So you found your business on Google Places and claimed it. Now you’re done, right? Wrong!
One of the most common errors of business owners with regards to their Google Places page is simply claiming it, and then practically “forgetting” about it. Claiming the page as your own is the first of many important steps which will separate your listing from that of your competition. Yet, if you have at least claimed your page and done nothing else to it, then you’re still better off than 80% of your fellow entrepreneurs. About 1 in 5 business owners have an unclaimed Google Places page. If you’re part of the minority to have claimed your page, then congratulations. Now let’s see how you can make it better.
When you login to your Google Places account you are taken to your dashboard. On the top right of the screen you will see the completeness level of your Google Places page. If you’ve reached 100%, then you’re in good shape, if not, here’s what you need to do:
- Fill Out Your Address Completely and Thoroughly – Be sure to take note of the abbreviations Google has delegated to your address and make changes at your discretion. Ex. If you prefer “Street” be spelled out instead of abbreviated as “St.” then make that change.
- Add 5 Categories to Your Listing – At least one category must be pre-filled by Google, and the other four can be customized. Just be sure you only list ONE category per line so that you have five max!
- Use Keywords to Describe Your Business - In the description box, be sure to write keyword rich and natural looking sentences to portray your business.
- Include Business Hours & Payment Info – List your hours and forms of payment accepted in these sections.
- Upload Up to 10 Images & 5 Videos – Google allows you to add up to 10 images and 5 videos of your business. So be sure to maximize your usage here!
- Additional Details Section – Here you can include any text you want that you haven’t been able to fit in anywhere else. You can include certain keywords you wish to rank for, but you’ll want to be certain you’re not just “stuffing” them in there.
Once you have completed everything above, then your listing should be 100% complete. Of course there are still a number of things you can do to optimize your listing for search so you can reach the “7 box,” (A-G listings on the map of pg. 1 for a given keyword) but that’s another story. 
If you need help following the steps above, or would like to learn more about how to properly optimize your listing for local search, please contact us today!
