Get your business on Google with a Google+ Page

How to Set Up Google+ Page

A Google+ business listing that has advantages for your company whatever kind of business you are engaged in.

Whether you have both an online and a physical premises or if you limit your selling to your business location, you can start to grow your business with the help of Google Places.

The Benefits of Google+

Having a listing on Google+ helps to position your company as a leader in your field. It can help have you listed at the top of Google searches above your competition.

Only those competitors who are in your in your local area will be listed unlike if you were to focus on the main Google search engine where you have to compete against everybody in your field.

While the benefits will vary from one business to the next, the time spent setting up the details of your business on Google Places will be time well spent for any company.

Getting Listed on Google+

You first need to set up a Google account which will help yout to access Google Places. When you agree to the terms you can begin to add information about your business.

You should add the business name and address, phone number, and the category of the business. You can indicate that you service customers at your premises or at their location.

It is worth adding your logo along with other suitable images. This task can be done over a period as more material becomes available.

You will have to verify your business with Google. This is generally done by mail, with Google sending you a PIN number in about 10 days.

Note that while you can add all of the information over a period of time, the listing will not be ‘live’ and visible to the public until you have verified your business.

This ensures that Google helps protect users from unscrupulous people or scam artists.

Optimise Your Business

In the same way you would with the regular Google search engine, you should optimise your listing to help it show towards the top of search results.

There are a few ways to help achieve this:

• Make sure you complete all the fields you can. Giving complete information helps improve the visibility of your listing.
• Include your business hours which can be split if you close for lunch, contact information, and other data.
• Include a number of high-quality photos of your business or products.
• Use keywords within the copy in your listing that people are likley to use when searching for your type of business.
• Include your Google Places listing on your website.
• Add your Google Places to your signature in your email.
• Add Google Maps Business View by contacting your Trusted Photographer
• Complete your Google+ profile and  listing.
• Make an effort to attract reviews on Google+.

Increasingly people are moving to mobile devices and doing searches while they are away from their desk top computer.

As a result local businesses will benefit from any listings they appear in that are geared towards specific locations.

Every business really should take the time to create a good listing on Google Places. If you check, you may find that your competition are already on there.

If not, you can be fairly sure they soon will be – they will certainly wish they were when your listing is taking customers away from them.

No business can afford to ignore the increasing importance and value of online listings.  This applies even if the customer base is local.

For free advice on how to get your business on Google with a Google+ Page and optomising your Google+ Business listing give us a call