Google Places Listings

How to gain your Google Places Listing

Google Places Listings can be hard to obtain, so why not increase your chances of success?

Do you do any work on your Google Places Listing? If not, then it is probably time to rethink this area of your SEO strategy because Google Places is going to keep evolving – you really do not want to miss this trick! Just remember that Google is still testing a few models of this so it is hard to know which one you will see.

Google Places Guidelines

OK, let us have a look at some of the tricks you don’t want to miss. Remember, these are based on the guidelines set down by Google themselves.

Your Business Name

Keep this strictly to your business name and do not include any marketing terms or SEO phrases. Google tells you to represent your business in exactly the same way as you would when advertising offline. Do not try and outsmart Google as this will end badly for you.
Unless a part of your business name, there should be no phone numbers or URL’s in the business name field.

Your Business Address & Location

The first point here is not to try and use false, incomplete or PO box addresses. Doing so will result in your listing being removed.
Be accurate – without your complete address, this could result in your listing being rejected or marked down.
One listing for each business location.
If you cover more than one specialist area, then you should not create multiple accounts for each.
Keep your address only for your address. This should contain nothing like Keywords or descriptions of any kind.

Phone and Website Listings

Unless you have no alternative, always use a local phone number rather than 0800, 0845, etc. This will help Google confirm you are in the location you say you are.
The URL field should ideally have your primary website homepage as the landing page. Keep it straight forward and remember, do not try and trick Google by directing it to doorway pages, scripts, etc.

Choosing Categories

Take care how you enter your details here and be as accurate as possible. Tell people what your business is, not what your business does or products that it supplies. However, you can mention this in your description if you wish or as a custom title.
Each entry field should have no more than one category. If Google sees you trying to ‘stuff’ extraneous information in here, this will end badly for you.
You can learn more about custom attributes here and how they can be used in your Places listing.

When you wont get a Google Places listing

• If your business is not yet live or your website ‘under construction’, then this can mean a rejection or holding up your listing.
• If you do not make contact in person with customers, your Places listing will be rejected.
• Holiday homes or business are not eligible to have a Places listing.

Can you afford to not have a Google Places listing?

As you have probably seen, unless you have a listing in Google Places, then there is a greater chance you will not be found in the results on the first half of the page – do you want to miss this? Because there is more emphasis on Google Places now, there is more of a need to understand that this is only going to get worse for companies who rely solely on their normal search positions.

To not have a listing in Google Places is missing out on one of the directions Google is heading in.

Claim your Google Places listing now!

iNET SEO can help you gain a much better chance of being listed in these results. Through a carefully monitored program, we can undertake all of the required work to ensure you have the best possible chance of retaining a position higher up the search results.

Would you like to read more about Google Places? To summarise, Google Places is intended to allow those searching for local business, more straight forward to track down. Your listing is a profile page that allows you to upload pictures of your business, details of opening times, contact details, website address, and much more.

Please contact us to find out more about our Google Places services and how we can help you.

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