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One Way to Control What Google Shows About Your Business

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Have you noticed that it’s virtually impossible to control how Google displays your business?

Well, there’s one exception, and it’s a BIG deal. If your business serves customers face-to-face, you have the ability to customize many aspects of your Google+ Local Places Listing (formerly called a "Place Page").

Don’t know what your Places Listing is? In the graphic above, if the user clicks on the “31 Google Reviews” OR on the red pushpin with the “A” on it they won’t go to Aunt Maude’s website, but will instead go to the Places Listing.

This happens to be one of the classiest upscale restaurants in our local area. But when you visit their Places Listing, notice how the lack of a photo or description, and the weak "At a glance" categories, certainly don't entice the user to find out more.

Before we go any further, go to Google and type your business name, followed by your city and state. Then check out your Places Listing. Go ahead, we’ll wait.

Okay, now that you have seen yours, here are a few important facts:

  1. If your customers are using smartphones, this is very likely the first page they’ll see.
  2. Eye-tracking studies have shown that these pages are looked at far more often than the “regular” (organic) results that many businesses have been focused on for years.
  3. Most importantly, you can customize many aspects of this page… and it is entirely free!

It’s beyond the scope of this article to tell you all of the best practices for claiming your Places Listing. But the great news is that Global Reach is happy to talk you through the process, absolutely free of charge, as a thank-you for being our client! Simply email seo@globalreach.com, and we'll set up a 15-minute appointment to walk through the process.

If you’re not already in the #1 Place Page spot, these steps can have a big impact on your rating. And if you are #1, it’s critical to staying one step ahead of the competition! Watch our next Newsletter for more tips on how to improve your bottom line through Search Engine Optimization.

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