I've recently learned that it is important to optimize our Google Places page. Who knew? (Well, I'm sure a lot of folks new, just not me!)I'm looking for good suggestions on how to boost our Google Places listing. Right now it doesn't show up at all in Maps unless I search directly for our company name. Any suggestions?
Great suggestions from the other posters. I would just like to make a little note here. "Optimizing" a Google Places page is actually a phrase that has been put way too much emphasis on. What I mean is not that Google Places is not an important marketing tool. On the contrary, it is EXTREMELY important, especially now that Google displays Google Places results for almost every word you search for. However, there are thousands of articles out there that explain us how to "optimize" a Google Places page. What they say is basically "to rank higher you need to have", and they generally start with:
- your business information up to date on your Place page
- fill in your profile 100%
- have 10 pictures and 5 videos uploaded
- choose wisely your pictures
- choose a great (keyword stuffed) description
- choose correct categories
- add additional details and include keywords in them
In fact, from all these only choosing the categories and adding the correct information brings any actual ranking value. The things that you should do, besides creating citations (mentions of your business on third-party websites) is pretty much the same as what you should do with regular search engine optimization:
- get your website on-site optimized, i.e. improved site structure, improved meta properties, improved page speed, improved headers+footers, improved interlinking between the site pages, optimized high quality content, etc
- get your website off-site optimized, i.e. get links from as good quality as possible sources
The on-site SEO is actually the thing that is bringing the fastest results (from my experience), so after creating your Place page, I'd suggest that you stress mostly on it in the short run.
Cheers,
Nyagoslav
In the case of local business you want to treat it just like any websites SEO, but use mobile keyword too. In Google Keyword tool go to advanced.
Get your optimization score as high as possible by using all the places for images and videos.
Rename all your images and tag location with your keywords.
Get citations across the web. Citations are reviews and mentions on forums and social networks.
Complete your Google Profile and have links to your Places page, Twitter Acc, Facebook Page and your website.
Advertise all places on craigslist in a business ad.
Make sure you have a mobile solution aka mobile site. ( I have a perfect solution for mobile. Contact me at capecodmobilemarketing contact form and I will send it) Everyone my mobile solution works with any website and it doest take building a seperate site. It pulls in your website and publishes it as m.yoursite dot com
Ask people to review your business online. You can do this with QR Codes and SMS Text. topqrcodegenerator.com is free. Put them in your existing advertising, bags, fliers, receipts. Bribe people with free stuff to leave reviews.
Remember Google is now a mobile search engine. People don't stair at CPU's anymore surfing. They use smartphones to find directions and phone numbers.
Make sure you phone number is clickable. I think its <a dial:"yournumber">xxx</a> do a search youll find the exact syntex
Educate your customers about mobile and give them as many ways to find your places page as possible.
Promote all your pages like a website. Meaning facebook , twitter etc. Link back to everything from everywhere.
Yelp, trip advisor, yellowbook online, zaget, foursquar etc are important.
sorry about bad spelling but i see no spell check here
In the case of local business you want to treat it just like any websites SEO, but use mobile keyword too. In Google Keyword tool go to advanced.Get your optimization score as high as possible by using all the places for images and videos.Rename all your images and tag location with your keywords.Get citations across the web. Citations are reviews and mentions on forums and social networks.Complete your Google Profile and have links to your Places page, Twitter Acc, Facebook Page and your website.Advertise all places on craigslist in a business ad.Make sure you have a mobile solution aka mobile site. ( I have a perfect solution for mobile. Contact me at capecodmobilemarketing contact form and I will send it) Everyone my mobile solution works with any website and it doest take building a seperate site. It pulls in your website and publishes it as m.yoursite dot comAsk people to review your business online. You can do this with QR Codes and SMS Text. topqrcodegenerator.com is free. Put them in your existing advertising, bags, fliers, receipts. Bribe people with free stuff to leave reviews.Remember Google is now a mobile search engine. People don't stair at CPU's anymore surfing. They use smartphones to find directions and phone numbers.Make sure you phone number is clickable. I think its <a dial:"yournumber">xxx</a> do a search youll find the exact syntexEducate your customers about mobile and give them as many ways to find your places page as possible.Promote all your pages like a website. Meaning facebook , twitter etc. Link back to everything from everywhere.Yelp, trip advisor, yellowbook online, zaget, foursquar etc are important.sorry about bad spelling but i see no spell check here
Start with 3 things.
1. Make sure you have claimed your Google Place page listing. If not, claim it as the owner. Once claimed and verified, make sure it is complete. Include photos and any videos you may have. Do not "keyword stuff".
2. Get as many citations as you can. Citations are listings on other directory sites such as Yelp, Yellowpages.com, etc. There is helpful tool at http://www.whitespark.ca/local-citation-finder/# which can help you find possible sites to do this at. Takes some work as some sites don't allow you to add listings and others aren't appropriate for you. But if you're willing to put in the time you can get your citations built up over time. (Be sure that your business name, phone number, address, etc. is exactly the same as your Places page so that Google and can match them up.)
3. When you have clients that are happy with your service and would like to share this with others, if they have a Google account (Adwords, or Gmail, etc.) tell them they could put a review on your Places page. Tell them to search for the name of your business followed by your city/state name and go to the Places page.
4. Work on your on-site SEO.
Some of the other posters have shared these also but there seems to be more emphasis on reworking your site's SEO as a priority in some and that doesn't necessarily have the impact on your Places page position, at least as quickly, as the other 3.
abbeydawn2201 | Window Shopper |
10/17/2011 - 2:50 am
Show Replied Text…
In the case of local business you want to treat it just like any websites SEO, but use mobile keyword too. In Google Keyword tool go to advanced.Get your optimization score as high as possible by using all the places for images and videos.Rename all your images and tag location with your keywords.Get citations across the web. Citations are reviews and mentions on forums and social networks.Complete your Google Profile and have links to your Places page, Twitter Acc, Facebook Page and your website.Advertise all places on craigslist in a business ad.Make sure you have a mobile solution aka mobile site. ( I have a perfect solution for mobile. Contact me at capecodmobilemarketing contact form and I will send it) Everyone my mobile solution works with any website and it doest take building a seperate site. It pulls in your website and publishes it as m.yoursite dot comAsk people to review your business online. You can do this with QR Codes and SMS Text. topqrcodegenerator.com is free. Put them in your existing advertising, bags, fliers, receipts. Bribe people with free stuff to leave reviews.Remember Google is now a mobile search engine. People don't stair at CPU's anymore surfing. They use smartphones to find directions and phone numbers.Make sure you phone number is clickable. I think its <a dial:"yournumber">xxx</a> do a search youll find the exact syntexEducate your customers about mobile and give them as many ways to find your places page as possible.Promote all your pages like a website. Meaning facebook , twitter etc. Link back to everything from everywhere.Yelp, trip advisor, yellowbook online, zaget, foursquar etc are important.sorry about bad spelling but i see no spell check here
as per my experience...
I would like to tell you that you need to just optimization of that submission page with keywod...
& make that page valuation by giving & suggesting some one where you had done some work for comment.. that migh give you better rank...
All the best
====================
Thank You
Abbey Dawn
www.esparkinfo.com/
LindaBuquet | Window Shopper |
10/6/2011 - 1:58 am
Show Replied Text…
In the case of local business you want to treat it just like any websites SEO, but use mobile keyword too. In Google Keyword tool go to advanced.Get your optimization score as high as possible by using all the places for images and videos.Rename all your images and tag location with your keywords.Get citations across the web. Citations are reviews and mentions on forums and social networks.Complete your Google Profile and have links to your Places page, Twitter Acc, Facebook Page and your website.Advertise all places on craigslist in a business ad.Make sure you have a mobile solution aka mobile site. ( I have a perfect solution for mobile. Contact me at capecodmobilemarketing contact form and I will send it) Everyone my mobile solution works with any website and it doest take building a seperate site. It pulls in your website and publishes it as m.yoursite dot comAsk people to review your business online. You can do this with QR Codes and SMS Text. topqrcodegenerator.com is free. Put them in your existing advertising, bags, fliers, receipts. Bribe people with free stuff to leave reviews.Remember Google is now a mobile search engine. People don't stair at CPU's anymore surfing. They use smartphones to find directions and phone numbers.Make sure you phone number is clickable. I think its <a dial:"yournumber">xxx</a> do a search youll find the exact syntexEducate your customers about mobile and give them as many ways to find your places page as possible.Promote all your pages like a website. Meaning facebook , twitter etc. Link back to everything from everywhere.Yelp, trip advisor, yellowbook online, zaget, foursquar etc are important.sorry about bad spelling but i see no spell check here
Hi stephorama,
If you want really detailed info about how to rank on Google Places, search for David Mihm's Local Ranking Factors. It's considered the "industry bible" for Google Places ranking. (I'm one of the contributors along with numerous other local SEO experts.)
If you are talking about the site in your sig. I only had time to take a really quick look at your Place page and site. 2 problems stood out that are negatively affecting your ranking.
1) Hiding your address on your Place page really hurts rankings. The algo is largely based around how many matches G finds of your name, address and phone. If you address is missing it hurts your chances.
2) Your site need to have the exact name, address and phone that's on your Place page on every page of site. Or at very least home and contact us pages. You can just put down in the footer. DON'T put an 800 # on your site or if you do add it in a graphic. But the only text readable phone # the spider should find is your local number that matches your Place page.
Hope this helps and best of luck,
Linda
Hi stephorama,If you want really detailed info about how to rank on Google Places, search for David Mihm's Local Ranking Factors. It's considered the "industry bible" for Google Places ranking. (I'm one of the contributors along with numerous other local SEO experts.)If you are talking about the site in your sig. I only had time to take a really quick look at your Place page and site. 2 problems stood out that are negatively affecting your ranking.1) Hiding your address on your Place page really hurts rankings. The algo is largely based around how many matches G finds of your name, address and phone. If you address is missing it hurts your chances.2) Your site need to have the exact name, address and phone that's on your Place page on every page of site. Or at very least home and contact us pages. You can just put down in the footer. DON'T put an 800 # on your site or if you do add it in a graphic. But the only text readable phone # the spider should find is your local number that matches your Place page.Hope this helps and best of luck,Linda
Linda, your suggestions are excellent! We are rewriting the text for our site and redesigning so we will make the changes you suggested. Did you see our address as hidden on our Google Places page?
Working on a mobile site as I write. (Well, sort of as I write!)
Thanks for both of your input!
Nyagoslav | Window Shopper | 12/26/2011 - 5:06 am
Relevant | Performer | 9/29/2011 - 9:47 pm
rnfl | Performer | 10/17/2011 - 1:52 pm
abbeydawn2201 | Window Shopper | 10/17/2011 - 2:50 am
LindaBuquet | Window Shopper | 10/6/2011 - 1:58 am
stephorama | Performer | 10/6/2011 - 6:16 pm
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