Google, Yahoo, Bing, Yelp, SEO, SEM, PPC,…AHHH!
Today allow me to nudge you a little so you can claim what is rightfully yours: your Google Maps (or Google Local) listing.
Even if you do not have a website (I can help you with, by the way) open up a new window or tab and visit http://maps.google.com/ and set up your Google Maps listing and make sure the information is displayed correctly?
Go on. I’ll wait right here for ya.
Why is this so important?
Local search is HUGE (and by “local search” I mean somebody typing in “Mexican food Murrieta” instead of just “Mexican food”). By having an accurate, detailed local listing you will reach millions of internet users immediately and at no charge. As in FREE!
Consumers turn to the internet now more than the Yellow Pages so it is VITAL to have your business listed so search engines like Google.com, Google Maps, Yahoo, Bing + Yelp.com. Creating a listing is quick and they have instructions for you each step of the way.
As an added bonus you remain in control of your listing and what it says and can update it at any time. (Try doing that with your Yellow Pages ad!) When you make a change you may have to verify your changes but that can be done with an automated phone call from the search engine’s system.
So without even having a website you can add pictures, videos, hours of operation, brands carried, coupons, specials and specialties all for free and all today.
This will get you on the search engines and get you in front of your prospects. Local listings are also a fast, easy way to maintain and build your online presence without a website or with just an “average” website.
Local search, i.e. Google Maps, Yahoo Maps, and Bing Maps, is becoming the most dominant sources of internet traffic. It is already a $33 billion a year industry and with the growth of smart phones such as Apple’s iPhone, Rim’s Blackberry and Google’s own Droid, the need for better local search results is only going to grow.
The reason is because smart phone owners search differently. I know when I’m in town or traveling when I want to look up something I just use the iPhone’s built-in Google Map rather than pulling up Google. The iPhone (and most other smart phones) have built-in GPS to plot the shortest distance to my destination and we all know time is money.
Convinced? Ready to get listed? Here’s what you do…
- Follow this link to the Google Local Business Center page.
- Select “Edit” next to your business name.
- Go crazy here! Add all the usual information – phone number, address, hours, payments accepted – along with email addresses, website if you have one (call me if you don’t have one!) but then also add photos of your business, videos (call me if you need help here) and brands carried. (It’s so nice of Google to own YouTube and allow you to embed your YouTube videos to your listing!)
- Review your information and click the “submit” button.
- Google needs to verify that you are the owner of your listing. They’ll either mail you a postcard with a PIN and activation instructions to the business address associated with your listing or they will call your number listed and give you the PIN immediately. (I recommend the latter!)
- As soon as you verify your listing you may edit your Google Maps listing at any time.
Nice job! You’re now an internet marketer!
What? You don’t see your listing online?
The Sales Whisperer® has you covered.
Just follow the instructions below to claim your most valuable listings. I recommend you keep a “Notepad” or “TextEdit” open to copy and paste your information because you’ll use it repeatedly as you build out your local search listings. Each one only takes a few minutes to complete, but the benefits will be GI-NORMOUS!
Covered above. Their local search results are available at http://maps.google.com. Free to submit listings but you need a Google Account.
Yahoo!
Yahoo!’s local search results are available at http://local.yahoo.com. Local listings are free but “enhancements” will run you up to $25/month. Submit your local listing: http://listings.local.yahoo.com/.
Bing
View Bing Live Search Maps: http://www.bing.com/maps/
Add a new listing at the https://ssl.bing.com/listings/ListingCenter.aspx
Bing Local Listing Center (click on “Add a Listing” at the bottom).
Yelp
Yelp is an online city guide comprised of user-generated reviews. If you are a restaurant or other “consumer-oriented” type of “brick-and-mortar business” you need to be here but all businesses can benefit from being on Yelp.
Here’s the Yelp Business Owner’s Guide link: http://www.yelp.com/business
YellowPages.com
Believe it or not, Yellowpages.com offers a free listing. Get listed with the Yellow Pages here: http://listings.yellowpages.com/
Give me a shout if you’d like help speeding up your internet marketing efforts. I gotta run…your competition is on the other line!
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February 28th, 2010 at 12:32 pm
Hi The Sales Whisperer,
I agree with your comments about recommending local businesses to “claim” their listing at the five websites you have mentioned. This is much better than the “get listed” services I keep reading about that really don’t provide any benefit relative to the claiming process. The Internet is finally becoming a good local marketing tool for the local business to reach the local consumer through web searches and mobile searches.
What I am most concerned about are small and local businesses having to contend with multiple websites when it comes to their local listing. What I’m really talking about are “time resources”.
Afterall, there are over 60 websites in four different categories specifically geared towards local listings. How can a local or small business have the time resources to cover this space?
Even if you made a conscious decision to not manage all 60, there are well more than Google, Yahoo, Bing, and Ask. The space goes to Local.com (they went public), Yelp, Merchant Circle, and many others.
Consumers will be the ones deciding which of these local listing websites they will go and post their experience through consumer reviews. This adds to the burden that no one single local listing website will do the trick.
Something we recently read at KillerStartUps are companies that are offering a low cost service to update then manage these listings for companies. You can read about this at KillerStartUps here:
http://www.killerstartups.com/Search/smartfindslocallisting-com-be-found-online
It is a changing world and the local business will benefit. There will be some adjustment to this space needed.
Good information from your post and hopefully varying opinions help give perspective.
February 28th, 2010 at 9:49 pm
Melih,
The service you recommend looks good enough but I offer the same service to my clients for basically the same price but I give them a little more education and better support on how to maintain, manage and build their online presence from both a local and worldwide status when it comes to the internet.
Once a business is listed on all of these sites there is very little maintenance required. You can run monthly coupons/specials and simply hit the top 5 sites and update your coupon. That should take @ 5 minutes per site once you are familiar with their navigation menus and you’re done. So 25-45 min/month to maintain and build a local presence is not a big deal.
What business owners really need is an attitude adjustment. They need to internalize and accept the fact that marketing their business is their job and that building their list is their #1 job. Once they master marketing and sales are coming in the rest will take care of itself.
So thank you for your comment. If you’d like to become an affiliate of The Sales Whisperer® and promote my local listing setup and maintenance program just click on the Affiliate link below. It’s free to join and the splits are generous.
Good Selling.