Google is making things easier for small businesses to get found once again.
Prior to the technological revolution in computing, a business relied primarily on sign-based advertising such as those ubiquitous billboards lining the drive down I-4 to Orlando or books such as the Yellow Pages. These old-fashioned volumes used to be the fastest way to get your business noticed. As customers began to embrace the ease of use of computer assisted searches, many businesses realized that listing on the Web was a wonderful way to not only bolster income but also to increase thier client base.
As more and more businesses began listing on the internet, the search engines that originally got their data from the yellow pages and other data collection companies realized that collecting business data for local search was a long and inefficient process which needed to be much more stream-lined. In response, the answer they came up with was brilliant. They created a local listing center where businesses could log in, customize their business listings, and keep their business information up to date.
This detailed business index is called Google Local Business Center. What makes Google Local Business Center so convenient is that you can type your search term followed by a location, for example: Hospitals Tampa. Google can then pull up a listing showing you a map of your local area and 10 small listings next to the map. This is what is called the Google 10 Box. It lists the local businesses in the area according to the keywords you previously entered into the search box, dramatically narrowing your search results, and saving you time.
Google 10 Box for local business listings
Google Local Business Center is free for both companies and for the people they serve, making it accessable and accurate. Because Google automatically adds your business to it’s page once they find you through national data centers that hold this information, your name and service are out there. Many people stop here. With Google, you can take it one step farther. While being listed online is important, to truly make the most of your listing, you must take advantage of the features Google has created to optimize and customize your company profile.
Create a Google account (also free) or sign into the one you already have (you can just sign into your G-mail) and claim your business listing now, or it’s likely someone else will. Your name is your signature.
Another good idea is to help your venture succeed with Google Local Business Center is that you need to add information that corresponds to the query entered by the potential client. You can correctly optimize your profile by using researched keywords. This gives your business a much higher chance of showing up in those top 10 coveted listings that show up next to the map.
That’s where web design and seo firm” href=”http://www.group5web.com” target=”_blank”>Group 5 Web comes in. By professionally analyzing your target market, local competition, and customer demographics, we can make sure your company is set up for optimal success. With Internet-based technologies and communications changing at an exponential pace, it is imperative to make sure your business not only is found by a potential customer, but that you have the advantage of leading the pack. With the personalizations in your ad allowed by Google, you can finally get that market share your business has been mising. Shipping to Taiwan or delivering in the neighborhood, the best way for your company to get it’s message out there easily and accurately to people across the street or across the country is Google Local Business Center.
We hope this information has helped you understand the importance of being everywhere you can on the internet. If you have questions we are always available to help.
Each week I will be here to blog on small business marketing ideas that can help you stretch your budget and improve you revenues both on and off the web. This first post is dedicated to blogging! – Blogging can be a great tool that helps you stay in touch with your clients, educated them about your services, and attract new business by offering solid advice and demonstrating your companies assets. While Group5 is know for creating custom software solutions, we love Word Press for blogging. The open source community has been contributing to this software for years and those 1,000s of contributions have created on of the best tools on the web.
Instead of offering custom blogging software, we have concentrated our efforts on creating a comprehensive guide to getting the most out of your blog. Our guide comes with a 2 hours one on one course on using your blog and we feel confident that if you spend the time to utilize this tool you will start to see results.
Contact Group5 before the end of June and we will give you this training free of charge with any blog setup.
http://group5web.com/get-a-blog.php
