5 DIY Tips for Google+ Local Marketing
- ARTICLES |
For local businesses doing local Internet marketing, Google+ Local, which is Google's replacement product for the former Google Places/Maps, is the place to be. It also turns out that your Google+ Local is a far more cost effective way to get on the first page of the search engine results page (SERPs) than using Google AdWords.
But first, let's clear up a little bit of confusion surrounding Google+ Local listings and Google+ Business pages. Not long ago, Google transferred all of the profiles that were previously on Google Place over to Google+ Local. The Business profile pages are still separate at this point. The developers over at Google are working on a solution to this quandary, but for now, you may have both a Google+ Local listing, and a Google+ Business page. Watch this space because we will certainly cover whatever solution Google comes up with in the near future.
For now, we want to share five easy tips for making the most of your Google+ Local listing so that you can get great placement in the SERPs, attract more traffic to your website and get more people into your local business.
1. Claim and complete your Google+ Local profile
If you did not already have your business listed on Google Places, you'll want to claim or add your business to Google+ Local. Fill out all of the information including your business name, address, telephone number, hours, product or service information, etc.
2. Encourage, entice, beg, and plead for customer reviews
Create a nice incentive for your customers who are willing to write a review for you to add to your Google+ Local listing. One of the best features of the new profile is the integration of Zagat reviews, and the individual reviews that can be left by users who are logged in to their Google+ accounts. No longer can people leave bogus, negative, hurtful reviews anonymously. Now if someone seems to have had a negative experience with your business, you can ask to be added to their circles and then you can work it out with them in a reasonable way. The more reviews you have can really boost your visibility in the Google search engine results.
3. Add lots of photos and images to your Google+ Local page
Add photos of your location, you, your products, happy customers enjoying your products and videos covering the same information. Make good use of the opportunity to include a row of images across the top of your profile, and encourage your customers to share their images of your location, products or people on your profile.
4. Use the new Events Listing
Do you host events at your location? If you want to spread the word about an event, Google+ has just added an events tab to the left navigation panel in your profile. The event listing will include the name of the person who shared the event, whether it's public or private, the name of the event, location, time etc. and a blue, drop down menu that asks, "Are you going?" When you click on it, if you are a Google Calendar user, it will let you know whether or not you've already got something scheduled in that time slot. There's space for an image, and when you mouse-over the image you see a map of the event location along with a link to get driving directions.
5. Engage with your current and prospective customers
Share articles, videos, and links to relevant, useful or just plain fun resources. Be creative and come up with ways to encourage your community to interact with your Google+ Local profile page.
Keep your eyes and ears open because Google+ Local will continue to change over the coming weeks. To keep abreast of what's happening with local online marketing visit http://googleupdatesexplained.com/ today.
But first, let's clear up a little bit of confusion surrounding Google+ Local listings and Google+ Business pages. Not long ago, Google transferred all of the profiles that were previously on Google Place over to Google+ Local. The Business profile pages are still separate at this point. The developers over at Google are working on a solution to this quandary, but for now, you may have both a Google+ Local listing, and a Google+ Business page. Watch this space because we will certainly cover whatever solution Google comes up with in the near future.
For now, we want to share five easy tips for making the most of your Google+ Local listing so that you can get great placement in the SERPs, attract more traffic to your website and get more people into your local business.
1. Claim and complete your Google+ Local profile
If you did not already have your business listed on Google Places, you'll want to claim or add your business to Google+ Local. Fill out all of the information including your business name, address, telephone number, hours, product or service information, etc.
2. Encourage, entice, beg, and plead for customer reviews
Create a nice incentive for your customers who are willing to write a review for you to add to your Google+ Local listing. One of the best features of the new profile is the integration of Zagat reviews, and the individual reviews that can be left by users who are logged in to their Google+ accounts. No longer can people leave bogus, negative, hurtful reviews anonymously. Now if someone seems to have had a negative experience with your business, you can ask to be added to their circles and then you can work it out with them in a reasonable way. The more reviews you have can really boost your visibility in the Google search engine results.
3. Add lots of photos and images to your Google+ Local page
Add photos of your location, you, your products, happy customers enjoying your products and videos covering the same information. Make good use of the opportunity to include a row of images across the top of your profile, and encourage your customers to share their images of your location, products or people on your profile.
4. Use the new Events Listing
Do you host events at your location? If you want to spread the word about an event, Google+ has just added an events tab to the left navigation panel in your profile. The event listing will include the name of the person who shared the event, whether it's public or private, the name of the event, location, time etc. and a blue, drop down menu that asks, "Are you going?" When you click on it, if you are a Google Calendar user, it will let you know whether or not you've already got something scheduled in that time slot. There's space for an image, and when you mouse-over the image you see a map of the event location along with a link to get driving directions.
5. Engage with your current and prospective customers
Share articles, videos, and links to relevant, useful or just plain fun resources. Be creative and come up with ways to encourage your community to interact with your Google+ Local profile page.
Keep your eyes and ears open because Google+ Local will continue to change over the coming weeks. To keep abreast of what's happening with local online marketing visit http://googleupdatesexplained.com/ today.