Help Others Find You With Google Places

According to Google, 97% of customers search for local businesses online. In order to be sure that your business is seen locally, it is a good idea to take advantage of Google Places. Google Places allows you to get your business listed at the top of Google search results. If somebody enters a term for say "Dallas attorney" your business can come up right away if it is listed in Google Places.

In order to setup a listing with Google Places you will need a Google account. If you use Gmail or other services offered by Google you already have an existing account to work with. If you do not, it's easy and free to set one up and you can do that from the Google Places website as well.

Create Your Listing

Google Places requires all businesses listed to have a mailing address. If you work from home and you don't want your address publicly shown, you can choose to "hide" it but you will still be required to fill out that information. This is how Google knows where you are and how to determine if you're local for an individual that is searching for a business. You will also want to provide phone numbers, e-mail addresses and any other information that will help potential customers contact you easily.

Make Your Business Stand Out

When you create your listing you are able to upload photos or videos as well. This gives customers a good idea of what you and your business are all about. Whether it is just a professional-looking photo of yourself or a photo of your business, it can help customers learn more about you and your business. You can also respond to customer reviews. If you are listed in Google Places, customers can leave reviews about their experience with your company. Reviews are essential because they can help determine whether others will want to use your products or services.

Promote Your Business with Google Boost

You can choose to promote with Google Boost which will allow you to set up an ad in order to help get more people to your business ad. This type of ad works very similarly to the Google AdWords ads and you will need to pay for them. However, the results may be worth it - particularly if your business is listed first during a search.

Google Places can help give your business a platform to stand on when it comes to Google searches. If 97% of people will search for a local business online first, you want to make sure that they see your company. If they don't know you exist how can they become a customer? You need to use as many resources as possible to get your business plastered in front of those searching for what you're offering. This is even more important for local searches. You want customers to choose your business over your competitors so make sure your Google Places listing stands out from the rest.

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