Archive for June, 2010

Google Local/Maps

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

Securing a spot with in the Google Local listing has become extremely valuable to any business as it can drive large amounts of traffic to your site. As consumers become more comfortable with clicking on these listings they are beginning to rely on these listings when making purchasing decisions.  Consumers click on these listings because they provide easy access to the business information, including pictures, videos, customer reviews, phone numbers and address. The best thing about it is as a business owner this service is free, just takes time and effort.

Let’s first get into some of the things you should know about Google Local:

  • Your business does not need to have a website to show up in Google local.
  • You can use multiple keywords to show up in Google local but be careful of keyword stuffing.
  • Google prefers that your business be within the city limits of the targeted localization.
  • Not every city has Google local listings.

I’m sure you are asking, “How do I get there?” Well, the first thing you need to do is register your business with Google Local. You can do that from this link Google Local Business Center. From here you will be able to edit and verify all your information and get started.

Securing you spot on Google Local takes time, effort and creative thinking.  As there are no guarantees with being in the map, there are some things you can do to put your best foot forward:

  • Make sure if you have a website your home page has your business name, address, local number and email address in text.
  • When you register your business with Google Local you use the official business name (without ANY keyword stuffing!)
  • Use a local phone number
  • Contact e-mail address
  • When adding photos to your listing use GIF or JPG Images with a 3:2 aspect ration
  • When you create your titles, make sure to integrate a primary keyword or phrase that people would be searching for.
  • For your address, make sure it is correct and be descriptive by spelling out things like street, avenue, boulevard etc.
  • Make sure to link to your website.
  • Don’t forget to add your phone number and verify that it’s the correct phone number.
  • It asks for something called categories, this is very important to your success. Play around with these and test different terms to see how well you show up. This also goes for the custom fields. Also, add as many photos and videos as you can.

There are other fields to fill in, but they are pretty self explanatory. Most importantly you can edit these at any time and I encourage you to play around with your keywords and categories. Like I said above, it takes time and creative thinking to get this done.

Google understands that local search results reach beyond the information you provide directly to them.

Using local links and citations will improve your chances of getting listed. Linking within businesses that you do business with is a powerful way to boost your local business listing. Think about organizations you belong to, that may be able to either link to you or provide a local citation; the BBB is a great example.

Also, encourage your clients to review your business on sites such as Yelp and CitySearch, as well as Google Local.  Over the next year, it’s expected that these local listings and review sites are going to become even more important as consumers assess quality services and products. And even if you don’t take advantage of them, your competitors will. This is very important and can help add value to your listing. This tool is very socially driven and the more reviews and feedback users provide, the more likely Google will be to promote your listings.

In the end you can see how valuable these listings can be if you take some time to complete it thoroughly.  Soon, you can have your business listed and getting traffic.

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Page 1 Solutions Becomes a Silver Sponsor of DrupalCamp Colorado

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

Page 1 Solutions is very excited to be a Silver Sponsor of the upcoming DrupalCamp Colorado, which will take place this weekend.  You can read more about this event on our press release here.

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Calling All Dental Consultants

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

Do you have a particular Cosmetic Dentist client who’s not getting enough NEW business?
When’s the last time you’ve had their website evaluated for performance and optimization abilities?
When you do a search for “Cosmetic Dentistry“, “Veneers“, “Teeth Whitening“, etc, does your client show up on the first page of Internet Search results?
If not, then there may be a connection with their website and a lack of new business.
This may be seriously hindering their marketing efforts and increasing their costs per lead.
Page 1 Solutions could help you help your client with some insightful website discoveries and analysis.
We’d be happy to offer a FREE review of their website and give you the results.

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