Better Search Engine Results Without SEO
I’ve written a number of columns in this space about how local businesses are leveraging social media tools like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to extend their marketing reach.
But one of the challenges of many of these tools is time. In short, none of us has any. We’re all being pulled in multiple directions. We’ve probably taken on tasks that a few years ago weren’t part of our job descriptions. In other words, we’re doing more with less.
So I was intrigued when I heard from Kevin Burke, owner of Agile Internet Marketing of Sterling, who wanted to tell me — and by proxy my readers — about “the best free lunch on the Internet.”
While that claim is a little dubious (I should mention that Burke said it while laughing), he did bring to my attention one free, simple and most importantly, quick, way to get a marketing bump online.
Improved Search Results
The silver bullet that Burke was pedaling is called Google Places. Some may remember Google Places through its previous name, Google Business Center. But the online offering underwent a name change in April.
Google Places is an online directory compiled by Google that shows up on search results in the form of map listings.
If you own a business, chances are your business is listed in Google Places with inaccurate information. And that’s bad, because Google Places data is oftentimes displayed at the top of basic search results that use geography as a filter.
For example, if you Google the phrase “Worcester printers,” the first item displayed will be a series of Google Places listings for printers in the region. If your company is listed correctly in Google Places, there’s a good chance it will show up on the map at the top of search results.
As Burke noted in his conversation with me, traditional search engine optimization (SEO), which involves fairly detailed search term analysis, programming and content generation, takes at least several months to have an impact. Setting up your company on Google Places with correct information is much quicker.
The Steps
Now that we’ve covered why being listed accurately in Google Places is important, we should cover how to update your company’s information. Here are the basic steps:
Go to Google.com/places. If you have a Google account, sign in. If you don’t have a Google account, create one. It’s free.
A link should pop up that says “list your business.” Click on it.
Next you’ll be prompted to fill in the main phone number for your business. Do that and click “find business information.” If Google Places has any information on your company, it should pop up. If they don’t have you in the directory at all, consider yourself lucky that you read this column, and fill in the information.
Once you have completed the form, Google will need to verify that you are a representative of the business. Google verifies business listings by providing you with a unique pin number that you then have to enter online. You can obtain that number by either having Google call your company (this is problematic if you have an automated attendant) or by sending you a postcard in the mail.
Once you have your listing set up, you can start to experiment. I set up the Worcester Business Journal listing last year when it was still called Google Business Center. After being prompted by Burke at Agile Internet Marketing, I revisited our listing and found that Google has added a bunch of new features. Now you can upload photos and video. You can also offer coupons.
One of the other useful things about Google Places is that you can track how many people are finding you through the listing.
For example, Burke said he has a client that has seen its listing called up more than 700 times through the last month, with 50 people clicking through to the company’s website. That’s a click-through rate of 7 percent, which in the world of Internet marketing is pretty darn good.
If you’re at a loss for where to begin with online marketing, Google Places may be an easy place to start. And it may pay off more than an expensive SEO campaign.
Got news for our Digital Diva column? E-mail Christina H. Davis at cdavis@wbjournal.com.
WBJ Web Partners
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