If you’re not living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about Google Maps. Google Maps lets you find any place with ease using a very illustrative virtual street map. And it doesn’t stop at it. You can also look for specific business and residential addresses just by searching for it.
What comes to your mind when you try to find something? You simply google it. Google roughly processes over 40,000 search queries every second on average, which can be estimated at over 3.5 billion searches per day and 1.2 trillion searches per year, and that’s worldwide.
Why should you put your business on Google Maps?
Businesses that enlist themselves on Google Maps have an SEO advantage over the ones that don’t. Because when someone searches for your business on Google; your location, website and brief whereabouts show up on a side tab; and that’s only if your business can be found in Google Maps. According to statistics, businesses that are enlisted in Google Maps can gain up to 50% boost in their site traffic. And you probably don’t wanna miss out on that.
Now the real question. How do you put your business on Google Maps?
Search for It
There are chances that your business is already listed on Google Maps. In that case, consider yourself lucky. Now all you have to do is that you have to claim the listing as your own by following a few simple steps. Just move on to the paragraph below and follow the instructions as described. But if it’s not already there, you’ll need to follow the whole guide, and of course, you’ll need a Gmail account too.
Next Step: Google Places
Go to the website of Google Places and sign in using your Gmail account. Select the option called “Add your business” and fill in the required information. Make sure that the information you provide is brief, accurate and keyword specific.
Drop All Your Infos
Google works with the information you’re gonna provide it with. So, you’ll have to be really careful about the information you type in. Especially the ones that will help Google categorize your business. For an example, if your business is about selling clothes and outfits, then type “retailing” and Google will find the closest category to it.
But think twice before putting anything in it, as your google map ranking and search availability will strictly depend on the category you belong to.
The Verification
When you’re done with filling up all the necessary information, the step that comes next is the verification process. To make sure that your business actually exists, and it’s where you told them it is, Google is gonna post a physical mail on the address you’ve provided. I know it’s gonna take some time for Google to reach out to you, but the process is not as tiresome as you’re thinking it is.
The postcard will contain a pin code which you’ll have to type in to complete the verification process.
Your Own Google My Business Page
This is actually a bonus part. After you’ve set up your own Google Map address, you can also set up a Google My Business page of your own. It will help your business become more reachable, customer friendly and informative. And not to mention the SEO advantages you’re gonna get out of it!
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