Having your website ranked at the top of Google’s organic search results is key, but local businesses are wise to also focus on their Google Places ranking.
Google Places, formerly Google Maps, are the search results with the unmistakable red balloon and are always listed before the organic search results. If you’re new to the idea, search Google for “plumbers”, or “insurance”, and you’ll see what we mean.
Google Places listings are free, which means everyone’s invited. So how can you control where you rank in the list? That’s a long explanation, but the rush version is as follows:
1) Citations. Google looks at how many other identical business listings, or “citations”, you have. Look into 411.com, Yahoo directory, and the like.
2) Consistency. Keep your citations 100% consistent. Do not vary name, address, phone number, or even punctuation!
3) Completeness. Add content to ALL the sections in your Google places listing, including business hours, videos, photos, etc., and gather all the legit reviews you can.
