Google Places Optimisation

Why You Need Google Places Optimisation

With the vast majority of consumers now using online search to find local products and services it’s more important than ever that your business shows up well in Google Places, Google’s local search engine.

There is no more cost effective way of  getting your business address, phone number, map and other key information in front of all those potential customers than ensuring that your listing  appears on the first page of search results for your business category in all the areas you operate and that’s what Google Places Optimisation (or local search marketing as it is sometimes referred to) is all about.

Consider these facts:

• The top 7 Google Places listings receive far greater prominence than the rest, showing up before the organic search engine listings and  that gives small local businesses the ability to out-compete even large national businesses.
• The business in the top position typically attracts 40% of the clicks, and the second placed business 15% of the clicks.
• Very few users will search beyond the first page, which means that if your business isn’t in the top 7 you might as well not be there.
• Your business information can easily be found by people who are searching for local services using their mobile phones.
• You can add discount vouchers, status updates and promote your special offers  – all for free.
• The vast majority of businesses have still not claimed their free listing which potentially gives those that have a big competitive advantage.

In short, Google Places Optimisation or local search marketing is incredibly important if you want to make sure that local customers find you and not your competitors and should always be a key marketing priority for any small business operating within a local marketplace.

Free Google Places Diagnostic

If you haven’t claimed your business listing yet or if you find that you just aren’t showing high enough up in the results to be getting any business why not let us carry out a complimentary diagnostic review and make recommendations for actions you can take right now to ensure you get found. Just enter your details in the form on the right and we’ll send you a free, no obligation diagnostic report within 3 working days.

How we can help

Our Basic Google Places Optimisation Service

Our basic service includes the following activities:

• Thoroughly research and develop a bespoke Google Places Optimisation strategy for your  business.   

• Claim and verify any existing Google Places pages and update all relevant business information to ensure that it is accurate, including ensuring that your business is listed in the most relevant business categories.

• Upload and optimise 10 photos and/or graphic images (logo etc.) to match the keywords you are targeting

• Create a YouTube account, produce five keyword optimised videos, upload to new YouTube account and add to your Google Places listing.

• Create multiple offers and discount vouchers, including mobile versions.

Our Enhanced Google Places Optimisation Service

Simply setting up your business listing properly can go a long way towards ensuring prominence in local search results for less competitive business categories. But for businesses who face a stiffer competitive challenge or who operate over a wide service area and need to ensure that they appear on the first page for a number of different localities we also offer an enhanced Google Places Optimisation service. This includes:

• Creation of citation accounts – i.e. business listings on 15 local third party sites (such as Touch Local,  Thomson Local, UpMyStreet.com, Brownbook.com, Yelp.com, Cityvisitor.com etc.) with citation information to exactly match your Google Places listing.
• Building links to your citations to improve the authority of your  listing.

• Creation of a bespoke review incentive programme including an email campaign requesting your existing customers to leave you an online review on one or more of your citation accounts and/or your Google Places listing and design and printing of  flyers including a QR Code that you can hand out to your customers with smart phones directing them to your Google Places Page where they can leave a review for you on the spot in exchange for an incentive of your choosing (for example, a free dessert or a 10% discount).

• Creation of a hard copy review form that you can have customer fill out at the checkout if they do not have a smart phone. Simply ask them to fill out this short survey, and put their email address on it and we will email them the links to your review collecting pages so they can leave you a review later, at their own convenience.

If you run a local business and you’re not appearing on the first page of local search results call us today on 0208 252 0557 to arrange a free consultation or use the form on the right to get your free diagnostic report.