Google Places listings are becoming more and more important as they gain valuable real estate in Search Engine Results. This presentation discusses how to get started with Google Places, including how to claim your Google Places listings, how to optimize your Google Places listing, and some FAQs around Google Places.
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6. 1. Crawl: Claim your Listing
2. Walk: Handle the Basics
– Make sure everything is
correct
– Link back to your
website
3. Run: Be a Places Pro
– Fill out all fields
– Add rich media – photos
& videos
Photo credit: flickr.com/photos/ernestduffoo/5821154551
7. Step 1: Claim Your Listing
Photo credit: flickr.com/photos/90547352@N00/4169265839
12. Step 2: Verify the Basics
Photo credit: flickr.com/photos/maryandjc/3155506458
13. Basics
• Make sure the information is accurate
– One & only one listing for your location
– Address & phone number are correct
• Use the exact business name
• Report Issues you Can’t Fix
– “Problem with this listing?”
– Google Map Maker google.com/mapmaker
14. Categories
1. Use All 5 Categories
2. Use as many Google
Categories as possible
>> Google knows that
Dentists clean
teeth & Plumbers
fix faucets
3. For custom categories,
base on profitability
– Tip: Use terms that
trigger a “7 pack”
– Tip: Look at your
competitors
22. Encourage Reviews
• Link customers
to review sites
• Quality over
Quantity
• Bad reviews are
ok - Respond
publicly & take
it offline
23.
24. LocalSEOguide.com surveyed
top 20 categories in top 20
US cities and came up with
this list of most popular
sites:
1. Yelp
• Google pulls 2. CitySearch
different rating sites 3. InsiderPages
4. Yahoo Local
depending on the 5. DealerRater
industry 6. JudysBook
7. TripAdvisor
• For insight on your 8. Edmunds
industry, view 9. Zagat.com
10. OpenTable
competitor pages
26. Dos & Don’ts
• DO have one and only one listing
• DO make sure your name is consistent
throughout
• DO link back to your site
• DO include frequent updates
• DO use as many Google Categories as possible
• DON’T forget to look at the stats!
• DON’T forget to optimize your website for
local searches!
27. Google Places is Not Enough!
• Remember that you have to optimize your
site for location as well
– Use City/State Keywords
– Location Pages for each Location
– Display address and phone in text throughout
• Make sure site is consistent with Google
Places
– Reinforce Categories
– Ensure name, address, phone match