Advances in technology constantly force us to adapt to new ways of doing things, and business marketing is no exception.
Not long ago, when people wanted to find a specific business, they went to the business section of the phone book or used the Yellow Pages. Today, people do the majority of their searching online, either through a computer or through mobile devices such as a smart phone or an iPhone.
That’s why it’s so vital for your business to available in the digital world.
One easy way you can help boost your search rankings, and improve the overall visibility of your business, is to use Google Maps.
Why Google Maps?
For starters, Google Maps locations are increasingly showing up at the top of Google’s page rankings. By now, everyone should be aware just how important showing up on the top of a search engine is to their exposure.
Another reason why Google Maps is important is because people like the perception that the business they’re searching for is ‘grounded’ in a physical location. For many people, this adds trust because the business can be perceived as existing in the real world and not just floating around on the Internet.
Claim Your Listing in Google Maps
While Google is a great tool to use to help bolster your businesses’ visibility, it isn’t entirely foolproof – at least not on its own; you have to take some control over the information that’s listed about your company.
For example: While your company may well show up in a Google Maps listing, Google doesn’t know who that business necessarily belongs to until it’s told. You oftentimes have to tell Google that you’re the business owner and claim that map listing as your own. This not only helps the people who are searching for your business, but it also helps to protect your business against people who might want to spread misinformation. Additionally, you might find out that Google is missing vital information and data about your business, and by claiming your listing, you can provide a more complete picture to the people who are searching for you.
How Do You Make a Google Maps Listing Your Own?
It’s easy, and anyone with basic knowledge of Google can complete the process.
The first thing to do is to go to Google Maps and type in a search for your company. Try to be as specific as you can in your search by using the name of the town where the business is located. If your business is established, there’s a high probability that Google has already taken notice of it in their indexing algorithms.
When the search result comes up in Google Maps, you’ll want to click on the ‘More Info’ link that appears next to the name of your company. A window will pop up in which you can select the option to edit your listing.
Once you do this, you will be directed to another window that will ask if you are the owner of this business and give you the option to claim this listing as yours.
When you’ve successfully claimed the listing as being associated with your company, Google will direct you to their Local Business Center login page. If you’re a current Google user (such as Gmail or Adwords) you can login with your current account information. If you don’t have a Google account, now is a good time to register one – it’s free.
From this point, you can add many additional bits of information about your company, which will not only give the person searching a better picture of what you’re about, but will also protect you against competitors who will want to hijack your listing.
It’s unfortunate, but many business owners aren’t aware of the powerful tool that’s available to them in Google Maps because Google doesn’t advertise it as a marketing tool. But now you know.
To find out how easy it is to create a Google Maps listing, watch this short video.
http://maps.google.com/help/maps/mymaps/create.html
