Here’s a quickie tip to get you some free traffic. Get listed in Google Maps. Google Maps is free and very easy to get set up.
Google Maps shows local listings right there at the top of the search page. For example, if you type “Dayton Ohio Dentists” into Google it will show a list of dentists in the Dayton/Miami Valley region.
Google Maps has become quite a goldmine in recent years for people that understand it. In fact, the first thing that I did when I finished this website was to apply for a Google Maps listing. Now, it’s right there at the top for the term “Dayton SEO.” Shockingly, NONE of my competitors completed this simple task for their OWN business! How would you expect them to do it for yours? That’s right. They won’t! Unbelievable….
Google is changing their maps because of spam problems. In one case, there were 10,000 locksmiths listed in just the Phoenix area. Scammers were putting in fake addresses and then selling the leads to real locksmiths! Lovely…
In the good ol days, your map listing would often show up for up to about 50 miles. Under the old rules, my map listing would show up for “Dayton SEO”, “Dayton Ohio SEO”, “Kettering SEO”, “Centerville SEO” and so on. It would show up as far south as Middletown and then the Cincinnati market would be considered a separate map listing. You would also be listed for each zip code in the region. So, I could be listed under 45449 SEO, 45459 SEO and so on.
Under the new rules, you are only listed by city name and zip code. For those of us living in the suburbs that can’t decide what city we live in, it’s very important to consider this when submitting your map listing. If you are a dentist, insurance agent, or any super competitive category or if you service a small area, you should list your map based on the suburb name. If you target the larger Miami Valley region and there’s not a lot of competition, it’s better to list it under “Dayton.”
I’ve also noticed that sometimes if you don’t have the category name listed in the title of your business, it will show up incorrectly or not at all. For example, if you are “Dr. Joe Smith” and you are a cosmetic dentist, the correct way to list the company name would be “Dr. Joe Smith, Cosmetic Dentistry” or “Smith Dental” instead of just “Dr. Joe Smith” so be sure to keep that in mind.
Here’s how to get listed in Google Maps:
First step is to go to www.Google.com/LocalBusinessCenter
Next, sign in with your Google account (or get a Google account).
Then, click on Add A New Business.
Fill out the form and then click next. Be sure to go through the categories thoroughly to make sure that you pick the right one.
It will then look to see if you are already in Google Maps. If you aren’t there, you can add it.
You will then see a screen where you can add operating hours and other information. You will also need to do a phone number pin verification or get a postcard from Google.
That’s it! Pretty easy.
Yahoo and Bing also have maps, so be sure to get listed there as well. The search engines also pull information from Superpages, so make sure that’s updated. There are dozens and dozens of other sites out there that you can get listed on. Check them out!
I hope you enjoyed this quick tip. Of course, if you are a client of Easy Local SEO, you don’t have to do any of this since we will do it for you with your membership.
Request A Free Website Analysis ($250 Value)
