Getting Started with Local SEO
Okay, as I said before, this is easy to setup and FREE, but does take some time to get approved and accepted. Google is quicker, but Bing/Yahoo can take a couple of months, so you may want to get on this sooner than later.
Get your information together - stuff you don't mind showing publicly....
- Company Logos
- Images
- Phone number
- Address
- Email address (such as Contact@domain.com)
- Description of services or products
- Decide what category you want your business listed in
- Hours you are "open for business" :-)
Then, simply go to these links and begin:
Yahoo: https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN15966.html
Google: http://www.yext.com/pl/google-place-4/index.html
Bing: https://www.bingplaces.com/
FAQ from Google Places (My Business - as it's now known):
How much does Google My Business cost?Anyone can use Google My Business for free. Really, we mean it. To learn about Google Ads, visit this site.
What’s the difference between Google My Business, Google Places for Business, and Google+ Pages Dashboard?If you previously used Google Places for Business or Google+ Pages Dashboard to manage your business information, your account has been automatically upgraded to Google My Business. Google My Business makes it easier than ever to update business information across Google Search, Maps and Google+.
Do I need Google My Business if I already have a website?Google My Business complements your existing website by giving your business a public identity and presence on Google. The information you provide about your business can appear on Google Search, Maps and Google+.
How do I sign up for Google My Business?Click the “Get on Google” button at the top of the page, and follow the steps to add your business information to Google. Please note that any edits will not appear on Google until you verify your business.
How do I manage multiple business locations?If your business has ten or more locations, you can add them all at once using the bulk upload tool. Go to Google My Business Locations to upload and edit your locations. Learn More
For international (non-U.S>) be sure to search for Google My Business from your country's Google Search such as:
https://www.google.co.uk/ (specific for UK)
So, get started soon, but be patient. It will take time for the approvals and verification of your information.
I hope you found this wee tutorial helpful!
Cheers,
Pj
Reply
Mark
I used Google Places when I was running a virtual secretarial business and it worked well because I was targeting local businesses.
I am wondering, because I live in New Zealand but my affiliate marketing sites target USA, would using Google Places for local marketing have a detrimental effect on my global outreach?
