What’s one of the biggest mistakes local businesses are making… yet presents such huge opportunity for new business growth?
Recently I was speaking at business networking event and one of the business owners was asking why they were not getting new leads online… after all they were “spending a lot of time” on Facebook and Twitter! Like so many businesses, they were frustrated because they were not getting results online.
So what is the first thing any local business should do right now to start getting new leads? List your business in the Google Places directory and GET found. 98% of people never search past page 1 of Google—so it is critical that you do the necessary foundational steps to build your online footprint for your business.
Google Places Basics~Video
Watch this VIDEO and you will know more than your competition (the trick is to know more and DO more than your competitors… and stay on top!)
A Little History
A few years back Yahoo created and Google refined the places concept. Today it’s called Google Places, Yahoo Local, and Bing Local. These directories give local businesses a bigger share of voice on the internet– and best of all they are Free, allowing a small business owner to compete with the larger companies with BIG budgets.
Since 97% of consumers search for local businesses online and 84% of this is with buying intent, Local/Places is essential for small and medium sized companies. You need to be found in the local search directories when your clients are looking for your product or service.
Get New Business
So how do you drive traffic to your local business online? Get your business listed in the top 3 Places directories ~ Google, Yahoo and Bing. There are 97 other directories to pursue after you do those.
7 reasons why you simply can’t miss this opportunity to economically develop your local business footprint right NOW:
1. You can rank on Page 1 Google without hiring an expensive SEO expert. A Google Places project, depending upon quality runs from $100 to $500 per month vs an SEO who runs from $1000 per month on up… skys the limit on that.
2. You can compete with the “big boys” without a “big boy” budget. The search engines are delivering 3 to 7 Places of organic listings per page, and today that is free!
3. You can get your fair share of traffic because 98% of searches stop on page 1. Places is usually positioned above the 10 organic listings.
4. Since Google (Yahoo and Bing) introduced Places directories, Yellow Page usage is down 73% while Places directory usage is up 67%. That’s a significant amount of traffic!
5. Everybody (so far) gets to test online advertising free... it’s like they give you a $75 get out of jail free card!
6. Unfortunately you do need to “optimize” your listing because the competition is getting more serious. See #1. It’s included in the budget!
7. it’s the easiest way to generate sales with coupons for a small business. Sure beats a Groupon for cost because it’s Free!
Don’t Fall into this Trap!
Unless you had your Google Places listing done by an optimization expert, it’s probably not optimized for maximum traffic. I see too many local businesses are NOT doing this correctly and consequently, missing a bunch of targeted leads every single day. Usually we find listings to be under-optimized, or not working, and sometimes they need to be deleted and re-filed.
Optimized listing can bring in 100 to 300 visitors per month for most local intent search queries. An optimized listing will get you found by your prospective customers looking for your services.
Put Your Best Foot Forward
If you’re looking for a straightforward way to get impactful results for minimal cost, get your places directories optimized right away. If you need help with Google Places, email or give us a call and we’ll be sure to help you get it resolved
If you need me to recommend a Places Directory optimization expert,
TEXT your Name and Email to 732-917-4707
I hope you found this helpful! Please share on Facebook and Twitter if you think others will benefit—I’d really appreciate it! For more valuable tips on how to get the most from online marketing, be sure fill in your name and email (over on the right) and I’ll send you the updates directly to your inbox so you don’t miss out.
Speak With You Soon,
Laura DeMeo