If you have a business with a physical location that you want people to discover, you need to claim that listing in Google Maps. Doing so will give you the opportunity to tell people what you do, where you do it and show them pretty pictures. I have seen this help several of my clients, retailers and property owners / managers especially, uncover new audiences who would otherwise not come in contact with their brands.
When someone searches for a business like yours (e.g. furniture stores nearby, vacation flats for rent) their intention to act is relatively high. Showing them what you offer and giving them the chance to get to know you is key at this moment. Are your phone number, address, opening hours, website info up to date? Google will be checking that info against your website and other listings around the web to see that it is before it increases your search ranking.
WHAT TO DO
- Get a Google Business account (free)
- Search for your address and claim it (if it’s been claimed by someone else, you can request a transfer)
- To be verified you generally have to receive a postcard with a code from Google. This process can take several weeks.
- Before you are verified you can add basic information but you may find you need to edit it again afterwards.
- Prepare high resolution pictures of your logo, products, premises.
- Ensure that the information for address, phone number etc are identical to those listed on your website. Your ranking in Google Maps is strongly affected by your listing accuracy.
- Once you have been verified you will then be able to see reports about how many people are finding your listing in Google Search and Google Maps. How many times they look at pictures, click your website link, call your store, and ask for driving directions.
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Google Business
MOZ: Why Listing Accuracy is Important – Whiteboard Friday
