Lesson 18 – Google Places – Online Local Business Directory

We started this set of lessons by discussing the nature of online business directory sites.  You know by now that for certain keywords, the business directory listings will help your company to be more visible. This is mainly because some for certain keywords the business directory sites are listed in the top ten search results.  You also may recall we discussed the fact that connecting your profiles on these sites will help you make your website more visible also.  We mentioned yet one final advantage to having a profile on the business directory sites: they help you in making your Google Places listing more visible.

You may have been thinking, “What is Google Places?” when you read that.  Google Places (Places) is Google’s version of the online business directory.  Some say it is the online yellow pages for business (even though the Yellow Pages company has its own directory site).  ‘Places’ is most important when it comes to being visible in the search engines, because Google favors the directory when it is determined that people are searching for local businesses.  In other words, when consumers search for a plumber in Chicago they will see Places a listing of local plumbers before they see anything else.  That means that even the top ten search results are pushed down the page while Google Places listings display on top.

It is beneficial then to make sure that your Google Places profile is filled out completely and carefully in order to maximize your presence on your company’s most lucrative keywords.  You’ll also want to make sure you have integrated your social networking account from Google into the completion of your Places profile.  While this may be an involved process it is a very important one.  It can mean the difference between consumers routinely finding you or your competitors.

In our next lesson we will dig a little deeper into Google Places since it truly is an important component of marketing online.  Call us today so that we can help you maximize Google Places and all of the directory sites for your most lucrative keywords.