Service Companies Without a Physical Address Can Have a Listing on Google Local Including Home Businesses!
You may be thinking that you don’t qualify for a local business listing in Google Places because you don’t have a bricks and mortar address.
You may be a plumber, electrician, carpenter, lawn service or any other small business without a physical business address. You don’t really need a business location because you make your initial customer contact by phone or Internet and you provide your services at the customers home, office or at McDonald’s.
Maybe you operate a home based business and for security reasons you don’t want the public to have access to your address. You could be a bookkeeper, real estate broker or a consultant and you conduct business in the clients home or place of business.
So do you qualify for a listing on Google Places in the local business directory? The answer is yes!
The address issue has been recently revised by Google to take into consideration the service companies and home based operations. If you are a service provider there are some new exciting changes you must take note of.
Your local business can now offer the geographic service area you cover so the customer/client doing a Google search will be able to find your business accurately and increase your online marketing exposure beyond expectations.
A local business owner can include service areas to their listing as long as the business model requires them to travel to the customer’s location. Even a restaurant can include this feature if they offer home delivery. However, listings with service areas will still require a valid physical address but you can choose to make your address private.
Google allows you to define your service area by distance or by location and you can have a service territory covering over 50 miles from your central service area.
The service area option may be a better solution for many local businesses that already have listings. For example, let’s say that your company is just outside the larger metropolitan area where you want to get more exposure. If you have mobile technicians or a delivery service that qualifies you for the service area option, you may be able to get greater marketing exposure by including the service area rather that a fixed business location!
If you are an accountant, landscaper, limousine service, life insurance agent, florist and any other local business that provides delivery or on-site services, this is something you may want to look into and find out if there are any advantages for your specific business.
Here is the direct link to Google Places if you want to learn more about the service area option.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you and learning more about your local bricks and mortar Florida company.
Talk soon,
Randy Bess
Florida: FloridaInternetMarketingCompany.com
200 2nd Ave. South #359
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
727-254-3019
Dominican Republic: iCaribbeanAgency.com
La Mulata II
Sosua, Rep. Dominicana
809-880-9830 (Sosua)
305-280-6743 (Miami)
Orlando Marketing
Small business owners are looking for new Orlando marketing options to save their business! So many Florida businesses are struggling with the staggering economy but the timing is perfect to get creative and look at your options. And one option is a free service from Google.
It’s called Google Places and it puts local businesses in the first class seats for competitive keyword terms. Although once you pop over to Google.com/places and follow their step-by-step instructions it will appear that you have found gold but before you celebrate take a deep breath.
When your potential clients/customers start a Google search for the search phrase that best describes your business they will be taken to a traditional search results page and at the top of the page is a box next to a local map with seven business listings. You want to do everything you can to get into this box because its magic and can do wonders for your bottom-line even in a tight economy.
If you don’t get into the 7-Pack, you’ll be buried with hundreds of other competitors, lost and forgotten. But since it only takes about an hour to create your listing and the fact that’s its free, please take the time to get indexed. You can always go back and edit, tweak the content and make the listing stronger and more suitable for the 7-Pack.
What does it take to get a first page listing with Google Places…
To start, you’ll need a completed listing. The title, address, phone number, description, categories, photos, videos, coupons, attributes and reviews all have a strategic purpose. Throw out common sense here, but be truthful and consistent. The information you include in your Google Place Page must match the information on your blog, website, Facebook page and anywhere else you have details about your business. You must have knowledge of keywords, how and where to research the most relevant terms and phrases.
Consistency about your company is how you will build credibility with Google. Try to fool them and you’ll end up in the sandbox with no love from the local business directory overseers.
Take some of your valuable time to explore Google Places because if you get the assistance of an expert that can get you in the 7-Pack, your local competition won’t stand a chance and you’ll begin to dominate the local marketplace. Google Places is real, powerful and here for the long haul.
Sign up for my free analysis of your business and I’ll do some research to determine the best strategy to get your business on the first page in the 7-pack for the primary search terms that your potential customers/clients are typing into Google Search!
I’m looking forward to hearing from you and learning more about your local bricks and mortar Florida company.
Talk soon,
Randy Bess
Florida: FloridaInternetMarketingCompany.com
200 2nd Ave. South #359
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
727-254-3019
Dominican Republic: iCaribbeanAgency.com
La Mulata II
Sosua, Rep. Dominicana
809-880-9830 (Sosua)
305-280-6743 (Miami)
New Features on Google Places
There’s a couple of features I haven’t heard much about online, so I thought I’d make mention of the new posting feature and “Tags” that Google Places now has available to local business owners.
You can now place a post on your Google Place Page with up to 160 characters! This is another great tool for building your credibility with local consumers. You can offer specials, new products/services or promote an upcoming event. Google Places allows you to post as often as you want but your page will only show one post at a time and a new post will replace the previous one.
Some compare the new post option to Twitter with it’s social media flare. It’s something that can really liven up your page with daily or weekly updates involving news, discounts, tips or anything about your local business.
The new Tags feature is something Google is offering for a fee. The cost is $25.00 per month and Google Places “Tags” will enhance your listing with a yellow marker, highlighting your advertisement just below your local business listing. The Tag will draw the users attention to your listing and give you an opportunity to be seen as unique when compared to your nearby competitors. Business owners can easily promote important aspects of their business by using Tags.
In addition to the attention grabbing yellow highlighted marker, you can add about 100 characters of text. Comment about an upcoming event, specials, new product line or anything about your business. Now, from a marketing standpoint you could point your Tag to your post on the Place Page and really stand out as the local expert and innovator in your marketplace.
Google gives you several options with the “Tag.” You could point it to your coupon, video, picture or your website but the biggest bang for your buck may be to direct the Tag towards your post so that you can constantly keep your page fresh, new and interesting.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you and learning more about your local bricks and mortar Florida company.
Talk soon,
Randy Bess
Florida: FloridaInternetMarketingCompany.com
200 2nd Ave. South #359
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
727-254-3019
Dominican Republic: iCaribbeanAgency.com
La Mulata II
Sosua, Rep. Dominicana
809-880-9830 (Sosua)
305-280-6743 (Miami)
Google Local Tips
Once you do some research about Google Places look for the best Google Local tips that can give you the greatest marketing exposure with this fantastic free service.
The first and most important thing to understand is the terms and conditions of Google Places before you start creating your listing. Then, you must complete the listing with a great and attractive description of your business, a few photos, at least one video and a few reviews to start, a completed coupon, hours of operation and some search engine optimization touches here and there. In other words fill out the listing in every category!
The name of your business, phone number and address must be the same on your website and any other directories you have listings in. Google is looking for credibility and consistency so keep that in mind if you want to have a solid position on the first page next to the map in the box known as the 7-pack.
Below are some good independent posts offering Google Local tips on how you can improve your listing for maxiium marketing exposure in Google Pla
How To Optimise Google Places for Local Search | Free Ezine Articles
Google Places formerly the local business centre is surprisingly still a very underrated, underused and under optimised organic SEO service which can come in to it’s own for local search.
Publish Date: 06/24/2010 22:49
http://www.freeezinearticles.com/2010/06/25/how-to-optimise-google-places-for-local-search/
How to: Using Google Places Dashboard to View Your Listing’s Stats
Creating a listing on Google Maps and Places can have a positive affect on traffic to your local business. Foot traffic is noticeable but you might want to see what is happening with the listing. This can be done through the Google …
Publish Date: 06/18/2010 19:00
http://www.wisnet.com/noteworthy/using-google-places-dashboard-to-view-your-listings-stats/0/0/451/
How to Register a Google Places Listing | Search Marketing Sage
Five quick and easy steps to creating a Google Places Listing to increase your company’s presence in the digital world!
Publish Date: 06/18/2010 10:38
http://blog.search-mojo.com/2010/06/18/how-to-register-a-google-places-listing/
If you think about it, people around the country move to a new town in a new state every single day. They need to find new local services and products and they are going to find what they’re looking for online, easier than ever before. The thing you have to do to get their business is stand out and be in the top position where you’ll be easily found when they start looking for the exact services or products you offer.
Google has taken the first step in offering a solution to local search with Google Places! Now, all you have to do is make the next move…
I’m looking forward to hearing from you and learning more about your local bricks and mortar Florida company.
Talk soon,
Randy Bess
Florida: FloridaInternetMarketingCompany.com
200 2nd Ave. South #359
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
727-254-3019
Dominican Republic: iCaribbeanAgency.com
La Mulata II
Sosua, Rep. Dominicana
809-880-9830 (Sosua)
305-280-6743 (Miami)
Google Places to Localize Online Searches With Favorite Places
According to Google there are now more than one million businesses with the recognition of a “Favorite Places” on Google! I’m not going to go into just what this is because the video below, from Google, really will give you a complete understanding of Google’s dedication to promoting local small businesses. This is just one of many tools Google offers local business owners.
Here is what Google says about the QR code which provides a way for mobile phones users to scan a code and get instant information about your local business.
“When you see a QR code, use your phone’s application to scan it. If you’re scanning a QR code on one of the window decals that we’ve sent to thousands of U.S. businesses, you’ll quickly be taken to that business’ mobile Place Page on Google, where you can:
- Read reviews to see what other users think about the business
- Find a coupon that the business has posted to their Place Page
- Star the business to remember to check it out later, or to remember to visit again
- Leave a review right after you leave the business. What’s a better time to write what you think, than when you’ve just visited?”
The above quote can be found Goggle at: http://www.google.com/help/maps/favoriteplaces/business/barcode.html
I’m showing you this because I truly believe that the Google marriage to small, local businesses will have many anniversaries. The plans that Google has for the future of local business solutions are unknown but if you keep up with what new and exciting technology is available to you right now and as new tools are released, there is no way your local competition will know what hit them.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you and learning more about your local bricks and mortar Florida company.
Talk soon,
Randy Bess
Florida: FloridaInternetMarketingCompany.com
200 2nd Ave. South #359
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
727-254-3019
Dominican Republic: iCaribbeanAgency.com
La Mulata II
Sosua, Rep. Dominicana
809-880-9830 (Sosua)
305-280-6743 (Miami)
Florida Internet Marketing Blog
The Florida Internet Marketing Blog was created to assist local Florida small business owners build a powerful online presence. Facts about the development of local business and online searches reveal that people want to begin their search for products and services online, but buy locally.
There are statistics by Internet experts showing that people are searching for local products and services more than ever before. It’s a trend that many feel will only continue to increase. This is why Google is investing millions of dollars into the local business listings with Google Places.
In our parents day, local advertising consisted of the Yellow Pages and local newspapers. Today. that is changing and changing fast and technology has to become our friend whether we understand it or not.
Over the last several years small business owners thought the solution was a basic small business website but that proved to be unsuccessful for the majority of local companies as they began to realize that along with the website they needed a huge marketing budget to get search engine rankings for the site.
Google is leading the way for the success of local businesses with great marketing concepts such as Google Places. Watch the videos below, they will be the most important thing you’ll do today and it will only take a few minutes of your time!
You don’t have to understand how the technology works and if you just get the concept and put the tools to work for your business you’ll be setting the foundation for local online marketing success.
Below is another video by Google that shows you how five businesses use Google Places to grow their local small business…
The following video consists of an interesting interview of a local New York business! Watch as they tell how their business increased by 25% after claiming its Place Page on Google Places…
Thank you for visiting the Florida Internet Marketing Blog! Please visit us often for new and informative resources, posts and the hotest new marketing tools, for Florida buisness owners. I’m not just someone writing about Florida small businesses, I’m also active with my own Florida real estate brokerage! My goal with this site is to share my findings with you free of charge.
Get Your Free Small Business Analysis For Top Placement In Google’s Local Listing Directory Called
Google Places…
I’m looking forward to hearing from you and learning more about your local bricks and mortar Florida company.
Talk soon,
Randy Bess
Florida: FloridaInternetMarketingCompany.com
200 2nd Ave. South #359
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
727-254-3019
Dominican Republic: iCaribbeanAgency.com
La Mulata II
Sosua, Rep. Dominicana
809-880-9830 (Sosua)
305-280-6743 (Miami)
Small Business in Florida – Online Marketing Tips
Operating a small business in Florida can be very rewarding but in today’s economy you’ll have to do your homework to survive. If you already have a business in Florida, advertising is more important than ever before. The problem is the rising cost to promote our business and the lack of revenue for us to support an increased advertising campaign.
What if I could show you a way to increase your customer base in your small business by using free Internet marketing techniques to drive new potential customers and clients to your website and if you don’t have a website I’ll show you where to go to get a free one.
As you know, we really have to be on top of our game if we want to compete for customers in our market so the first couple of thing you must do is know your business and the concerns of your customers. You have to be the expert and people have to be able to find you so that they know you’re the expert!
Step 1 – Become the expert in your local marketplace!
Now that you know your business inside and out you’ll need some ears to share your knowledge with! Have you ever heard of article marketing? Imagining what it would be like to be able to share all the great things about your profession with thousands of people just by writing a short 250 word article.
There is an article directory called ezinearticles.com that allows people to write about their experiences and then make the article available on their site to thousands if not millions of visitors.
You’ll have to spend a few hours reading their terms and conditions so you fully understand what you can and cannot do! Here’s the other steps you must follow to get started.
Second Step – The title needs to grab the readers attention with a powerful message. There is no better way to learn how to write stimulating titles than to see what other authors at ezinearticles.com is writing. You can search for expert authors who are writing about topics in your niche on Ezine Articles. Just duplicate what is working for them.
Third Step – Don’t try to sell anything or talk about your company in the article body. Tell the reader about how a particular tool or remedy can solve a problem that relates to your profession. In other words offer a solution to a problem. Keep the article to 250-300 words if possible. Try to write no more than three sentences to a paragraph and keep the sentence short.
Fourth Step- The resource box is the most important part of the article and requires an entire article just to explain its importance. So what I’m going to recommend is to follow the suggestion in step one and see what the experts at ezinearticles.com is doing.
The final step is to have a website to drive the traffic to from your article. You will put a link to a website in the resource box with a call to action, telling the reader to go to your website. If you don’t have a website I would suggest you go to Squidoo.com and open a free account and build a free website. They have a help section or you can find free video tutorials on YouToube.com.
Submitting articles to Ezine Articles can really help you improve the bottom line in your business plus there are many other advantages to articles marketing such as getting backlinks to your website. And if your article is interesting other website owners will take your article and put it on their website creating even more backlinks to your website.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you and learning more about your local bricks and mortar Florida company.
Talk soon,
Randy Bess
Florida: FloridaInternetMarketingCompany.com
200 2nd Ave. South #359
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
727-254-3019
Dominican Republic: iCaribbeanAgency.com
La Mulata II
Sosua, Rep. Dominicana
809-880-9830 (Sosua)
305-280-6743 (Miami)
