Q & A About Your Local Business Listing on Google Places

When should I claim my listing?

Claim you listing right away and then spend some time on how to build out your profile and complete every category with quality information. This is what you must do to improve rankings. Claiming your listing right away informs Google that they have the most accurate and current details regarding your business but you will still have to focus on optimizing your page for the best targeted keywords. If you are located in a small town with very little competition your listing could be ranking well before you claim it. But by claiming it you can improve the page with more specifics about your operation and you eliminate the possibility of someone else hijacking your Google local listing.

Are businesses located at the center of the city going to rank the best?

The overall distance from the center of the city is not as much of a factor today! However, local businesses located somewhere within the city that’s being searched usually have more influence and receive greater local rankings. It really comes down to the level of competition in that location! If there’s only a few local businesses providing the same service, Google just may have listings from other areas still ranking high. And if a listing is complete and offers greater value than a listing in a specific town, there is a chance the out of area listing will out rank that same city listing. There are mixed opinions on how Google places the listings, Andrew Shotland, a local business marketing expert says “You’ve got to be in it to win it.”

How important is Category selection?

Categories are extremely important because they establish relevance with the online searcher! Your Place Page can list five categories and the first category should be one of Google’s default categories! The categories are an important ranking factor so it’s essential that you categorize based on who and what your business is all about. This is one classification that requires research and constant testing to perfect the optimization. The primary terms for which you wish to be found are critical to your success.

Does Google mind if I add a couple keywords to my listing title for a better ranking opportunity?

The opinions are mixed but Google’s terms of service is very clear. Google says to use only the actual legal name of your business and not keywords that may describe your business. However, doing this does help rankings on Google Maps but the question is for how long! And, will Google crack down and start penalizing businesses.

An example of keyword stuffing in the title is when you add additional words to the name of your business. If my company’s name is Tony’s, and it’s a Mexican restaurant in New York City there’s a good chance that the name, “Tony’s, lacks the optimization to rank very well. But if my title is “Tony’s New York City Mexican Restaurant” I’ll bet my rankings will propel to one of the top spots on page one of Google.

So what do we do? Violate Google rules or improve out traffic and hope Google doesn’t start enforcing this rule. One important thing to understand is that whatever you do, make sure that the name of your business in the listing title is consistent with every other web page on the Internet that shows your business name.

The name on the title needs to match the name of your company in the website, your blog and any directory listings. You could change your business legally with a DBA and it may be something to consider. Right now businesses are getting away with including one or two keywords in the title but Google has also left the door open to close it quickly and de-list violators of their policy.

Can I write my 200 character description with all my keyword phrases?

Although I haven’t seen a problem with including keywords that describe your business some pundits feel that too many keywords in the description can result in a a penalty. However, If done in good taste without using keyword stuffing tactics, carefully placed keyword terms may help your ranking. So proceed with caution when using product and service keywords in your description but also understand that it may be the difference between a listing on that virtually priceless 7-Pack on the first page of Google versus a buried listing on page 10 that no one will ever find.

Is it really important to add photos to my Google Place page listing?

Adding 10 photos and filling out the listing in its entirety is key to good ranking. Plus its simple to do and gives your page a warm customer friendly feeling. Optimizing your image with keyword relevant tags is something your competition is not doing. You want to use your keywords to name your photo. Google can’t read images, only text so make it easy for them to reward you. Visualization add tremendous value to the business listing.

Can my primary phone number be an 800 number?

Google really wants to see a local area code in front of that number so give it to them. A local phone number gives you additional credibility as a real local company. Whatever phone you show on your listing, it must be the same phone number that appears on your website and everywhere else you can be found online.

I don’t have a video about my business what can I do?

You can use any video from YouTube that has your primary keyword in the title. Just don’t use videos created by your local competitors. I’m sure you can find product videos or “how to” videos related to your services! Videos enhance the user experience and Google allows five of them so build out your listing with what Google thinks is important.

Is the coupon worth using?

The truth is I haven’t heard of many businesses having success with the coupon as of yet. But as I have consistently said every category including the coupon contributes to the overall completion of the page. Obviously the coupon will work better for a restaurant than for a funeral home but fill it out and make an offer that the customer/client can’t refuse!

I’m looking forward to hearing from you and learning more about your local bricks and mortar Florida company.

Talk soon,