. You want to utilize those keywords in your content to rank high in the three primary search engines, but especially in Google’s search engine, which handles nearly two-thirds of all Internet searches.

For example, I provide search engine optimization services to local businesses. The appropriate broad keywords that I want to rank for include “local seo,” and “local search engine optimization.”

A strong SEO strategy utilizes the correct keywords in the right places, within your website’s content. This is referred to as keyword density. Keyword density is how often your keywords appear in your content. Implementing a keyword strategy is akin to walking on a tightrope. You seek balance, as you place your keywords throughout your website’s content.

The under use of keywords will not get your small business noticed online. Alternatively, over use of keywords can hurt your small business listing on Google’s search engine results page. That begs the question: is there really such thing as too much SEO?

At this point, Google maintains that while you can over-do SEO, the search engine giant does not penalize your search ranking because of over use. However, Google is close to unveiling a new policy that will penalize websites that stuff keywords unnecessarily into their content. Here is what Matt Cutts had to say about this issue back in 2009:

The New Google Penalty for Keyword Stuffing

Google has always kept its SEO policies away from public scrutiny. The company focuses on providing products and services that help you attract customers, but it does not provide a blueprint on how to get the most out of its products and services. As for keyword stuffing, Google has always maintained that the company does not penalize websites that over do keywords. However, Google’s stance against implementing penalties for keyword stuffing appears to be changing.

Google’s Matt Cutts recently announced that Google has been working on developing a penalty for websites that stuff keywords into content. Cutts stated that Google will introduce a SEO penalty on search engine results pages. The purpose of the new penalty is to reward websites that produce great content over sites that simply stuff content with search engine friendly keywords. Cutts did not describe the penalty, but it may range from flagging websites to moving websites down the search engine rankings by using a predetermined formula.

What does the new penalty mean for your small business website? You should still follow the time-tested axiom: create content that informs customers about your products and services. Discover the keywords that potential customers use to find your small business online. Finally, do not overuse the keywords in your site’s content. When Google makes a pending change to their search engine rules public, you know the leading search engine is serious about rewarding good content that does not “over optimize.”

The Anatomy of a Google Local Business Listing

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You can find your business listing in a number of search engines, but it is your Google Local Business Listing optimization that matters. Google is part of the “Big 3” search engines that also includes Yahoo! and Bing.

The three combine to make up 95 percent of local business searches. Google commands two-thirds of that traffic, so it is important to optimize your Google Places listing.

A map typically accompanies your Google Places listing and it drives traffic to your business from a specific point that indicates your business on the map. The map listings differ from the organic listings below the map or the Pay Per Click (PPC) listing that appears to the right and above the map.

Your business can list on either www.google.com or maps.google.com. Prospective customers type in one or a series of keyword to find local business.

For instance, if someone wants to find an organic grocery store in a specific location, he or she will most likely type into the search box the city, the state, organic, grocery, and store.

You want your local business listing to appear on the first search result page. Most customers refer to this page to find local businesses. Customers will click either “reviews” or “more info” to find a Google Places listing.

They will then review the information that you present about your business. This information is the anatomy of a Google local business listing optimization. As with human anatomy, each part plays an important role in the overall body of work.

Basic Business Information

The first section is perhaps the most important section, yet many business owners neglect to complete all of the fields or they input incorrect information. You must accurately complete basic business fields, such as business name, physical address (no P.O. boxes), local business phone number, email address, and website URL.

You also must choose which category or categories you want to place your Google Places listing. You have up to 5 category choices.

Details

You should provide as much information as you can about your business within this section. Information such as how long you have been in business and the types of products and services that you offer enhance your site’s SEO. The Details section also culls information that Google pulls from trusted Internet content providers.

What People are Saying About…

Google compiles third-party reviews from trusted content providers to give visitors an overview of how customers perceive your business. The reviews in this section of your Google local business listing are divided into topics that pertain to your business category. A bar graph provides an overall depiction of customer satisfaction.

Photos/Videos

YouTube’s popularity makes this an essential section for your business. Search engine rankings now include video and photograph keywords. You can upload up to 10 photographs and 5 YouTube videos. Make sure you upload the maximum number of photographs and videos permitted by Google.

Review

Google breaks down the reviews by source, which include Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Google reviews

Nearby Places You Might Like

Similar local businesses are listed here. If you operate a hardware store, Google may present a nearby construction company’s Google Places listing.

More About This Place

This section gives you an idea about other websites that refer to your business. The listings can come from your organic website, one of your blogs, and independently operated websites. The ranking of your Google local business listing depends somewhat on the keywords used from other Internet sources.

User Content

Any additional information that supports your Google Places listing appears here.

You should have only one local business listing for every address. Claim your business listing before inputting all of your information. The most important part of the entire process is when you verify the accuracy of the information presented on your Google local business listing.