Owning Your Local Listing

Owning your Google local listing is an absolute must when it comes to marketing your company. Anyone who is familiar with the digital marketing industry can tell you that. But for those who don’t work in the world of online marketing, it can be difficult to understand what exactly your local listing page is, and, more importantly, how crucial it is to your business.

First, let’s start with the basics

The last time you searched for a local restaurant, shop or business, you probably noticed the emphasized information on the right side of the page (or top of the page, if you’re on a mobile device) listing the company’s address, phone number, hours of operation, reviews, etc. This selected information is Google’s local listing page for that particular company.

Your local listing page is all the important information that people will see when searching for your business directly. In fact, your local listing is often viewed more than your actual website because it puts key information in front of viewers immediately and shows the basic information they are looking for. This is why it is crucial to “own” your local listing with Google My Business (a free tool organizations like yours can use to manage their online presence) and make sure the information is accurate.

Think of your local listing as your Facebook profile: you wouldn’t want someone else running your page and posting incorrect information about you, right? Your local listings page is the same way. It tells clients where and when they can find you, as well as what people are saying about your business.

Local listings that are not claimed and managed by the business often have inaccurate information posted, which can leave potential customers frustrated and drive business away. As a reputable company, that can greatly affect your business. By simply not claiming your business online, you could be driving customers straight to your competitors without even knowing it.

Similarly, if you do own your local listings page but have conflicting information between your local listing and your website, people won’t know which source to trust. Just verifying your local listings page isn’t enough; you have to keep up with it.

“Owning” and managing your local listing page is one of the easiest forms of online advertisement you can find. When Google My Business sees that your business’ information has been verified, the search engine takes your business more seriously.

According to Google Support , “Providing and updating business information in Google My Business can help your business’s local ranking on Google and enhance your presence in Search and Maps.” This means that claiming your business can improve your local ranking on Google, so that when people search for industry-specific companies in your area, your business is more likely to show up as a result

Owning your local listing page is all about getting out what you put in. If you put a lot of time and effort to update your information and manage reviews, you’ll see your Google My Business account as a much more beneficial tool than if you simply claim your company and never take care of it. Of course, you can always hire a marketing team like us to do this for you, leaving you to focus on the service side of your business.

If you haven’t already done so, it’s time to take control of your business’ Google My Business local listing. You’ll be amazed at what you can do to manage your Google presence, and how it can affect your business. If you aren’t sure how to claim your local listing, follow these step-by-step instructions on how to do it yourself.

Step 1: Make Sure Your Listing Hasn’t Been Claimed

How: Go to Google My Business ( https://www.google.com/business/ ). Once you are logged in, click one of the blue buttons ‘Get on Google.’

Step 2: Find Your Business on Google (Or Don’t)

How: Once you click on ‘Get on Google,’ the system will take you to Google Maps. You will find a search bar there. Try searching for your business. If the listing appears, then you already have a claimed listing. If you don’t see your company on the list, then click 'Add Your Business’ link at the bottom of the search.

Step 3: Insert Your Information

How: You will be redirected to a form, where you will need to fill in your business information. Make sure to come up with consistent wording you will be using. It will become detrimental to your local listing ranking success later on. Pay close attention to things like suite vs. STE., Drive vs. Dr. and other small details like that. They make a big difference!

When you are done – click ‘Continue.’

Step 4: Create Google+ Page

How: After you complete the basic information form, you will be taken to the next screen, where Google will ask you for some additional information and then ask you to create Google+ page.

Click ‘Continue.' You will be taken to this page.

From here, you will be able to add photos, add/edit website and general information. However, before you do that, you will need to receive a card in the mail with your verification code. It may take up to two weeks. Once you verified your address, you can make changes to your business listing. Just make sure to stay consistent with the information you are providing.

If you have trouble claiming your listing, use this article for general guidelines.