Google Places Business Listings- We've Been Asked "Can We Pay You to Set Up Google Places and Get Us A High Ranking?"

We exist to help small businesses with their internet marketing as well as their more traditional offline marketing.  We have become especially proficient and knowledgeable with Google Places, thus you have this blog.  Rest assured, we are top notch creators, designers, and developers of websites, and we also utilize email blasts,  PR releases, YouTube Videos, blogs, and related activities to increase your visibility online.

Our prices tend to be under market as our niche is businesses with no employees up to about 50 employees.  We are not interested in becoming a 10 story office building being used by the companies  in the S&P 500.  Instead we would be excited to have a bunch of mom and pop businesses growing and prospering due, in part, to our input.

You can learn a lot more about our services by going to Page1Listings.com.  You can learn a lot more about me personally by Googling my name, or checking out my old nasty website at SearchPage1.com.  It is pretty ugly, but the information is very valid.

I have also produced a couple of dozen Youtube videos that might help you with various aspects of your business such as collections, sales, or how to benefit from the use of YouTube videos.

Call me anytime at 310-910-1848.  No automated answering machines, no secretaries, no voice mail and call back.  You'll almost always get me.  I might be at the ball field watching my son strike out the side, but I'll still pick up.

Google Places Business Listing Issue – One Location, Multiple Businesses or Business Services

Google Places Business Listings has a major issue for almost all businesses.  Almost every business has more than one thing they do or want to tell the world they do.  Even if I'm a restaurant, I may want to rank high for restaurant in general and Mexican Restaurant Specifically.  But now what do I do about my catering business, or my banquet business.  Then I may want to use the location as a great meeting location.  

Our restaurant owner really, really wants to appear on the outside MAP for all of those. He isn’t at all happy with being relegated to the inside listings on page 4 or 5 for any of those.

The answer to his dilemma is very complicated and can be expensive. First, he can go 100% legit. He lists his business, Paco's, the address, phone, and then goes to categories. He puts his five categories in the boxes and uses the description, and detail sections to further illustrate that he is really good at all five.

Chances are that if he does all the other things listed on these pages, he will show up on the outside MAP for at least restaurant (depending on how much competition in the city) and maybe his second choice.

What could he do to get a few more? How about change the name of his restaurnat to Pacos Mexican Restaurant and Catering. By having all three in his Name, he will help to get those three to higher levels of Google’s attention. He needs this new name to be on all places where his name appears on the web, including his website, blog, City Search, Yellowpages.com, Yelp, Yahoo, and everywhere else.

What next? Go ahead and start a second business in the same location. Get a real honest-to-goodness DBA or corp name for the second business. This one could be Mexican Banquets and Meeting Room. (If you hire me for branding, I will do better than this, I promise.) Now you need another web page or landing page or blog that shows this name and your address, and a different phone number. Now list this second business all over the web. Then, last, come back to Google docs under a new Google Account and set up your second company.

There are other possible solutions, but I’ll save those for another day.

Google Places Now Offers Posts - Twitter-like Tool!

Google Places Business Listings  has so many ideas that are so clever, useful, and inexpensive, that it should start pulling way ahead of the other Local Search Engines real soon. This one could be called the Twitter of local search.

As a marketer or business owner, you should be monitoring your Google Places Analytics daily or at least weekly to see trends and make revisions in your strategy for both Google Places and your other online advertising. While you are checking your Analytics, you can easily put up a quick update as shown below.     
Google Places POSTS.

Note the box under the "Post to your place page."  I created a post for this client.  All you do when you want to change it is do a new one in that box.

Here is where your Google Places News Flash appears.  Note how I also used the location to create another link to the website.

Ten Tips to Quickly Set Up Google Places

You take one look at this blog and your already exhausted just thinking about how much work it will be to truly optimize your Google Places listing.  Just filling out the form for the basic set up of Google Places is enough to make some people wish for 5:00 to show up.  So, can I give you some basic, quick help for Google Places that will at least take care of the obvious and maybe get me on the outside MAP in easy cities for easy keywords.   Here's that list:

1.  Use the real name of your company.  Add one or two keywords if your company name has no keywords in it.  (eg.  Trendy is the real name and they are a women's shoe store.  Use Trendy Women's Shoes.

2.  Use your real address and make sure it is the same everywhere it appears.  Put the address on the front page of your website.

3.  Use a local phone number, not and 800 number.  Make sure it is the same number that appears on the front page of your website and elsewhere on the web.

4.  When choosing the category for your company, use one that Google suggests for the top category.  For the other four, use Google suggestions or make up your own.

5.  Put up pictures.  The first one should be a picture that will look good as an icon, as it will appear to the left of your listing on the inside MAPS.

6.  Put up videos.  They will help to make Google Happy.  Use any video about what you do.  Does not have to be a video you produced.

7.  Use the additional information boxes at the bottom of the listing form.  You can use links in these boxes to your blog, facebook, etc.

8.  Create a Coupon.  Can't hurt.  Might actually get some sales from them

9.  Set up your business in a New Google Account.  Don't put it in your personal Google Account, another business Google Account, or a 3rd party vendor's Google Account.

10.  Get reviews.  Lots of them.  Ask friends, family, and your best customers to review you.

Bonus.  If you want this done right, either read and completely follow the instructions elsewhere on this blog or hire a pro to do it for you.  In fact, hire us.  310-910-1848.  Ask for Randy

Google Places- Keep YOUR Listing YOURS! New Google Account For Each Business.

 DON'T GIVE UP YOUR HARD EARNED GOOGLE PLACES REVIEWS AND CITATIONS!!

When setting up your Google Places account, remember that there is no way to transfer this account.  If you should sell the business or have any other reason to want to transfer control of the account to another person, you will need to delete the listing and start over.  This means losing all of your reviews and citations. Obviously this could be disastrous!

That being said, DO NOT allow your marketing consultant, advertising agency, or any other outside company to create your listing in their account.  They may wish to do this for convenience.  You need to create this listing in a NEW Google Account.

DO NOT use your personal Google Account or the Google Account of another business you own or control to create your listing. 

DO Create a brand new Google Account for each business that you own. This will allow you to control the account and enable you to transfer that control without losing any of the work you have done.

You should use this thinking with regard to all local search engine listings such as MerchantCircle, HotFrog, YellowPages.com, Yelp, Yahoo, Bing, and others.

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.

Keyword Stuff Your Google Places Name? Good Idea or Bad?

Here's a myth for you.  Add a bunch of keywords to the actual name of your business in order to get a high ranking on Google Maps for keywords that you stuff.  Now see a video that explains the truth about key word stuffing in Google Maps.

Setting Up Google Places Can Be Really Easy or Really Hard

There are two myths about Google Places.  One says it is really hard to set up Google Places.  The other says that it is really easy to set up Google Places.  This video will explode both myths.

How to Set Up Google Places Tags - Google Places Tip Eleven

If you are in California, Illinois, Texas, DC,Washington, or Atlanta, Google Places Tags are LIVE and ready for you to use.  If you aren't in one of those states, it shouldn't be that long before Tags are rolled out everywhere.  No schedule has been posted on the official page about Google Places Tags.  

A Tag is a tiny yellow ad on your Google Places listing that will make you stand out from your competition.  You only get 22 characters showing, so this is even a better test of your advertising writing skills than Adwords.  The introductory cost is $25 per month.


There is nothing easy about setting up tags. First, you can't create a tag unless you have claimed your Google Places Listing.  I have written elsewhere about this process, and there is nothing easy about how to claim your Google Places Listing.  Be sure to read everything on this blog as you claim your listing.  It will help you to get a great ranking.

Since this is going to cost you money, even if a paltry sum, you want to plan your ad campaign.  The good news is that you can change your Tag every day or more often if you like.  Google requires no contract on Tags, so you can quit any time.
You have Five basic choices as to what your Tag can point to:

• Your own website Facebook Fan Page or blog
• A video that will tell your story
• A picture  
• The Google Places Coupon created for this purpose
• The Google Places Post you create for this purpose

On each of the above I have provide a link that can help you understand more about the choice.  I am going to explain here what I believe will usually be the best use of the Google Places Tag.

Back on the Google Places Account page, you need to click on the small analytics graph and see the full analytics page.  In the upper right hand corner of this page is the location where you can place your Post.

The post can be up to 100 characters and will show on your listing page as shown above.  However, if you point to this text as your TAG, only the first 22 characters will be visible.  If the viewer clicks on the tag, they will link to the listing page and see the entire Post, and everything else on your listing.  You want to use the tag to stand out and create enough interest to get a click through.  The clicks on the tag link will have a separate graph for analyzing its effectiveness.

Once you have decided which of the five you intend to use, you will see on this same page with the graph an offer to add the tag:

Once you have chosen from the pull down menu the type of tag you want, you can go to the check out page where you will set up your billing.  If you have not set up a Post or Coupon in advance, you will not see Post or Coupon on the pull down menu.  If you now create the Post or Coupon, you will need to refresh the page in order to see them on the pull down menu.

You can call a Google Rep to help you with this process at 800-838-7971.  If you would like someone who will help you with the marketing rather than just the processing of your account, please give me a call at 310-910-1848.

Secrets to Claim a Google Places Listing and All the Benefits That Come with Google Places

Claim Your Google Places Listing!  There are many benefits to your business, but most are only available if you make it your own.  If you have been in business for a year or so, you may already be listed.  Potentially, your business information may not even be correct.  Certainly the information will not be as good as you can make it.  Importantly, claiming your Google Places Listing is known to be one of the most important factors in determining how you rank on Google Places compared to your competitors. 
First you need a Google Account.  You can go to Google.com or to Gmail.com and set up an account.  Once you have opened an account go to local.Google.com.  This will take you to a page that looks like this.

To the left hand side you will notice it says "Put your business on Google Maps."   When you click on this link you will get this page.

If this is a brand new account with Google, you won't have all these things, but you will at least have the choice of Google Places.  Click on that link and you will go to a page that looks like this:

Add in your company name address and the rest of the items asked for.  When you finish this section, you will see a continue bar, click on that and you will be given some choices.  If your company is already listed, Google will offer you the chance to claim the existing listing.  If you see a good listing or even one that is close to correct, go ahead and choose that and continue.

If none of the listings they show is you or if there is no options at all, then just follow the instructions.  No matter what you do, when you continue, you will now be back to the form and there will be more things to fill out.  Finish filling out the form using all the best practices shown on this blog.  At the bottom of the page you will be asked to submit.

Usually after submitting, you will get a choice of confirming your listing by phone or by post card.   For most folks, I would suggest that you just take the phone call, get the code and enter it into the box as shown.  Then you are done claiming the listing. 

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 - Numerous Professionals with One Street Address Can Have Multiple Places Listings

Freshly picked from a new Blumenthal blog on Understanding Google Maps and Local Search

In an interview with Google

I decided however, to get Google’s “official” opinion on the matter so I asked Ari Bezman, Google’s product manager for the Local Business CenterGoogle Places as to how Google thought this situation should be handled.

MB: What is Google’s recommended practice in regards to handling the multiple listings that most professionals and clinics end up with?
Should we endeavor to have one listing for the practice Place and merge all of the doctors (or whatever) into the one listing or should a we endeavor to keep the individual doctor listings?
Ari: Each doctor (or other independent professional) should have their own listing, with one more listing for the clinic.
MB: A related question is that often the Doctor listings come into Google with a format of Dr Name: Speciality . Is that the preferred business name or is just the Dr. Name preferred?
Ari: The name should just be Dr. Name. The specialty should be in the category and/or the description.

 This was followed with a lively discussion on what this means.  Does this only apply to professionals?  Should it?  What happens to businesses with widely different product categories or services?  For the moment, we only have it from the horses mouth, professionals that operate out of a single business location can list themselves one at a time.  For the issue of naming each professional, I noted that Ari said "should be."  I doubt that's true.  I believe that the Doctor Could surely add a specialty, but I would stop at Dr. Jones Heart Surgeon unless I had a DBA for a longer name.

Google Places: "Owner Content Will Get Priority"

The new Google Places Help Forum is not yet at its full potential, but it's definitely improved.  A Google employee released that the company does buy information from other companies, including YellowPages.com.  Because they buy that information, there's an opportunity for competing information.  This competing information will even include the key elements such as your name, address, and phone number.

A client of mine doesn't like her picture that is included with her Places listing.  This picture was taken from CitySearch.  There's no telling how they got the photo, but you get the point.  The Google Places Rep said that they will go as far as to call a business to establish what information is correct when there is conflict.  I would love to receive news of that actually happening.

The key element to be taken from the forum post:  Information, pictures, and videos supplied by the owner will always be preferred to info coming from other sources, including the paid ones.  This is why there is so much importance that you claim your Google Places listing and keep it fresh.

Update - I am beginning to see situations where owner information is NOT showing up in listings, but citations from other resources are seemingly getting priority.  What are others seeing?  Please comment.

Google Places: The Yellow Pages of The Present and Future

Lest anyone think I dost protest too much, check out the following post.  Google has to the position, the product, and the power to be the king of local search.  Like the 2010 Lakers, it is there's to lose.

Is Google Becoming the New Ma Bell?

By Gregg Stewart, ClickZ, May 6, 2010

Sponsored by Microsoft Mobile Advertising

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First off, some younger readers might not get the comparison. The colloquial term Ma Bell ("Mother Bell") was used to refer to the conglomerate that held a complete monopoly over all telephone service in most areas of the United States. In effect, they were the utility that brought communication to U.S. consumers and businesses. Fast forward about 100 years and we see a similar "utility" emerging in Google as it moves further to embed its product set and services in the minds of both consumers and businesses.

  

Nowhere is this pattern more evident than in the realm of local search. With over 65 percent marketshare of search (according to comScore) and nearly $12 billion in annualized revenue from U.S. search (according to Google's Q1 2010 Quarterly Earnings Summary); I think we can all agree that Google is a successful business. Interestingly though, all of this success has come from leveraging a relatively small base of advertisers, around 1 million U.S. advertisers (as of 2009). Considering there were over 29 million businesses in the U.S. in 2008 (according to SBA), it stands to reason that Google has an opportunity to dominate the local search marketplace.
Let's consider the facts; one in five searches on Google is now explicitly location-specific. Recently, Google has taken some steps to enhance the local-search process on its site as well as the local content itself. Most notably, these steps include:

• The revamp of the Local Business Center - now called Google Places
• Google Maps allowing service-based businesses to target service areas
• The enhanced localization of Google Suggest

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: Prioritizing Your Keywords, City, and Zip Codes

Is it possible to have it all?  You can accomplish everything I suggest, and do it perfectly, but sadly you won't get every keyword in every city and zip code you care about on Places.  Right now I am working with a personal trainer in West Los Angeles who's business makes this case.

She would be thrilled to rank highly under Pilate Instructor, Pilate classes, Fitness, Exercise Classes, Nutrition, Personal Trainer, boot camp, weight loss consultant, personal fitness coach, and many more.  In addition, her West L.A. address would allow her to draw from 15 cities such as Santa Monica, Culver City, and El Segundo, as well as 10 Los Angeles "villages" like Westwood, Venice, and Marina Del Rey.  I wish there was a way to do all that.

Google Maps and other LSE's (Local Search Engines) are structured to give some sort of indexing based on how close they are to the city included in the search.  For example, if I'm searching for Personal Trainer Santa Monica, why would I want an El Segundo business to show up first if the two cities are 8 miles away?

Now lets say I'm the owner, and my business borders Santa Monica and Mar Vista. However, my business is really located in Mar Vista, a small village of Los Angeles and less noticeable than Santa Monica. I sure would like to show up on the MAP in Santa Monica.

Reality time, sadly, you are going to have to do some prioritizing.  In fact, you should really pick one key word and one city first.  Next, do you try to broaden your control under that keyword, or work harder to dominate several key words in your primary city?  Either way, the more cities you get or the more keywords you want, the harder it is to accomplish your tasks.  However, it is better to at least set clear goals.

If you want to expand your reach past the "natural" stretches of Google Places algorithm, there are tricks that you can count on never being published by me.  For these tricks, call me at 310-910-1848.

Google Places and restaurant - The MAP on the Outside is Critical

Google Places for Restaurant Marketing should be a big priority for anyone who hopes to be a threat in their local market.  After you've completed the basics outlined in the PAGES section of this blog, you need to step up the effort to the best of your ability on Reviews, Coupons, and Citations.  Everyone in the business of the local search engine agrees that you will need to get as many reviews as you can on Yelp, CitySearch, YellowPages.com and all other local search engines if you're looking to compete.  In the restaurant business, you will need listings as well as reviews in the specific Restaurant directories, and need to be front row center on the mobile device listings.  This is a big plate to finish, but your future might very well depend on it.

However, the big hype is getting outside on the MAP.  Getting that position ultimately depends on getting all those reviews, citations, and having an active coupon.  Methods for getting your reviews will be the subject of a post soon to come.

For most restaurants, spending several thousands of dollars per month on prints, radio, AdPac, and everything else, is pretty much the minimum you can do.  For just $1000 to $2000, you can get major permanent online positioning that will last for years to come.  You can try it yourself by reading these pages and subscribing to the posts, or you can have it done by a pro.  If you're inclined to just get it done, call 310-910-1848.

A website with great local SEO is a main part of the way to get you on the outside MAP.  Local SEO is just one of our many specialties.

Google Places Help Forum Actually HELPS!

In the past, a trip to the Google Local Business Center Help Forums gave help like trying to was away mud with more mud.  Can't say that I was never helped, but after going there for help 3 or 4 times, I gave up.

I am happy to say that after a name change to Google Places, the forum has looked to have second thoughts with its views on the forum.  Now we'll see experts who are answering our hard thought questions, and they're help actually helps.

But before we move farther forward, we need to get one thing straight.  They will NOT give you gray hat approaches.  Trust me, you'll still be coming here for that.  I will never give you black hat, and just about all my work is white hat, but hints of gray are part of this internet game. 

Optimizing Google Places- How To Get an A plus

Here we have great helpful information, as well as an outstanding visual from Mike Blumenthal's Blog.  Getting a 100% rating from Google is not critical when the time comes to rank your listing, but it can't hurt. And don't worry, it's not that hard.

If you prefer charts over well crafted visuals, here is one with exactly the same information.

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.