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How to Optimize Your Business Listing in Google
With more and more people turning to the Internet to find products, services, and information online, it is important to make sure your business information is listed within each of the major search engines. The following is a series of steps for creating or modifying your FREE Business Listing on Google. In the following months we will provide guides for updating your business information in the other search engines.
This guide is broken down into the following sections:
Steps for adding a new Google Business Listing
Steps for updating an existing Google Business Listing
Steps for Editing a Marker Point on Google Maps for Google Business Listing
Add Coupons to your Google Business Listing for FREE
Ask Your Client to Submit Reviews
Steps for adding a NEW Google Business Listing
Step 1:
Go to Google Maps to search for your business name. Type in the name of your business and city the business is located in. (ex. Business Name, City Name, State).
If your business is listed, proceed to the section below called Steps for MANAGING AN EXISTING Google Business Listing. If your business is not listed, proceed directly below to Step #2.
Step 2:
To create and manage your Google business listing, you will need to create a FREE Google Account. Your Google Account
will provide you access to the Local Business Center and other Google services. Sign up for your Google Account.
Step 3:
Once your Google Account has been created, please go to the Google Local Business Center to login to your account.
Step 4:
Now that you are logged in, go to and click the "Add New Listing" text link. Next, enter your business information and complete each field. It's important not to leave any fields blank. As you type in your business location, your listing will appear on the map to the right. If for some reason there is a previous business listing, Google will ask you to claim or determine which of the business listing is the correct listing for your business.
Step 5:
Following step 4, Google will now ask you to enter in some additional details about your business. If people know when you're open or can see some pictures of your business, they're more likely to visit you. All of this information is optional and can be entered in at a later time if you're in a hurry to see your business appear on Google Maps. If you'd like to skip this step, please scroll to the bottom of the Google page and click on the 'Submit' button.
The following is some of the main information that will be beneficial in optimizing your business listing in the search engines:
Categories - Add relative Categories that describes your business and services offered.
Hours of Operation
Payment Options
Photos - Add Business Logo and Images of Your Business.
Videos
Additional Details - Any keywords or terms that would help a customer understand your business better.
Step 6:
Next, take a moment to verify that your business' location is accurately placed on the map. You may adjust or fix an incorrect marker point by clicking on the link "Fix incorrect marker location". Use the mouse to pick up your marker and drag it to your street address. Please be sure to use the tools in the upper left corner of the map to pan and zoom in for a more accurate view of your location.
Step 7:
Now we will need to verify business ownership by validating your new Google Business Listing. For your protection, Google needs to verify the information you've just given us to confirm you are the actual business owner. Validation can be done in one of 2 ways:
By phone
Google will call you at the phone number listed for your business and ask you to enter the pin number provided.
By postcard (2-3 weeks)
Google will send you a postcard in the mail with directions on how to validate your business listing.
If necessary, you may specify another recipient or enter a mail stop/mailbox number below. This information will not appear on Google Maps.
Next, complete the field and enter the business owners name.
Contact name: Business Owner Name Here
Once these steps are completed, click 'Finish,' to authorize Google to create or update your business listing for use in Google Maps or other Google services. You are also affirming that you have the right to create this listing and that you have read and agree to Google's terms of service . There is currently no charge for creating or displaying listings. If this is a new listing or has a new address, you must verify the address via regular mail or telephone before the listing is activated.
Steps for Updating an Existing Google Business Listing
Step 1:
Go to Google Maps to search for your business name. Type in the name of your business and city the business is located in. (ex. Business Name, City Name, State)
Step 2:
The above search results should now display your existing Google business listing and you should be able to view your business listing in the list of business links on the left of the page. Next, click on the bolded business name. A pop up bubble over the map will now appear with your business listing and business details. Select the link at the bottom of the pop up bubble called "edit". The pop up window will change slightly and now display the following statement: "Are you the owner? Claim your business." If this is correct, select Claim your business.
Step 3:
Google should now prompt you to go to Google Local Business Center and login to your Google account.
Step 4:
After logging in, you should now be on the home page/dashboard of your Google Account located in the Local Business Center. Next,
identify your business listing and select "edit" to manage or modify your existing business information. Please note it's important not to leave any fields blank.
As you type in your business location, your listing will appear on the map to the right. If for some reason there is a previous business listing, Google will ask you
to claim or determine which of the business listing is the correct listing for your business.
Step 5:
Next, Google will instruct you to enter in some basic information about your business. If people know when you're open or can see some pictures of your business, they're more likely to visit you. All of this information is optional and can be entered in at a later time if you're in a hurry to see your business appear on Google Maps. If you'd like to skip this step, please scroll to the bottom of the Google page and click on the 'Submit' button.
The following is some of the main information that will be beneficial in optimizing your business listing in the search engines:
Categories - Add relative Categories that describes your business and services offered.
Hours of Operation
Payment Options
Photos - Add Business Logo and Images of Your Business.
Videos
Additional Details - Any keywords or terms that would help a customer understand your business better.
Step 6:
Next, take a moment to verify that your business' location is accurately placed on the map. You may adjust or fix an incorrect marker point by clicking on the link "Fix incorrect marker location". Use the mouse to pick up your marker and drag it to your street address. Please be sure to use the tools in the upper left corner of the map to pan and zoom in for a more accurate view of your location.
Step 7:
Now we will need to verify business ownership by validating your new Google Business Listing. For your protection, Google needs to verify the information you've just given us to confirm you are the actual business owner. Validation can be done in one of 2 ways:
By phone
Google will call you at the phone number listed for your business and ask you to enter the pin number provided.
By postcard (2-3 weeks)
Google will send you a postcard in the mail with directions on how to validate your business listing.
Next, complete the field and enter the business owners name.
Contact name: Business Owner Name Here
Once these steps are completed, click 'Finish,' to authorize Google to create or update your business listing for use in Google Maps or other Google services. You are also affirming that you have the right to create this listing and that you have read and agree to Google's terms of service . There is currently no charge for creating or displaying listings. If this is a new listing or has a new address, you must verify the address via regular mail or telephone before the listing is activated.
Steps for Editing a Marker Point on Google Maps for Google Business Listing
Step 1:
Go to Google Maps to search for your business name. Type in the name of your business and city the business is located in. (ex. Business Name, City Name, State)
Step 2:
Since you have an existing Google business listing, you should now see your business listing in the list of business links to the left of the page. Click on your bolded business name. A pop up bubble over the map will now appear with you business listing and business details. Select the link at the bottom of the pop up bubble called "edit". The pop up window will change slightly and now display the following statement: "This listing has been claimed in Local Business Center and can only be edited by the owner."
Step 3:
Go to Google Local Business Center and login to your account.
Step 4:
Once logged in, you should now be on the home page/dashboard of your Google Account located in the Local Business Center. Next, identify your business listing and select "edit" to manage or modify your existing business information.
Step 5:
Next, Google will ask instruct you to enter in some basic information about your business. The information provided will be used to display the position and coordinates on the Google Map. If you have done this step and the location marker is still not accurate, please go to the link under the map "Fix incorrect marker location".
Use the tools in the upper left corner of the map to pan and zoom for a better view. Next, use the mouse to pick up your marker and drag it to your street address. Select "Save Change".
Step 6:
At this point, we will need to verify business ownership by validating your new Google Business Listing. For your protection, Google needs to verify the information you've just given us to confirm you are the actual business owner. Validation can be done in one of 2 ways:
By phone
Google will call you at the phone number listed for your business and ask you to enter the pin number provided.
By postcard (2-3 weeks)
Google will send you a postcard in the mail with directions on how to validate your business listing.
If necessary, you may specify another recipient or enter a mail stop/mailbox number below. This information will not appear on Google Maps.
Next, complete the field and enter the business owners name.
Contact name: Business Owner Name Here
Once these steps are completed, click 'Finish,' to authorize Google to create or update your business listing for use in Google Maps or other Google services. You are also affirming that you have the right to create this listing and that you have read and agree to Google's terms of service . There is currently no charge for creating or displaying listings. If this is a new listing or has a new address, you must verify the address via regular mail or telephone before the listing is activated.
Add Coupons to your Google Business Listing for FREE
Go to Google Local Business Center and login to your account. Instead of selecting the Tab "Dashboard" select the Tab "Coupons". Let Google users print your coupons and bring them to your business. Coupons will appear alongside your business listing on Google Maps.
A new way to attract customers. Adding coupons to your listing in Google Maps will bring new customers to your business. The better savings you offer, the more customers you'll gain.
It's free and it only takes a few minutes. Just enter a few lines of text for your coupon, set an expiration date, and tell us which of your locations accept the coupon. Users will start seeing your coupons within a few hours. Select "Add Coupon Now" and complete all of the following fields. As you complete the fields your coupon will be displayed to the right. Once the coupon and detail shave been completed, select "Continue". Next, you will see a full list of the coupons that are attached to your Google Business Listing. From here, you may add, edit or delete any of the coupons listed.
Ask Your Client to Submit Reviews
One social networking feature that involves optimizing your business listing is the customer reviews section that is listed with your business listing. This feature allows customers to submit reviews that are then displayed with your business listings. It can be extremely beneficial to get your happy customers to submit a review by your listing. This can easily be achieved by asking for reviews from your happy customers.
The easiest way to get your customers to write reviews is to send them a link so it will be as easy as possible for them to help you out. When viewing your business listing, look for the link that says “Write a Review”. Hover over the link with the mouse, right-click the link and select “copy shortcut”. You can then paste the link into emails, newsletters, or on pages of your website.
One problem that you may find is that the link is very long and can be hard to copy-and-paste into content you send to your customers. For example, the following is an example of how the link may look by default:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=pensacola,+fl+jump+start+marketing&vps=1&jsv=170f&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=46.898798,114.169922&ie=UTF8&latlng=12019963052759485299&ei=MEd7SuSFAo2yNcnj-dED&dtab=2&action=open
To make things a lot easier, you can use a free URL shortening service such as http://bit.ly/ to shorten the links. For example, using the free URL shortening service allowed me to convert the long link above to the following:
http://bit.ly/tEwtb
As you can see, it is much shorter now so it will now be easier to provide to your clients.
As social networking continues to spread across the web and more users are joining in, it is important for businesses to optimize their business information and take advantage of the benefits that can be gained from doing so.
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