Dec. 15, 2009 at 9:55am

What will people find when they search for you on Google maps?

Five reasons to update your Google Local Business Listing

Posted by Kacie McKinney in Advertising, Care Line Marketing, Measurement
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©iStockphoto.com/geopaul
 

Chances are that you are already listed on Google Maps. But you may not know that you have the opportunity to add more to your listing (and it’s free!).

The best part—it just takes a few minutes to set up. Here are five reasons that you should update your listing:

1. Make it easy for people to find information about you. When you update your listing you can add your hours and update your list of keywords (the terms people may use to find you) and services. Think of terms that go beyond the usual. Include the services they might search for. If you want to look more into the terms, visit Google AdWords keyword tool.

2. Raise your local search ranks. Your information will appear higher on the list once you have submitted content. For example, if someone types in “Hosptial, Bellevue” in Google Maps, the listing with more information and customer reviews will show up higher on the list.

3. Fix inaccurate information. Google gathers information about your business from DexKnows and Superpages. If this information is inaccurate, you may also need to create an account with DexKnows and fix your information. An easy way is to fix all at once by going to http://universalbusinesslisting.org/.

4. Keep track of who is looking for you. Once you have an account, Google Local Business Center gives you access to analytics so you can keep track of how many people are searching for you and where they are located.

5. Stand out from the other guys. Photos, videos and added information make your listing stand out from the competitors.

Click here to go to Google’s local business center and set up your account. You can create a Gmail account in seconds or sign up with an existing account.

Here’s a short video that shows what someone see when looking for a local hospital: (Don’t adjust your volume. There is no sound.)

Click here to go to Google’s local business center and set up your account. You can create a Gmail account in seconds or sign up with an existing account.

There’s also a quick tutorial:

TIP: Anyone from your facility can set up your listing. You just have to be able to verify that you work there. Google will ask if you would like to verify by phone or get a postcard in the mail with a pin number. If you are in a larger facility I suggest the postcard option. While the phone option is much faster, you have to be able to pick up the main phone line as soon as you click the button.

Have you had success with your Google business listing? Let us know what you are doing.

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