Add Your Business to Google Places 2014

Step by step guide to list a business on Google Places (Google Local)

Google Places (formerly Google Local) is one of the best free services from Google for local businesses. Adding your business information to Google Places is an important step towards Local Search Engine Optimization. Google Places has some great features which enables local business owners to show their important business details (like Business Name, Address, Phone Number and Website) on 7 pack Google Local results on Search Engine Result Page (SERP). Listing your business on Google Places not only helps you to come on Google search but also it shows your business details on Google Map.

By adding a business to Google Places you are actually registering or storing your business information in Google database. Google places allows local business owners to input and update their business details like business name, address, contact details, categories, operating hours, payment options, pictures, videos, coupons and business descriptions.

Google is the biggest search engine worldwide and more than 65% - 75% internet searchers prefer and trust Google. And most amazingly above 80% searches are local and over 30% of search queries contain a city or area name that means mostly people searches something locally by inputting their city name in their search queries (keywords). 80% of all searches done on smartphones are for local services or products. So if your business is not listed on Google Places then do not waste your time and please add your business to Google Places NOW.

In this article we will see how to enlist a business to Google Places, step by step.

1.  Visit Google Places site

Visit Google Places website at google.co.in/business/placesforbusiness/.

Once you are on the site, click “Get Started For Free” button. Google will prompt you to log in. I will recommend you to create a new Google account for Google Places business listing purpose. Or else you can use your existing Google account to sign in.

After creating your account or logging in, you will be taken to “Get your business on Google” page. There you will see an input field and you have to enter your Business Name in that field and search for it.

After you click on the blue search button, Google will show you the matching results from Google Places database. If you find any of the listing matching with your business name, address and phone number then click on that business. Or if you cannot see anything matching to your business details then most probably your business is not listed yet on Google Places. In that case click on the last option “Let me create my business”.

2.  Adding business information to Google Places

After clicking on “Let me create my business” button you shall see a “Enter your business details” form on Google Places. This is the form where we enter all our business information and submit.

• Enter the “Business name”:

Enter your business name as it appears on your website. Do not include any keyword/s or anything except your registered business name.

• Select the “Country / Region”:

Select your country (Where you are doing your business) from the drop down.

• Input accurate “Street address”:

Input proper street address of your business.

• Enter the “City”:

Enter your city where you are doing the business.

• Input “Postal code” or ZIP code:

Input your postal code or zip code of the business address.

• Select the “State”:

Select the state of your business from the dropdown.

Note: Do enter your proper business Street address, City, Postal code and State as Google will send you a postcard to this address for business verification.

• Input “Main business phone” number:

Mention a single business phone number of your business. Make sure the phone number is active and authentic. Google prefers a landline phone number but if you do not have any land line number for your business then you can input your mobile number as well.

• Select “Category”:

Category is the option where you can classify your business type on Google Places. You may not see or find the exact business category of yours and in that case you have to find and select the most appropriate and relevant category from the category suggestions on Google Places form. Start typing your preferred category and if you find something matching exactly or mostly with your business type then select that category. Don’t worry, you can change it and all other details anytime you want.

• If you have a business where you deliver your products or services to your customers at their locations then select the check-box and after selecting the first check-box you will see another check-box asking for if you also serve your customers at your business address or not. Depending on your business, if you sell something from your store or office, you may or may not select this second check-box.

• The next important field is how far or in which city / cities you want to deliver your services or products. You can select any of the two options provided by Google Places. Either select the “City or ZIP code” radio button or select the second (distance in Km or Mi) option. In the first option you can actually add multiple cities where you want to deliver your product or service. Just write down the name of the city or the ZIP code and add it. You shall get multiple options to add cities where you want to deliver your goods. In the second option you can select the distance in Kilometres or Miles surrounding your business where you can deliver the products or services.

Remember if you are not into delivering your products or services at your customer’s locations then do not select the first check-box in the Google Places form.

Then review all the information you have entered into the form and finally if everything is right then submit the details. After submitting, Google Places will take you to the page where you will be asked to verify your business by post card.

3.  Business Verification on Google Places

Once you click on the “Verify by postcard” option you will be asked for the “Optional contact name”. Input the contact person’s name of your business and Google will send you a post card with your Google Places Verification Code to your address as mentioned in the Google Places form.

After that, click “Send postcard” button and within 1 or 2 weeks (depending on your address it may take more time) you should receive the Google Places Postcard.

Now after this, you can you can revisit at Google Places and you will see your unverified (Awaiting code) business listing.

4.  Adding more business details on Google Places

Now before receiving the Google Places postcard you can fill in some additional and important details about your business on Google Places. Click the “Edit information” button and you shall see your business details where you can edit the information. Click on each field which you want to change and save it.

Add your operating Hours, upload your business pictures (only use your own copyrighted business pictures) and finally add some Introduction about your business on Google Places form.

After entering all the details, do check “Complete your business information” section about the provided information percentage. It is the best if you can touch 100% mark on this.

5.  Final business verification step at Google Places

Finally once you receive the Google Places postcard with the verification code, visit Google Places and click “Enter code” button.

Once you click “Enter code” button, you will see that Google Places is asking for the Verification Code that they sent to your business address. Enter the code as it is mentioned in the Google Places postcard and submit it. If you enter the correct verification code then your business will be verified instantly. By any chance if it is not verified then you can click on “Request another code” button to receive the verification code once again by post. Now finally, you are all done with your business listing with Google Places.

So as you are done with Google Places business listing now you can concentrate on your local Search Engine Optimization which brings you more customers online from Google and other search engines. We provide complete Local SEO training in Kolkata, India. And if you want to add your business to Google Places and other major search engines or if you want to learn Local SEO then you can contact us. We will be more than happy to work together with you to get you better visibility and more leads online.




SEO Training KolkataHarish Chandra Dutta Road, Panihati, Sodepur,Kolkata, West Bengal 700114098 04 457170