Google places is a relatively un-chartered but growing avenue for small business to make their presence felt on the internet. Google places’s strategy is to populate the listing using their own resources as an initial step. They take data from yellow pages, business directories and some time even use their own staff to enter the initial data. Then they promote the listing when people search google with geographically local keywords like Cochin etc . We would probably know that our listing exists only then, then they give us an option to ‘claim’ the listing so that there will be more authentic and updated data in the listings.
Apart from claiming, we ourselves can add a business to Google places. You can add your business using this link www.google.com/local/add/businessCenter. Google places is tied in closely with google maps and adding a listing involved marking our business spot on the map too.
The key things to note while adding a business are
- Using the business name – Try to have some where in the name the keyword that the potential customer might use while searching
- List all the applicable phone numbers. Make it easy for the customer to get in touch
- Category chosen should be the most appropriate. Try some competitors listings to make sure
- A picture of the business counts for a lot to get a potential customer interested
- Validate your business by phone or a post card .
