GOOGLE PLACES BOOSTS TRAFFIC FOR BRICK-AND-MORTARS
No name given, SEO-Google-Places-Map-Services-Company-S ingapore, March 1, 2012 via Flickr, Creative Commons License
As a brick-and-mortar business owner, you can use online tools to help drive traffic to your website and to your store. Google Places, a free online local marketing resource, helps you connect with customers in your community, surrounding areas and even tourists. Whether you own a restaurant or clothing boutique, you can list your business with Google Places in a few simple steps.
List Your Business
Visit the Google Places page, select “Get started” and log-in with your Google username and password. Once you’re logged in, enter your business’s main phone number, then click “Find business information” to see if Google can find existing information about your business. Provide some essential details about your business, such as its physical address, additional phone numbers, website address, a brief description of your business, products or services, hours of operation, payment options and specify the areas you service. You can also upload pictures and videos of your store or products. When you’re done, click “Submit.” You have to verify your listing by phone, SMS or postcard, before it goes live. It can take a few weeks before the listing is viewable online.
Get Customer Reviews
Google Places gives your customers a chance to rave or rant about your business. These reviews can impact customer’s first impressions of your business and help determine whether they pick your business instead of your competition. Use your blog, website and social media pages to encourage your customers to leave feedback on your Google Pages listing.
Track Insights
Google Places’ insights dashboard shows how many times your business comes up in Google search results, the keywords people use to find you, if they request driving directions to your business and how many people click the link to your website. Pay close attention to the keywords that bring people to your listing. Integrate those keywords, and related ones, into your business description to help improve your search engine rankings.
Sources, if you need them:
http://support.google.com/places/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=75569
http://support.google.com/places/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=142906