Google Places City Stuffing In Category Popular, but Does Google Like It?

 I didn't see why Google would care, but check out this video for the truth.

Google Places: Alert! Add Links to Google Places Listings

I started seeing information about this recently after we reported that Google Places would allow links to a restaurant menu or a hotel reservation desk. Some then started to wonder whether this would expand.  Apparently, expansion wasn't necessary.  However, we can see that Google is the monster version of Mario Bros, and we need to somehow figure this stuff out for ourselves.  Thus, put any link you desire.  Suggested links would be anything and everything except your website (which is already linked in the main body of the listing).  However, listing internal pages in your website that you would like to point out directly would be a great approach.

So blogs, Facebook Fan Pages, Twitter, MySpace (who?), and Meetup pages are all be examples of pages outside your website you could link.  As far as the inside is concerned, I would consider pointing out specific products, brands, services, specials, biographies of leadership.  The list goes on and on.

To add these links, merely access your Places listing by going to your Google Account.  Next, hit the edit link button.  At the bottom of the form you will see the Additional Details Section.  Add the link just as I have done for Montrose Bike's Blog.

Google Places: The Effect of Citations on the Outside MAP Placement

(click to enlarge)

This is directed to SEO and marketing consultants looking for a substantial lead over their competition. It's also for all business owners and marketing managers who are frustrated with their inability to rank their Google Places listing as high and higher than they want.

You have not skipped a word in this blog.  You have more reviews than any contenders.  You have a 100% rating on Places in terms of listing completeness.  You have an active coupon.  You have listed your company with the same name, address and phone number on an endless list of other Local Search Engines. The name address and phone number are even on the home page of your website.  After all you've done, you're still not showing up on the MAP of Google Places.

Why do you need those things first before worrying about citations?  It's because every one of those things is more likely to get you to your goal, and because the advice on citations is boring, and is just barely going to add to your "Google points."

So why do it?  Because those last few points could be exactly what you need to make that last move up.

With that huge introduction finally out the door, now we should probably define citation.  A citation any time another website mentions you, especially if they are credible in your same field.  Say that you're a bakery, and you get a write up in the local paper declaring you as the best bakery in town. The online version of that paper will then include your name and hopefully your URL, thus you gain credibility.  These are citations.

The next step is to go to every listing ranking higher than you.  Take a look at the citations that Google is showing as per the picture of my example listing shown above.  What you want to do now is see if you can get the same sources' citations.  In one case it might involve something as simple as being added to some sort of directory.  In another case you may need to convince someone to do a write up on you.

So here's the good news and bad news. The bad news is there is absolutely no guarantee that Google will pick up your citation even after all of this hard work,  but they probably will.  The good news is that most of your newly acquired citations could have benefits in their own right, and may also help the position of your website, blog, or other URLs that are mentioned in these citations.

Google Places Coming To the Rescue

Recently, Google Places has given us these statements: they will have more information, newsletters, better forums, and all types of aid coming to us.  You can call me the expert.  Send me all of your questions.  If I haven't already answered them somewhere in this blog, I may have the answer with me. Or with all this new help, I might be able to get an answer for you.