Background
Google publishes a set of three local businesses at the top of the search results page, this is often referred to as the Map Pack. These three positions are free to list in and is the fastest way to get your company listed on page one of Google.
The service that Google Provides is called Google My Business and it includes three important sections:-
- General business information (location, phone number, website)
- Photos
- Reviews
The real power of your Google My Business Listing comes with the Photos and Reviews section but before you work on these areas (future Steps) you need to set up your General Business information.
The Google Map Pack is automatically triggered when Google believes you are looking for a local service. It will be triggered when you add “near me” in your search query (although google will often add that part in for you) or when you add a place name in the search. Such as “Bath Window Cleaners” (see results in image).
The exact factors that Google uses to order the companies are a secret, but it is generally recognised that Location, Activity and Reviews are the main ranking factor.
The Step
The first step for Google My Business is to get listed and the good news is it is quick and easy.
New Listing or Claim Existing
Google tries to give its users the best experience possible and to do this it has tried to complete as many business profiles as it can using information from websites. Before you add a new listing you should see if there is one already for your company that you can claim. To do this simply go to google maps and type in your company name and the location you are based. If your company shows up on the lefthand side then you can click the “Claim this Listing” option and complete your details.
If your company does not appear then you need to go to https://business.google.com/ , login using your Google account and add the details of your business. It is important to be honest – don’t modify your company name or your location or try to keyword stuff your listing – there are better ways to get noticed and we will cover these in a later step.
Wait for your Google postcard
Google will check that your address is correct by sending you a postcard with an activation code on it. It usually takes 4 – 5 days for this card to arrive, and once it does you will need to enter the code to make your site live on google maps.
That is all there is to it. You will now find you company as a pin on google maps, have a major backlink to your website and be helping Google give users the best experience of your company. If you help Google they will help you!
What’s Next?
We will be adding steps to help you improve your Google My Business Listing over the coming weeks. Please sign up below to get notifications as soon as we publish them.
