Ten Google Places Optimization Tips

Jan 26, 2012 Posted in Marketing Ideas

Yesterday I had written about different ways of leveraging Google results for additional traffic to your website and I had mentioned that I’d be sharing a few ideas today about improving the results of your Google Places listings. So without further ado, here are ten Google Places optimization tips:

1. Add the search terms (keywords) that you want to work for to your descriptions. Everything on Google is driven by the keywords on your site and Google Places pages. By including the search terms that you want to rank for, Google will know when to display your listings.
2. Create pages for multiple locations. If you have more than one location be sure to set up a new Google Places page for each location with a unique phone number. This will increase the chances of your listing appearing and it will be more relevent to local search results.
3. Add your own images to your Places page. The space is there so you might as well use it. People like to do business with people they know, like and trust so if you’re a business owner display a picture of yourself. Before and after pictures (for landscaping, revovations, etc.) are also effective. Remember: a picture is worth a thousand words.
4. Use videos too. You can also place up to 5 videos on your Places page. To do so, upload your video to YouTube first and then grab the embed code to display the video on your Places page. Customer testimonial videos work wonders here.
5. Track everything using Google Analytics. You’re likely already using Analytics to track your website results. Add the tracking code for your Places page as well and you’ll have a better idea of just how well your Places page is working for you.
6. Complete your profile entirely. Google loves content and the more words on your Places page the more dedicated you look in the eyes of Google. Be sure to complete all available fields to improve your chances for a higher listing.
7. Get reviews. This is likely the most important criteria for higher rankings. Ask your customers to complete reviews on Google as well as Yelp, foursquare, etc. Google has begun harvesting reviews from third party sites and that trend will only continue. The more reviews you have the better.
8. Leverage other business listings. Again, while Google doesn’t like you harvesting and displaying duplicate content on your site the Big G is the biggest creator of duplicate content on the web. However, that is good news for you. The more directories in which your business appears (Yelp, Yellow Pages, BlogSpot, UrbanSpoon, etc.) the more important your business will appear.
9. Consider using Google Boost. If you follow the suggestions above it should take too long for your Places page to appear at or near the top for most of your search terms. However, if you can’t wait, Google Boost is available. With this you can pay to have your Places page show up at the top of the listings.
10. Leverage discounts and special offers. Everyone loves to get a good deal and Google Places allows you to offer coupons right on your Places page. This is great for business and also helps you track the effectiveness of your Places page.

There you go. Ten Google Places optimization tips. I hope you enjoyed them. Now go out and implement!!!