- July 8th 2013
- SEO
No Website No Problem
If you own a local business, you don’t always need a website to get new customers from the internet. Geoff explains why, and what steps you can take to get found online by local people.
I needed a haircut last week. Hair a bit messy; needed to be smart for meeting clients and going on holiday. So I opened up my smartphone, and typed in my Google search box for Barbers in Fleet. No website appeared first, just a map with red pins on, and a list of those barbers.
I checked the opening times of the barber listed at the top, checked to see if any reviews were disastrous (they weren’t), then went and got my haircut. Simple. But at no point did I check their website. The info I looked at was from their Google My Business listing.
If you are a business wanting to be found by local people online, you need to maximise your Google Places listing – after all it’s free. It just needs a little effort. Types of businesses that will be mainly found this way are solicitors, accountants, car repair/MOT, takeaways, restaurants, pubs, printers.
Completing your Google Places listing is simple:
- Claim. Go to google.co.uk/business and complete as many details as you can about your business – opening times, photos, description, address, etc.
- Submit. Once you submit, Google will send you a postcard with a 4 digit PIN number to your business address
- Verify. Log back in and enter the PIN. You have then verified your listing and address.
That’s it, after a few days your listing will be live. But will it be at the top over and above your competition? This is where you want to be to attract the most interest. Click here for 10 tips to optimise your local listing to get you above your competition, and stay there.
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