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Take a Quick Break

This entry is part 6 of 10 in the seriesIs Social Media a Time-Suck?Whether you’re working in an office or at home, taking regular breaks is essential for your mental and physical well-being. In the traditional office, you could head to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee, or head down to the proverbial water … Continue reading Take a Quick Break

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How to Set Up a Google Plus Local Review in 5 Easy Steps

[box color=”green-mute” type=”round” icon=”caution”]UPDATE: Google is now merging Maps, Places and Google+ into what they’re calling “Google+ Local”, so all features can be found in one place.[/box] Worried about the sudden changes Google has made to Google Places?  Wondering how the new Google Plus Local format will affect those all-important business reviews?  Well, you can … Continue reading How to Set Up a Google Plus Local Review in 5 Easy Steps

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The 5 Most Asked Questions about Google Places

[box color=”green-vibrant” type=”round” icon=”caution”]UPDATE: Google is now merging Maps, Places and Google+ into what they’re calling “Google+ Local”, so all features can be found in one place.[/box]

Google Places Business Listing

Lately, there is a lot of talk about Google Places – Google’s newest web offering that seems to be revolutionizing the way businesses reach customers and market online.  If you are responsible for marketing for a business, then you simply cannot afford to miss out on all the talk.  That is because Google Places can be one of the most powerful tools you have when it comes to establishing a strong business presence on the Internet.  Interested in knowing more, but not even sure where to start?  Check out these five most asked questions about Google Places:

How does Google Places help people find my business?  Google is the number one search engine in the entire world-wide web, encompassing a network of web-based applications (like Google Earth, Google Maps, Google Voice, and Google Directory Search) and other partner websites.  When you set up your Google Places listing, your business becomes a part of that network.  That means that any time someone uses Google to search for either your specific business name/location, or even for a business category related to yours in your area, your business listing is likely to appear in the return results across the entire Google network.

How can I make the most of my Google Places listing?  First of all, make sure that it has a score of 100 percent (based partly on completeness).  Also, upload as many photos/videos as Google will allow, encourage customers to post reviews, and employ search engine optimization (SEO) strategies when writing your Places page content.

How do I get a Google Places listing?  Start by creating a (free!) Google account.  Then visit the Google Places homepage and click on the “add business” option to claim your business location.  Once you have submitted all of your information, you will have to verify your business by providing a valid telephone number or document, and then wait for Google to publish your listing.

What will it cost to use Google Places?  Google Places listings, and every feature that comes with your Google Places pages, are absolutely free.

Is it possible to advertise my Google Places page on Google?  Yes, Google has made it simple and easy to advertise for Google Places using Google Adwords Express.  Access Adwords Express through your Google Places account page.

Take advantage of everything Google+ Local has to offer! Visit http://kenivey.com for details.

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Why Having Your Business on Google Places is So Important

[box color=”blue-vibrant” type=”square” icon=”caution”]UPDATE: Google is now merging Maps, Places and Google+ into what they’re calling “Google+ Local”, so all features can be found in one place.[/box] Does your business have a Google Places listing?  If you answered “no,” then you need to get on the task of setting up your Google Places listing, and … Continue reading Why Having Your Business on Google Places is So Important

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5 Essential Components of a Good Google Places Listing

[box color=”blue-vibrant” type=”square” icon=”caution”]UPDATE: Google is now merging Maps, Places and Google+ into what they’re calling “Google+ Local”, so all features can be found in one place.[/box]

internet marketing

Google Places can be an invaluable marketing tool for your business, no matter how big or small it is.  As a matter of fact, studies show that over 97 percent of all consumers looking for a local business use a search engine like Google to find it.  If you want to take advantage of this massive market, then you need to have a Google Places listing.  However, it is also important that you optimize your listing in order to reap the full array of benefits offered by Google Places.  How do you do this?  You start with a complete and detailed listing.  Here are five essential components of a good Google Places listing:

Your Google Places score.  Google scores your Places listing – up to a 100 percent – based on how complete your listing is.  Ensure yourself a top spot in the Google rankings by scoring a 100 percent on your Google Places listing.  This means putting information about your business in every single blank in your listing information.

Photos and videos.  Google Places allows you to upload images and videos to your listing.  You should upload as many as Google will allow for, as studies show that Internet users are more responsive to images and videos than they are to textual content.

Positive business reviews.  Encourage your satisfied customers to write reviews for your Google Places listing, so that people evaluating your business for the first time – going solely on your Google places listing – will be more likely to choose you over the competition.

Keywords.  Using keyword-rich content in the body of your business listing information will improve your listing’s SEO and ultimately get it ranked higher in the search engine results.  Take some time to research strong keyword phrases, and be careful not to overuse them.  Consult with an SEO professional if you need help in this regard, as using keywords appropriately can be a bit tricky.

Third-party directory listings.  If you are not taking advantage of third-party directories, you should be.  Sites like Bing, Yelp, Yahoo! Local Business, and Foursquare actually link back to your Google Places listing and can therefore get it ranked considerably higher on Google search engine results.  These business directories are free to use, and are an integral part of the overall success of your business’ Google Places listing.

Take advantage of everything Google+ Local has to offer! Visit http://kenivey.com for details.

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10 Advantages of Using Google Places

[box color=”blue-vibrant” type=”square” icon=”caution”]UPDATE: Google is now merging Maps, Places and Google+ into what they’re calling “Google+ Local”, so all features can be found in one place.[/box] If you aren’t using Google Places to market your business on the web, then you are seriously missing out on an unparalleled opportunity.  A Google Places listing can … Continue reading 10 Advantages of Using Google Places

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What You Should Do if You Have a Duplicate Places Listing

[box color=”blue-vibrant” type=”square” icon=”caution”]UPDATE: Google is now merging Maps, Places and Google+ into what they’re calling “Google+ Local”, so all features can be found in one place.[/box] If you have a business, then you should also have a Google Places listing.  Google Places is not only an effective and free way to market your business … Continue reading What You Should Do if You Have a Duplicate Places Listing

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5 Easy Steps to Keep Your Google Places Listing SEO Optimized

[box color=”blue-mute” type=”round” icon=”caution”]UPDATE: Google is now merging Maps, Places and Google+ into what they’re calling “Google+ Local”, so all features can be found in one place.[/box]

SEO

Your Google Places listing can be one of the most powerful web marketing tools available – second only to your website.  However, it is not enough just to have a listing.  You also want your Places page to appear as high on search engine results lists as possible.  For that to happen, you must be conscientious of your page’s search engine optimization (SEO).  Fortunately, you don’t have to be an Internet marketing genius to optimize your Places page.  Here are five easy steps to keep your Google Places listing SEO optimized:

Follow the rules.  As you probably know by now, Google is well known for taking serious measures to weed out things like spam, irrelevant content, and erroneous websites when determining its rankings.  Google Places is no exception.  When you create your Google Places listing, make sure you read up on Google’s content guidelines before you publish anything.  Breaking these rules means Google won’t take your page seriously when ranking it . . . and might not even let you play at all.

Third-party business directories.  Make sure you also list your business in other free online business directories, including Bing, Yelp, and Yahoo.  You can link your business directory listings to your Google Places listing to improve your page’s SEO.

Categories.  Google Places allows you to choose multiple categories for your listing.  However, it is advisable that you are picky about which categories you choose, for the sake of not appearing spammy to search engine spiders.  Instead, choose a couple of strong, concise categories for your business and stick to those.

Keywords.  You have the opportunity to dramatically boost your listing’s SEO by including strong, key-word rich content in your business description.  Make sure you do plenty of keyword research to find good, relevant keywords that have a strong web presence and that speak to your target audience.  Also, don’t make the mistake of stuffing your content with superfluous keywords.  When it comes to search engine rankings, your content should flow naturally and smoothly, and should ALWAYS make sense.

Your Places page images and videos.  You should upload as many images and videos to your Google Places listing as allowed.  Also, remember that search engine spiders cannot read images; therefore, you must tag your images with appropriate keyword phrases if you want them to count toward your search engine ranking.

Take advantage of everything Google+ Local has to offer! Visit http://kenivey.com for details.

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Google Places Paid Advertising

[box color=”yellow-mute” type=”round” icon=”caution”]UPDATE: Google is now merging Maps, Places and Google+ into what they’re calling “Google+ Local”, so all features can be found in one place.[/box] As you may or may not know, a Google Places listing is almost essential to your business’ overall Internet marketing success.  Over 97 percent of all consumers use … Continue reading Google Places Paid Advertising

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