Putting Google Places to Work!Cobb Social Media Meetup

@Ed_Peterson www.cornerstoremedia.com

Why Google Places?

http://www.businessinsider.com/google-search-share-2011-4

Google Places is Local Search

• Core front for your business on Google (with or without your input)

• Cornerstone of Google Maps• Feeding ground for Google’s focus

on small business products• Avenue to Google’s evolving mobile

platform

Set-up Basics

• Crete a separate Google/Gmail account for your business. Don’t piggy back your personal account.

• Don’t duplicate a listing if your business already has a Google Places profile. Go through the process to claim your business.

• Know your business’s keywords before you crank out a profile (check out webdevils.biz if this is Greek to you).

Profile Basics

• Use the 200-character business description as a home for your keywords and a succinct statement about your business. Stress location verbiage.

• The first image you upload will default to your profile pic. It’s hip to be square!

• Default to Google’s suggestions when choosing your business category.

• Complete the Google Places profile setup in as much detail as possible. Include relevant pictures, videos (up to five) and meaningful information in the additional details fields.

Profile Enhancements

• Updates - A status update for your page! Up to 160 characters, live for 30 days. Update monthly.

• Offers – Virtual couponing service. Copy becomes part of your page and is accessible via mobile, too.

Fly the Stars – Get Reviews!

• 74% of consumers are influenced by the opinions of others as they make purchasing decisions.

• Consumer reviews are nearly 12 times more trusted than descriptions from manufacturers.

How to Get Reviews

• Requesting a recommendation on your invoice is OK, but requests made in person are more likely to be acted upon.

• When making a recommendation request, be sure to suggest a specific site or network.

• Show your appreciation.• Keep it real. You will inevitably begin receiving

solicitations from services offering to ghostwrite positive reviews for cash. Avoid these like the plague!

Citation Feeds

• Google mines parallel platforms for content and reviews to populate Goggle Places profiles

• Citations are a permanent part of your profile. Own your adjacent profiles, don’t let them own you.

• Be sure your business listing in replicated on Yelp, Bing Business Portal, and Yahoo Local Listing. Also list on Yellowpages.com, Citysearch, Insider Pages and Super Pages.

• Check Whitespark search to ID the best local citation feeds for your business. Great list here, too.

Google Boost

• New advertising platform for small businesses. Combines very basic Google AdWords functions with ads within Google Maps

• Prominent Blue Pin effect• Basic analytics, flexible budgeting• Worth investigating for your consumer business

Fog the Mirror!

• Keep an eye on your listing and those of your key competitors.

• Be on the lookout for new services and discontinued programs. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

• Use good ‘ol boy analytics - ask your customers “How did you find me?”

• Get serious about mobile search!