Recently Google has been making lots of changes with their local listings product including consolidating their 3 (yes there are 3 separate products) into Google Plus. Contrary to what many think or have been misleading about the Google Maps listings, here are the 3 different products they are combining into 1:
- Google Plus Listings (https://plus.google.com/107031953928560893654/about?gl=us&hl=en) <—New location for Google Maps listings and everything social, etc. all in one place.
- Google Places for Business Listing (http://www.google.com/business/placesforbusiness/) <– Has been replaced, redirects to Google Plus Listing. If you have a listing here, it will be migrated soon OR it has already been migrated.
- Google Maps Listing (https://maps.google.com/) <– Ultimate goal of where you want your listing to show up.
Essentially, nowadays you can get on Google Maps by creating a Google Plus Listing as a ‘Local Business or Place’. If you choose another one of the options when you create a Google Plus Listing, it will show up in Google Plus and other cool places, but not Google Maps. See below:
The next step is to optimize your listing with a good title, content, photos, and contributor links. This all needs to be done from your Google Plus admin panel. Look for ‘Pages’ in your Google Plus dropdown on the left side, then click “Edit this business listing”
The end goal after you have been verified (Google will call your business number or send you a postcard) is to get on Google Maps. The result of being on Google Maps is many impressions or views of your listing in Google Maps and also organic search since Google is now showing local maps results in Google organic searches (when appropriate). Here is an example:
Further analysis and checking how you did on your optimization efforts can be done from the Google Plus “insights” panel. Within Google Plus there is a section where you can view impressions and actions taken by visitors that relate to your Google Plus listings (Google Maps too). Here is an example of an optimization that we did for a local business that put them on Google Maps and then also significantly boosted their local impressions and actions (clicks to the website, clicks for directions, clicks for more information). This type of Google Maps local optimization is invaluable because people look for this information when they are very serious about purchasing or need your services right away! Happy optimizing!
