Category Archives: Local Maps SEO

3 Reasons Why Claiming Your Google Listing is Crucial to Local SEO

Local Business Directory, Local Maps SEO, Organic SEO, ,

Google, along with other top search engines, is currently competing to provide you with the best local search engine possible. That’s why they’ve already gathered information on millions of local businesses – to provide you with the most relevant information possible through Google Places. Google Places is a local business directory that provides users information about local businesses such as address, phone number, description, business hours, photos, videos, reviews, driving directions and more. If your business is listed in Google Places it will also be able to show up on the Google Map, which appears at the top of the search results page and helps direct consumers right to your business location.

Odds are, if you’re not a new business, your company already has a Google Places listing. So you may be asking, “if my company is already listed, why do I need to bother with ‘claiming’ my listing?”

Although Google may already have your business in its database, the information it has may not be correct and it is certainly not optimized. Google and other search engines often obtain incorrect or outdated information that can really put a damper on your rankings. Sometimes duplicate listings are made by mistake, which doesn’t only confuse your potential customers but also the search engines, which penalize you with lower rankings.

Claiming your business has many advantages. Here are the top 3 reasons why you should claim your business on Google Places:

1. You can update your information easily when needed – Once your local business information is on Google Places, Google is not going to update it. This means that there could be misinformation about your business on your listing as well as outdated information. Claiming your business allows you to edit this information as needed, giving you full control over your business’s image.

2. Optimizing your local listing is an option – Once you claim your listing, you will be able to optimize it using keywords and categories to help it get to the top of the Maps. Listings that haven’t been claimed have little or no local SEO, so claiming your listing and adding more information will make it complete and give you an advantage over your competitors.

3. Adding enhancements – Once you claim your Google listing, you can add enhancements that make your listing more appealing to the search engines and your potential customer. Adding more information such as business hours, videos, a URL to your Website, coupons, photos and more will help consumers who view your listing. These enhancements also make your listing look better to Google and you will be rewarded with higher search rankings.

Google wants businesses to claim their listing. For this reason, when a business is claimed, higher search rankings will follow. The bottom line is, if you claim your Google business listing, you will have more control over your online image, higher rankings and more consumers will be able to see your listing. This means more potential new customers leading to more profit.

Everything You Need to Know About Using Google Coupons to Enhance Local SEO

Local Maps SEO, Local Search Techniques, , , , , ,

Google Coupons are an enhancement to your Google Maps business listing. The printable online coupons show up when searching for local information on Google Maps search results and business listing pages. The coupons can be printed out directly from a computer and redeemed at the physical store location of a local business. These coupons can also be redeemed by showing the coupon on your mobile device at the physical store location.

For Google Maps users, coupons provide additional relevant business information and help create a better overall local search experience. For businesses, coupons are another way of reaching out to potential customers online. Coupons are completely free and easy to use. Businesses can log into the Local Business Center at Google Maps to enter in coupon information. Once the coupon information is entered, the coupon is displayed on Google Maps within a few hours.

There a many advantages to using Google Coupons such as:

  • Google Coupons help make your Google Maps business listing more complete. The more enhancements you can add to your listing, the more chances you have to better your local SEO. Google rewards “complete” listings with higher rankings, so adding coupons could help boost you to the top.
  • Google Coupons help you stand out from the competition. Think about it, if you were trying to choose between multiple businesses that offer the same service or product, wouldn’t you rather go with the business that is offering a coupon or discount? People love to think they’re getting a deal and many people are likely to use your product or service just because there is a discount. Bottom line, your coupon can help you stand out in a crowd of competitors.
  • Google Coupons give you a way to reach out to your customer and gain customer loyalty. If you’re offering coupons to rope in new customers as well as reward existing ones, you’re building customer loyalty. Your customers will remember that your business gave them a really great deal and the next time they need your product or service they’ll call on you. Also they’ll recommend the great deal you gave them to friends, opening up a whole new world of potential customers.

Local Splash would be happy to set up your Google Coupons for you. If you’re ready to get started, give our customer service representatives a call at 877-63-LOCAL.

Google Maps Reigns Supreme Over Other Local Search Platforms

Last Updated On June 2nd, 2023Local Maps SEO, , ,

It is common knowledge that Google is the most widely-used search engine in the United States. Therefore, when it comes to local search, Google Maps is a number one priority. We know that 65% of Americans use Google Maps for local search. However, for those of you who need a visual for a better understanding of the facts, this graph says it all.

As you can see, the blue line that increases as the years advance, represents the use of Google Maps in the United States. The red, yellow, green and purple lines (that are barely visible at the bottom of the chart) represent the other important local search platforms; YellowPages.com, SuperPages.com, Yahoo! Local and Bing.com. If you didn’t understand the importance of Google Maps before, you do after viewing this chart. It’s a clear indication that Google Maps dominates the other top local search platforms, which means making sure your business is listed in Maps is crucial.

Below is another graph that breaks down the local search engine use by region and language. Again, the blue line is Google Maps. The other lines (red, yellow, green and purple) represent the other leading local search platforms. Across the board, Google is the most-used search engine for local search.

Googlemapgraph

These graphs illustrate the importance of being found in the Google Maps local search results. Although it is beneficial for your business to be found using a variety of different local search platforms, putting a concentration on Google Maps is a smart move. Make sure your Google Maps local listing is complete, providing as much information and enhancements (photos, videos, coupons) as possible. Doing this will surely attract new customers and help increase your profit. As part of the Local Splash service, we make sure your Google Maps listing is complete and optimized in order to get you to the top of the local search results.