What is Google Places?
Many people believe that Google Places is the evolution of Yellow Pages books. Google writes this about Places:
Millions of people use Google every day to find places in the real world, and we want to better connect Place Pages — the way that businesses are being found today — with the tool that enables business owners to manage their presence on Google.
They are right. Millions of people use them to find businesses every day. And much of the data that they have shown over the years has been from yellow page companies and business directories and so on – but Places is their real attempt to develop their own database of business information.
This is a good thing – but right now, it’s really “The Wild West” of business information.
Things you should immediately do:
1) “Claim” your listing. Only verified business owners can in fact claim a listing. Once you claim it, you exercise some control over it.
2) Verify your data. Make sure that the information listed is indeed correct! Simple idea. but you will be amazed at how much data is incorrect.
3) Expand your information. Google Places lets you add a myriad of information. Opening hours. Payment information. Service areas. Photos. Videos. And more!
4) Check the map. You need to make sure that the map of your business address is indeed correct. Most of the time it will be, but we have seen many instances where the map they show has led people 3 blocks away and 2 blocks over.
Google Places is great for business and searchers alike. But it is just one of the many repositories of information out there housing your business information.
Use FixMyInfo to verify, for free, some of the others as well as Google Places – all with one simple click.
Steve Mitchell is an internet professional with more than sixteen years experience in the field of local search and web based systems.
