Google Local Free Online Advertising
Google Local Free Online Advertising
Google local is a service from Google that let's you search businesses pertaining to a particular locality and find all the contact information about it including the exact location. It's more or less like the traditional yellow pages, gone completely online.
To use Google local, go to http://local.google.com.
How to use Google Local?
When you visit Google Local, you'll be taken to this homepage where you'll see a search bar and a map. To the right of the search bar, click on the second tab that says “Show Search Options” and you'll get a search bar that's parted into two as shown in the picture below:
The first part of the search bar is called “What” and this is where you should type in the product you want to search. Ex:- Web Developer, Pizza, Best Buy, etc…
The second part of the search bar is called “Where” and this is where you should type in the location of where you are looking for product for.
Let's take an example now, say you want to search for “Web Development in Minneapolis”. Then you enter the following words in the respective search bars.
When you click search, two things happen.
See how markers A, B, and D corresponds to the listing on the left. When you click on the “more info” link next to the listing title on the left, a popup appears on the map with all the details on that listing including, business details, contact information, photos and videos and even road map to reach there.
So that's basically how Google local works and looks like.
Now many a times, when your listing is proper with all the details (we'll discuss on that how later), the local listing will also show up on Google's normal results once there's an appropriate query.
For example, if you Google for “Web Development Minneapolis”, you'll get search results similar to the one below on screenshot.
See how Google lists different local business listings on the map as well. Clicking on one of those links will take you directly to the websites. Google will also list the telephone contact number right next to the website URL, so you can call them up if needed.
How to set up Google local ads for free?
Setting up Google local ads are easy, if you know the right way to do it. Let's see how.
Managing Google Alerts
Now that you have signed up for Google Alerts you can add FREE listings. You will want to click on the “Add new Listings” tab once you have logged into your account.
Basic Information
On the next page, you'd get a form that asks for all the details on your business. It would ask for your business name, local address, pin, area, country etc and also your telephone number. Give your genuine local/mobile number and give the exact post box number.
Categories
Next, after checking your business information, some more important information has to be provided. Your business categories are the most important part of setting up your Google Local Account. If you don’t choose the correct categories you won’t have a chance to show up in Google’s normal web search.
You have to decide which category your business should get listed at. Google has a long list of suggested categories for you to choose from. For example, when you start typing in ‘internet’ you have the option to choose Internet Cafe, Internet Marketing Service, Internet Service Provider, and other options. You should be very careful in selecting your category as this is very critical in deciding the visibility of your business listing. If you pick the wrong category, then the whole listing goes to waste.
Other Information:
Verification Process: (IMPORTANT)
Next you click submit and Google will ask for a verification preference. This is a step to ensure that you are actually a genuine business establishment. There are three types of verification.
On either method, Google will give you a verification code that you have to use to verify the listing.
As soon as you listing are active it will take a few hours before it gets active. Be sure to double check your information before you submit it.
If you enter in a phone number and request Google Local to call make sure you are around. I entered in the wrong verification key once and went through a great deal of trouble trying to activate any new campaigns from that time on. So I would suggest doing this step with care.
What are the benefits of using Google Local?
Summary of important tips on optimizing your campaigns on Google local.
Google Local Free Online Advertising - To learn more about this author, visit Jeff Foster's Website.
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What is Google Local
Google local is a service from Google that let's you search businesses pertaining to a particular locality and find all the contact information about it including the exact location. It's more or less like the traditional yellow pages, gone completely online.
To use Google local, go to http://local.google.com.
How to use Google Local?
When you visit Google Local, you'll be taken to this homepage where you'll see a search bar and a map. To the right of the search bar, click on the second tab that says “Show Search Options” and you'll get a search bar that's parted into two as shown in the picture below:
The first part of the search bar is called “What” and this is where you should type in the product you want to search. Ex:- Web Developer, Pizza, Best Buy, etc…
The second part of the search bar is called “Where” and this is where you should type in the location of where you are looking for product for.
Let's take an example now, say you want to search for “Web Development in Minneapolis”. Then you enter the following words in the respective search bars.
When you click search, two things happen.
- The left panel gets accumulated with the relevant search results matching your query.
- The map on the right automatically takes you to the corresponding geographic location and shows the businesses listed on the left by alphabets.
See how markers A, B, and D corresponds to the listing on the left. When you click on the “more info” link next to the listing title on the left, a popup appears on the map with all the details on that listing including, business details, contact information, photos and videos and even road map to reach there.
So that's basically how Google local works and looks like.
Now many a times, when your listing is proper with all the details (we'll discuss on that how later), the local listing will also show up on Google's normal results once there's an appropriate query.
For example, if you Google for “Web Development Minneapolis”, you'll get search results similar to the one below on screenshot.
See how Google lists different local business listings on the map as well. Clicking on one of those links will take you directly to the websites. Google will also list the telephone contact number right next to the website URL, so you can call them up if needed.
How to set up Google local ads for free?
Setting up Google local ads are easy, if you know the right way to do it. Let's see how.
- First go to https://www.google.com/local/add/. If you can’t remember that type in “Google Local” into google and it will be the second listing down.
- On the right hand side, you'll see some text links, in which there'd be one that says “Create a New Google Account” - Click on it. On the next page, you just fill in the information and 30 seconds later you are done.
Managing Google Alerts
Now that you have signed up for Google Alerts you can add FREE listings. You will want to click on the “Add new Listings” tab once you have logged into your account.
Basic Information
On the next page, you'd get a form that asks for all the details on your business. It would ask for your business name, local address, pin, area, country etc and also your telephone number. Give your genuine local/mobile number and give the exact post box number.
- Tip #1: What you put in for you Company/Organization is very important. You want (1) your company name (2) the keywords you are trying to optimize for. For example we put “WebBizIdeas Web Design & Marketing.”
- Tip #2: Always put your exact address
- Tip #4: Put in a long description and try to add several keywords.
Categories
Next, after checking your business information, some more important information has to be provided. Your business categories are the most important part of setting up your Google Local Account. If you don’t choose the correct categories you won’t have a chance to show up in Google’s normal web search.
You have to decide which category your business should get listed at. Google has a long list of suggested categories for you to choose from. For example, when you start typing in ‘internet’ you have the option to choose Internet Cafe, Internet Marketing Service, Internet Service Provider, and other options. You should be very careful in selecting your category as this is very critical in deciding the visibility of your business listing. If you pick the wrong category, then the whole listing goes to waste.
- Tip #1: Always check categories in Google web search. What do I mean by that? Well, Google Local/Map listings only appear in Google’s regular web search for certain keywords. For example, if you type in “Web Programmer Minneapolis” into Google NO Google Local/Maps appears. I wouldn’t want to waste optimizing this page for ‘Web Programmer’ since I will not receive much traffic. So check your categories + city in Google’s Web Search to make sure Google Local/Maps appears.
- Tip #2: Google’s suggest categories usually appear in the listings
- Tip #3: If you don’t see a suggested category you can type in your own category
- Tip #4: Choose as many categories as possible (5)
- Tip #5: If you find a category that does not show up in Google Web Search but it fits your business perfectly…use it.
Other Information:
- Next up, you've got to tell Google what time you work. There are some set time slots which you can select from, or you can give your own custom timings.
- Next up (on the same page), you got to give in your payment options, and select all the methods you'll accept to receive payment from clients.
- Next, you can optionally select a photo to show up near your listings. It could be a logo or something recognizable.
- You can also upload videos that will help explain your business to the listing. If you have the video uploaded on YouTube, just give in the URL and it's up.
- Additionally, you can also provide any extra information regarding your business in the last column.
Verification Process: (IMPORTANT)
Next you click submit and Google will ask for a verification preference. This is a step to ensure that you are actually a genuine business establishment. There are three types of verification.
- By phone
- By SMS
- By Snail mail
On either method, Google will give you a verification code that you have to use to verify the listing.
As soon as you listing are active it will take a few hours before it gets active. Be sure to double check your information before you submit it.
If you enter in a phone number and request Google Local to call make sure you are around. I entered in the wrong verification key once and went through a great deal of trouble trying to activate any new campaigns from that time on. So I would suggest doing this step with care.
What are the benefits of using Google Local?
- Zero bounce rate advertising - as the listings are very appropriate and targeted.
- Free and easy to set up.
- Works for all businesses regardless of size and shape.
- Listings appear above regular search results
- Higher conversation rates
- Add unlimited listings
- Get listed in Google Maps
- Connect a Google API to your site (maps) for a great contact form
- Google Receives more traffic than all competing search engines combined
- Did I mention that is absolutely FREE
Summary of important tips on optimizing your campaigns on Google local.
- Use the categories wisely, as they determine where and when your listings are shown.
- Certain Post Box numbers have higher preference to show up on the SERPs based on their proximity with the place in query, so if you want to rank for a particular place, you might want o buy or use PB numbers closer to that region.
- While setting up the ad, use the description and title wisely. It may be a good idea to use your targeted keyword and company name in the title.
Google Local Free Online Advertising - To learn more about this author, visit Jeff Foster's Website.
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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John AlexanderJohn has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center. I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website |
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team culture consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. Dianne's contribution to the 2010 Pfeiffer Consulting Journal (an imprint of John Wiley and Sons Publishers) entitled TIGERS Hearted Teams is available in November 2009. Her new book TIGERS Among Us: 5 Winning Business Team Cultures And Why, Three Creeks Publishing will release in March 2010. To receive publishing discounts, subscribe to the free TigerTracks Newsletter here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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