Get your business on Google Maps!
This blog entry was posted on February 21, 2009.
Google Maps has become an interesting resource for different needs searchers may have; it’s a fantastic way to look up directions, the street view can provide details about landmarks, and the way they handle local results in search queries is seamless and beneficial for companies.
The latest update to Google Maps expands the number of listings outside of the normal top 10 results. The new “map” results not only includes the lettered main results, but also dots that represent other options not included for the top 10 results.
What does this mean?
Specifically, if I’m looking for pizza in my area, I can finally see results that aren’t the big companies. And some of these places that were not in the top 10 results are actually closer to my location! Let me give you an example of what I’m seeing:
Searching for something very broad like “pizza vancouver wa” brings up quite a few options. Previous to this update for Google Maps, I would have only seen the items that have letters, the top results. The circled result is a pizza place I wouldn’t have seen prior to this update, and is actually my closest option!
Seeing a closer option, even if it isn’t a big chain, is something I would investigate in a second.
So, how does this affect your company?
If you’re competing in a market flooded with competitors, this new update gives you a means of competition – accessibility. If someone looking for yarn saw your specialty organic wool store closer than a Michaels or Jo-Ann location, they may be more inclined to visit you. Before this update, your listing wasn’t on the top 10 results – but now, even though you may not be listed on the left-hand side, searchers can very easily see a dot nearby their location, and may click on it to learn about your company.
So, take the time and add your business to Google Maps. While mobile functionality isn’t included in this update, it’s hopefully (you would think!) on the way. The closer you are to your searcher, the better chance of them choosing you for their business. And this new update gives some of the smaller guys that advantage.
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Filed under: Business Consulting,Internet Marketing,Local Search
This entry was posted on Saturday, February 21st, 2009 at 4:43 am and is filed under Business Consulting, Internet Marketing, Local Search. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.No Comments
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Yes! If you’re a local business and you aren’t listed on Google Maps, Yahoo Maps and the like, you’re really missing out.
I find the tool at http://getlisted.org to be incredibly helpful when I want to see quickly whether a business is listed.
Comment by Christian — February 24, 2009 @ 12:34 pm