Google Places - A Small Business Owner's Best Friend
Consumers love Google Places because the listings provide information about more than 50 million places around the world. More importantly, the listings provide information about what is in the neighborhood. Whenever someone searches on Google and includes a city, they get results like the ones shown in the graphic below.
Google Places allows businesses to post the type of information that consumers use to make an informed decision about how to spend their money. The types of information that may appear on a Google Places listing includes products and services offered, business hours, special offers, videos and photos. A directions link reveals a large map with a red balloon marking the location of the business. A MapQuest like feature provides turn by turn directions to the business.
An important feature of Google Places is the ability of the public to review a business. These reviews can have a substantial effect on a consumer deciding which business to patronize. In addition, the business owner can respond to the reviews.
To keep track of how your business listing is performing on Google Places, there is a personalized dashboard within Google Places that provides data about how many times people found your business on Google, what keywords they used to find it and even what areas people traveled from to visit your business.
To learn how to claim your Google Places listing, visit
Keco.biz.
