Promote Your Business on Google Places and 8 More Local Search Directories

Have you checked Google Places (formerly called the Google Local Business Center) to make sure your business is listed and listed accurately? You can log into Google Places with your Google account username and password (you already have one if you use Gmail or another Google tool) and then add your business or claim your business listing.

Each business listing includes the business name, address (it even shows the location on a Google map), hours of operation, payment options, and more. Even better, you can publish coupons, photos, and videos to go along with your listing, and customers can publish reviews about your business. All of these features are offered for free. You can also track some of the statistics related to your listing, including where visitors come from and what keywords they used to find your listing. When you see certain trends or parts of your listing working well (or not performing at all), you can change them at anytime.

Google Places listings rank very high in Google search results, and since most people find businesses, products and services through Google searches, your business needs to be represented.

If you own a business with multiple locations, you can even upload a data file with all of your business’ information to make creating your listings quick and easy.

Check out the video below that explains all of the features Google Places offers to businesses.

For maximum exposure and business growth, your business needs to be represented across the Web, and that includes securing your listing on the most popular search engine. With that in mind, you should also make sure your business is listed on the following local search directories:

Susan Gunelius

Susan Gunelius is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc. and Founder & Editor in Chief of an award-winning blog, WomenOnBusiness.com. She is a 25-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored 10 books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing.