You may have noticed that, in the last year, Google’s has significantly revamped its approach to local search. In recent times, we’ve seen a name change (from Google Local to Google Places) and a whole new local search that factors in reviews and ratings from third-party websites such as Yelp, Insider Pages, Trip Advisor or Citysearch. If your business relies on local customers, you need pay attention to how well your Google Place page is faring in search results. Here are a few ways to ensure a higher ranking in Google Places.
Make sure your Google Place Page is accurate and as complete as possible.
Your Google Place page is a great opportunity to inform potential customers about what your business has to offer. Make sure that your business name, address, phone number and website are accurate. Also, be sure to add a company description as well as appropriate categories that will help direct more customers to your page. For even better results, you can enhance your profile by adding photos, videos, or custom details like Services or E-mail or advertising your page in Google Maps or Google for an additional monthly fee.
Get more Google reviews.
It’s simple; the more Google reviews you have, the higher your Google Place page is likely to rank in Google. Also, reviews can help potential customers decide to try your products or services. Solicit more reviews from customers by including a link to your Google Place page on your website or in your e-mail newsletter.
Get more reviews on third-party websites.
As reviews on certain third-party websites associated with your business are clustered beneath your Google Place page in search results, it is important to get more reviews from third-party websites. In order to get more third-party reviews, it’s important to have profiles on third-party websites from which Google pulls reviews, including:
- Citysearch
- Dex Knows
- Insider Pages
- Judy’s Book
- Kudzu
- Mojo Pages
- Superpages
- Trip Advisor
- Yahoo Local
- YellowBot
- Yellow Pages
- Yelp
In addition to these websites, it’s a good idea to list on industry-specific review websites (such as UrbanSpoon for restaurants) as well as other directories specific to your region.
If your need help optimizing your Google Place page, CyberMark can help. Our Google Places service is affordable, especially when you consider how much more exposure an optimized Place page can bring your business. Contact us today for more information.
