GET SMART WITH GOOGLE+ LOCAL
How to Get Smart with Google+ Local
Aug 20, 2015
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GET SMART WITH GOOGLE+ LOCAL
WHY GOOGLE+ LOCAL?Photo credit: fontplaydotcom via photopin cc
TMI?
Photo credit: BrittneyBush via photopin cc
Quick History
• Google Local released in Mar 2004• Google Maps released in Feb 2005• Local Business Centre launches in Mar 2005• Google Places appears in Aug 2008• Hotpot (reviews) released in Nov 2010• Google+ launches in Jun 2011• Google Places Google+ Local in May 2012
ALL CLEAR SO FAR?
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So what exactly are Google+ Local &
Google Maps for?
Clear directions to get from A to B
A Few Important Stats
• Over 90% of all online searches in the UK start with Google
• 60% of consumers report using Google every month when looking for a local business
• Growth of mobile– 50% of all mobile searches are local– Over 60% of these result in a purchase
• Optimising your Google+ Local listing will help
Read through these firstGoogle Places quality guidelines
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How to find your business?• Google Places• Google+ LocalYep, you’ll need a Google account!
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Go to Google Places for Business - http://www.google.co.uk/business/placesforbusiness/
Sign in using your Google account then enter the details requested
Go to Google+ which is easy to access if you’re signed into your Google account
Find your business using the “Search” & “Location” boxes
Click on the “Manage this page” button if you’re listing isn’t yet verified
ALL CLEAR SO FAR?
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Optimise your G+ Local listing
Company/Organisation must be the name you do business as
Do Not include any keywords unless they are actually part of your real business name
Do Not include any town or city names unless you want to run the risk of getting suspended!
Optimise your G+ Local listing
Use the address of where you conduct business, even if that is your home address.
Do Not use PO Boxes
Use exactly the same address and format when you start to build citations
Optimise your G+ Local listing
Use a local phone number, not a call centre or Toll Free number
If you have multiple listings then you should use a unique local number for each location
Optimise your G+ Local listing
Use an email address that is on your main company website domain
Use main website URL
If multiple locations, then build a landing page for each location and link to that, e.g.
yoursite.co.uk/fulham
Optimise your G+ Local listing
Description is a sales pitch for your business
It should be human-readable and describe your business
Use a couple of your target keywords but don’t let it get too “spammy”
Optimise your G+ Local listing
Probably the most important section of your whole Google Places listing
Categories should say what your business is (e.g. accountant), not what it does (e.g. tax returns) or things it sells (e.g. Sony products or printer paper)
Category will be Google pre-defined ones – just start typing in the box and options will appear. No “custom” categories available.
Categories
Optimise your G+ Local listing
Categories research tool built by expert local marketing blogger Mike Blumenthalhttp://blumenthals.com/Google_LBC_Categories
Just type in your business niche and the tool will show a list of Google pre-defined categories
Categories
Optimise your G+ Local listingService Areas and Location Settings
If your customers come to your place of business to meet then this section is pretty easy.
Just select “No, all customers come to the business location” as in the example above.
Optimise your G+ Local listingService Areas and Location Settings
If clients don’t come to your place of business then you should choose“Yes, this business serves customers at their locations”
If you’re a home based business then you also have the option to hide your address.Just click the box next to “Do not show my business address on my Maps listing”
If you don't conduct face-to-face business at your location, you must select the "Do not show my business address on my Maps listing" option within your dashboard. If you don't hide your address, your listing may be removed from Google Maps.
PLEASE NOTE
VERY IMPORTANT – choose Local Business or Place
SAB’sService Area Businesses
Best practice is to set distance at 25mi / 40km
Service area is shown here
Address is hidden
What a Service Area Business listing looks like in Google’s search results
Note the personalised search notations in grey under each result
So what next?
• Share content• Join communities• Leave reviews• Build a following
Why?
Search is becoming personalised
Reviews
How to drive your listing up Google’s local search results
Citations
• Bing Places for Business• Local Data Company• Factual• Scoot• Foursquare
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