How to get listed on Google Maps
How to take advantage of the Google Maps to promote your business. Many businesses are completely unaware of the great tools available online for free to promote their business and one of them is Google Maps.
Advantages of Google Maps
Well the greatest power of Google maps is the fact its FREE which encourages businesses to get listed, and if you are unaware of how to get listed the chances are you are already listed. But how?
Google crawls the internet and find websites links and posts
them in its search engine making it available for people to find what Google has found. Now this crawling system will find anything ever published about your business ever on any website. In most cased business directories such as Yellow pages, Hot Frogs or if someone mentioned your business some random website on the Internet.
Google crawlers find the business address associated with the business name as well as phone number and much more information that you or others have made available online for free. Google then structure that information and categorises that information based on what the information contains.
For example if your business name is "Joe's Plumbing" then Google knows its is a Plumbing Business and its also has the address. So Google will now list Joe's Plumbing on its maps in a suburb based on what address was provided.
Now that information could only be:
- Business Name: Joe's Plumbing
- Address: 123 George Street Sydney NSW 2000
- Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
- Website: www.joesplumbing.com.au
- Phone: 02 1234 5678
Now that information gets Plotted on the Google maps and made available to the local area when some one searched for Plumbing in that area the closer you are to the location the better the chance of finding Joe's plumbing. Why? well simply because we all love our GPS on our phones and want to get to places. Well places have different businesses in that area. The logic is if I was in the Sydney CBD and I needed a plumber why would I care about a plumber in Melbourne its no use to me. I need one closest to my location, So the maps and the search engines mimic that knowledge and will return what is called Geo-location search results.
How to manage your Google Maps Listings
Now that you know how you may be listed, what can you do take advantage of this.
- 1. Search Google maps to see if you are listed
- 2. If you are listed then claim the listing by clicking the link on the top left that says Business Owner
- 3. Login with your Google account details and edit the content.
- 4. Verify the business with one of the 3 options, SMS text Mesage, Post card or Phone Call.
(This means they will call the phone number listed, or send an sms to a mobile number on the listing or an automated phone call will
be made to the phone number listed there either one will give 4 or 5 digit pin code) Choose one most convenient for you. - 5. once you have received the pin code enter into the Google Places account provided location for you will now have the business verified and you can see the changes you make on your listing appear online shortly after.
This will also give you access to statistics about how your listing is performing and what actions viewers are taking online. Please make sure that you follow Google's Guidelines on getting listed on Google Maps.
If you find that you are having trouble getting listed on Google Maps please contact uswe are can provide a service to claim the listings for you as well ensuring the listing is:
- 1. Well optimised for best performance
- 2. The listing is 100% compliant with Google Maps policies and guidelines.
Please note we do charge a fee for our Time spent creating the listing, editing your existing listing and researching your industry to achieve the best possible result fir your business. We do not charge for any services Provided by Google as its provided for free and we are happy to share the knowledge.