Have you listed your local business on Google yet? If you have a local business, you can list it free of charge. You know, the list of area businesses that displays when you search locally on Google? Your business can show up on that list and it doesn’t cost a thing!
How To Get Your Business Listed On Google:
First, go to: http://www.google.com/local/add/businessCenter. If you don’t have a Gmail account, you will need to register for one (it’s free).
After that, it only takes a few minutes to fill out the forms. Some of the things Google wants to know are:
- Your business name and address. If your business is at your home, and you don’t open your doors to the public, that’s OK. You are required to give Google your home address, but you will see a place that you can check to be sure it doesn’t show up on your listing.
- The phone number you want to see published. This is also the phone number that Google will call you at to verify you are a genuine listing. There is a postcard option, but that will take several weeks to receive, and will delay the publication of your listing.
- The categories your business will be listed under. It will give you a variety of standard categories, or you can submit a custom listing. This isn’t recommended because your name may not come up as many times as it would with a standard category.
- A description of your business. This is what will display along with your name, so give it some thought. I recommend that you pull up a few searches of businesses like yourself and see what they have written and note what catches your eye.
- Your hours of operation-again, if you are a home business, you can opt out of this.
- Types of payments accepted. Yes, Paypal is one of the choices.
- Photos and videos. I can’t recall seeing any videos…or even photos for that fact, but I’m sure it would enhance your listing if well done.
- Additional details. This is where you can get creative and possibly give your listing an edge. Google’s examples are: Parking : Yes; Brands carried : Sony, Panasonic and Toshiba You could try something like: Friendly service : Yes; Always on time : Yes; Service guaranteed : Yes; Available online 24/7 : US only. You get the idea.
That’s about it. Once you are finished, it will ask you if you want to verify by phone or postcard. If you check ‘by phone’, you will instantly receive an automated call that will give you a PIN number to enter in a field in the next page it takes you to.
From there, Google says it takes about one day until it shows up. This is as good as, if not better than, a listing in the Yellow Pages. More and more people turn to their computers or phones to search for phone numbers anymore, so you will appear in any Google search with your specs.
Yahoo Local Search is free, too
Very similar to Google’s directory, Yahoo offers the same service free. You will also be given the option to upgrade to an ‘enhanced’ listing…for a small fee, of course. Go to:
http://listings.local.yahoo.com/basic.php
I’ve tried Google Places, I never thought Yahoo has one too. Thanks for the link.
thanks for the info!
Thank you so much for this information, it has been very helpful.