Updating Your Google Local Business Listing

Enhance your online storefront exposure for FREE!

By Carrie Hill, Marketing Consultant, Blizzard Internet Marketing

If they cant find you online - they cannot buy your stuff!!

Google Local - now called Google Maps offers businesses a free, local listing to encourage the sharing of accurate and up-to-date information. By investing just under an hour of time, you can increase the reliability and the distribution of your online information immensely.

Are you a New listing - Or do you need to Edit your current listing

First, find out if you have an existing listing at Google Maps (Local). If your listing already exists - select it and then click on the "more info" link on the map. Choose "Add or Edit your Business" from the large bubble on the map. If you do not see your business while searching, the left side column will feature a link that says "Add your Business Listing." We're going to assume you already have a listing - but the steps for adding your listing for the first time are basically the same.
Try: Start by Finding your site at Google Maps

Editing your Information

Once you've chosen to Edit your Information, you'll see a box that indicates you should fill in the required information for your listing. Put as much information here as you can - Street address is important for the mapping features, if the map marker is incorrect - nobody is perfect - you can click on "fix incorrect marker location" and move it around Use a great keyword phrase in your description and use that as an "Ad" to pull people towards your site. . Don’t make the description look forced or stuffed with keywords, but work in a good phrase that will bring visitors to you via rankings in the regular search engines results.
Try: Work.com Guide to Keyword Research Tools

Choosing a Category

Google allows you to choose multiple categories, a handy feature if you're selling more than one type of thing. Keep in mind, the more focused your categories, the more qualified the traffic that reaches your website - so try not to be general here - you can add more than one so be specific as possible.
Try: Don't be afraid to ask - Google has one of the most robust help engines in the world. If you cant find your category - check out this help note from Google

Hours of Operation, Photos and Attributes

If hours of operation are not important to your business, don't worry about filling those in, if you don't add the information - Google will just now display that section - your listing will still look complete. Add photos - we all know that pictures sell stuff - so if you want to engage the shopper, show them what they're buying. You can add up to 10 photos here so be generous and get as many in as you can. After you've added the photos, you'll see a screen that gives you an opportunity to add "custom attributes." This type of information was first introduced in the GoogleBase product and seeing them show up on the Maps product is another indication of the "meshing" of Google's product offerings. I expect to see Local Business Listings in GoogleBase in the very near future. With the custom attributes you gain the ability to add in your prices, how you charge, where you work and information about your specialties. Personalize your listing with custom attributes.
Try: Vanessa Fox on Moving your Offline Business to the Online World

Wrapping it up!

Once you've completed all of the steps - you'll need to verify your listing. Depending upon how you're categorized you can verify via US mail, via a telephone call or via a SMS message. This is the most important step and one we struggle to get clients to comply with - IF IT'S NOT VERIFIED - IT IT WONT WORK. You're not done with this until your listing is verified.
Try: Verification can com in many forms - here is information on the PIN Mailer that comes from Google. You can also navigate around to find out more about different verification options

Once you've verified and have things running - try out their coupons option to draw more business to your listing. It's a way to advertise for free and test specials and offerings before you spend a lot of money on ad buys, etc.
The time investment for this setup should be less than one hour, and the benefits will be evident for years to come. Google Maps is considered verified and authoritative information, other local and yellow pages sites use information found within their listings. This leads to more exposure and more business for you.

Dont be afraid to try it - you'll find it's intuitive, easy and rewarding. With Google taking over the search landscape, you cant afford to skip being a participant in this easy step to ranking well.