How to Claim Your Google Places Page

Have you ever used Google to find a hairdresser, restaurant, bike repair shop or any other local business? If you have, you’ve probably seen the A,B,C balloon results like these:

These listings are called Google Places pages for businesses. They are a must in any business’ local search rankings arsenal. And they’re free!

“97% of consumers search for local businesses online.” – Google

Google is becoming more and more refined for local search and claiming your Google Places page is one way to greatly improve your own local search rankings. SEOmoz recently proved the power of local search results in grabbing the searcher’s attention.

Think these pages are just for restaurants or other brick and mortar businesses? Not true. Even if you work out of your home, you can claim a Google Places page and tell Google to hide your specific address (see the Privacy tip under Step 4 below).

Here’s a simple walkthrough for claiming your Google Places page.

Step 1 – Visit http://www.google.com/places/ and click Get Started on the right.

Note: if you don’t see ‘Get Started’ it’s because you’re already signed in with your account – in which case, you’ll be sent to Step 3. Take note of the caution in Step 2 on accounts and consider signing out of your Google Account before proceeding.

Step 2 – Sign in with your Google Account

Note: you can’t change the account associated with your Places page so make sure you use an account you’d be comfortable sharing with an assistant or similar entity in the future.

Step 3 – Select your country and enter your phone number to see if Google Maps already has some information on your listing.

Step 4 – Fill out the requested information about your business.

• Don’t just do the bare minimum here – more robust Google Places pages attract more attention.
• Be Truthful and Accurate – Google can and does verify this information.
• Pay careful attention to the categories you select – these will have the biggest impact on when your Places page shows up in general searches. (for better search results, use the standard ones Google has rather than coming up with your own)
• Be Dynamic! Uploading photos & videos are a must for optimizing your page. Don’t have videos? That’s ok – but be sure to at least add photos. Strapped for photo ideas? If you have a brick & mortar location, store shots (outside and inside) are great. If you are an individual, upload your professional headshots, logo, screenshots of your website or any other image that represents your business.

Privacy Tip: If you are a business individual who works out of their home, you still need to fill out your actual address on this form in order for Google to validate that you are a real local business. However, that address does not need to be listed publicly in search results.

Here’s how to hide your physical address from search results.

• Under Service Areas and Location Settings, check the box next to ‘Do not show my business address on my Maps listing’
• List your service areas either by distance from a single location or a list of service locations.

Step 5 – Validate your Google Places page

Follow the steps on the next screen to validate your Google Places page. Google can validate your listing by phone or via snail mail – they will either call the phone number you listed with your listing or will mail a postcard to the address you listed. Snail mail validation takes 2-3 weeks. Google will give you a code to validate your Places page listing via one of these methods and then your Places page will be live!

What next? Tell your customers/clients/the world about your Page! Suggest they review you on the page. Set up a twice-a-year appointment on your calendar to check in with your Places page and see if any information needs updating. And then enjoy your website’s enhanced local search power!

Do you have a Google Places page for your business? Did you find this post helpful? Let me know in the comments!

Image: Master isolated images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net