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Claim Your Google Maps Listing... and More
 Entrepreneur.com
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February 25, 2010
Have you claimed your listing in Google Maps and made sure the information it displays is accurate? If not, you need to do it now – even if you don’t have a website yet. This step is vital.
Why? You reach millions of internet users, quickly and for free. Think about it: More people search for businesses online than anywhere else, so it’s important to make sure your business listings can be easily found on Google Maps, Google.com and even Yahoo.com, Bing.com and Yelp.com. Creating a great listing takes just a few minutes and doesn’t cost a thing.
Plus, you control your listing and speak for yourself. For example, your business may already show up on Google Maps and Google.com, but you should still claim your listing and make sure its details are accurate and thorough. Your improvements will start appearing as soon as you verify them.
Your listings are also an easy way to maintain an online presence even if you don’t have a website yet, as you can really authenticate your business message to sell for you by adding photos and videos; custom categories like your service area, brands you sell and how to find parking; and coupons to encourage customers to make a first-time or repeat purchases.
In fact, local search – including sites such as Google Maps, Yahoo Maps, and Bing Maps –i s quickly becoming one of the most dominant sources of online traffic. The local search market already generates about $33 billion a year. And with the growing popularity of smartphones such as iPhones, Blackberries and Droids, it’s about to get a whole lot bigger – fast.
That’s because people who have smartphones search differently online. If they’re looking for a nearby business, chances are they won’t use the regular Google search engine – they’ll use Google Maps instead. Many smartphones have built-in GPS capabilities and can automatically determine the user’s location. That information gets transmitted to Google Maps, which automatically shows them where particular businesses are in relation to their location.
For example, say you’re on holiday in Puerto Vallarta and you’re craving Chinese food. With a GPS-capable smartphone, you can simply type “Chinese restaurants” into your Google Maps application, and your smartphone will show you where the nearest Chinese restaurants are. You don’t have to type in your address – or even know what it is.
Here’s how you do it…
1. Go to Google Maps and run a search for your business. You should be listed, unless your business is so new it’s not even listed in the local Yellow Pages. When you see your listing, click on the “more info” link.
2. Click on the link that says “business owner.”
3. You will be taken to a page in Google’s Local Business Center where you can add, edit or suspend listings. Click on the “edit my business information” option.
4. You’ll be shown a long screen of information that you can edit and add to. Make the most of this listing. Not only can you make sure your phone number and address are correct, you can also add an email address, your website URL (if you already have one. If not, you can return and add this information later), your hours of operation, your payment options and photos of your business. You can even add up to five YouTube-hosted videos to your listing!
5. Make sure the information about your business is correct, then click the “submit” button at the bottom of the page. Google will want to validate that you are the owner of your listing. It will send you a PIN code and activation instructions for the business address associated with your listing. You can then use that PIN to sign in and claim your listing. After that, you may edit your Google Maps listing as often as you want.
Congratulations! You have just completed your first internet marketing task.
But wait! What if you don’t see yourself listed? I’ve got you covered: Follow the instructions below to claim all your most pertinent listings. It only takes a few minutes to complete, but the payoff will be huge.
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