Presented by Karen Porter UM School of Business Administration & ImpactOnlineMarketing.com Google Places for Business Presented by Karen Porter Department of Management & Marketing School of Business Administration The University of Montana ImpactOnlineMarketing.com

Google – 3 Ways to Page 1 Why is Page 1 on Google important? Google owns 2/3rds of U.S. search 75% don’t scroll past page 1 Google organic results Achieve by SEO Google Adwords Paid positioning on Google Google + Local For locally-based, bricks & mortar businesses ImpactOnlineMarketing.com

Google Places for Business ImpactOnlineMarketing.com Google’s own pages for small businesses If you have a Yellow Pages listing, you likely already have a Google + Local page Recommended that you “claim” your page so that you control it Can get a page set up if you don’t have one

3 Types of Google + Local Results ImpactOnlineMarketing.com 7-Pack 3-Pack Row across top of all results

Why Claim Your Google Places Page? ImpactOnlineMarketing.com Increased exposure for search engine traffic Ensure Google has correct info about your biz Links your website to your Google Maps listing Allows customers to create driving directions Allows customers to leave reviews Allows you to add pictures to your listing Gives you a competitive advantages over non- claimed listings One of the best ways to get found on Google

How to Claim Your Places Page? ImpactOnlineMarketing.com Go to Google Places: and chose Get Started under “Getting your business found on Google.” Login with your Google Account Search for your business by doing a search for your business phone number If you already have a page: start adding info If you do NOT already have a page: go to

Adding Info to Your Places Page ImpactOnlineMarketing.com Confirm business name is correct Should be your official name Do NOT add qualifiers like city name, type of business, etc. Must be your NAME only Verify that address is correct Should be USPS official address for consistency Verify that phone number is correct Use standard phone formatting (406) Do NOT use tracking phone numbers

Adding Info to Your Places Page - 2 ImpactOnlineMarketing.com Complete ALL fields on the form Completeness can help you rank Use keywords in descriptive areas, in types of services provided, etc. – goal is to get found when people search Add hours of operation Add photos Add all 10 allowed Add videos Add all 5 allowed – do not even have to be your videos) Few do this – can give you a ranking advantage Add other descriptive info using SEO keywords

Verifying Your Page ImpactOnlineMarketing.com Submit your page for review Google will send a postcard to your business Postcard contains pin code and you will need to follow instructions to confirm your pin and tie to your page Can take 2 – 4 weeks for your postcard to arrive Once your page is confirmed, it will appear live

How Google Places Pages are Ranked ImpactOnlineMarketing.com Completeness of page Reviews of others Google reviews may receive more weight Never enter reviews yourself, even if real Google reviews need to come from separate computers Citations Listing online (examples: CitySearch, Trip Advisor, Insider Pages, Yelp, Kudzu, HotFrog.com, etc.)

How Google Places Pages are Ranked ImpactOnlineMarketing.com Completeness of page Reviews of others Google reviews may receive more weight Never enter reviews yourself, even if real Google reviews need to come from separate computers Citations Online listings (examples: CitySearch, Trip Advisor, Insider Pages, Yelp, Kudzu, HotFrog.com, etc.) Do it yourself – use a service like ExpressUpdateUSA.com or on LocalEze.com Or use a subcontractor for citations HUGE: addresses & phone numbers MUST be consistent

How Google Places Pages are Ranked ImpactOnlineMarketing.com Completeness of page Reviews of others Google reviews may receive more weight Never enter reviews yourself, even if real Google reviews need to come from separate computers Citations Online listings (examples: CitySearch, Trip Advisor, Insider Pages, Yelp, Kudzu, HotFrog.com, etc.) Do it yourself – use a service like ExpressUpdateUSA.com or on LocalEze.com Or use a subcontractor for citations HUGE: addresses & phone numbers MUST be consistent

THANK YOU! Please fill out evaluations Consider a SELL class this winter / spring Online & Social Media Certification Course Visit ImpactOnlineMarketing.com/sell-google for a copy of this PowerPoint deck & other links Karen Porter -or- (406) ImpactOnlineMarketing.com