What is a Google Place Page?

Another way for your business to get found on Google for free, is to set up your “Google Place” page.  The latest research found that 97% of consumers search for local businesses online.  Typically, if you do a search for a local business on Google, the search results bring back something that looks like this:

I did a search for “newark nj rv dealers”.  It gave me several dealers in a list with markers on the map to the right, which allows me to see their locations easily.  Each of the listed dealers has a “Place Page” link and if there are any reviews posted it will display the number of reviews.

I’m going to choose El Monte RV Rentals & Sales because it has 3 reviews, so I click on the “3 reviews – Place page” link and it takes me here:

This is the Google Place page for El Monte RV Rentals & Sales, provided for free by Google and updated and maintained by someone at El Monte RV.   As you can see, there are lots of details about this dealership, website link, logo, map with marker of their location, a video and some reviews.  If a visitor wanted to post a review on this or your Google Place page, they click on the Write a Review button, type in their review and click Publish.

Now that you know what it is… let’s get started with yours.

How to Setup a Google Place Page

The first thing you want to do before getting started is to save the pictures and videos you want to put on your Google Place page to your desktop that way you can find them easily.  Now that you have them, here we go:

1. Go to www.Google.com, type in your company name, city and state and hit Enter.  Your listing should come up #1 (if not, call me!!) and in that listing there will be a “Place Page” link, click on that.  If not, click on the MORE link on the left, click on Places, locate your listing and click the Place page link there.
2. Click the Business Owner? link located above the map on the right side of the page.
3. You will get 3 options on this page, Edit, Suspend and New Listing.  Click the radio button next to Edit my business information and click the Continue button.
4. This page has all your basic company information, which you will need to update and add to, service areas and location settings, hours of operation, payment options, photos, videos and additional details.  Make sure you choose categories that are applicable to your company, creating new categories if needed.  Check out the map on the right side and make sure the marker is in the right location.  If not, click on the Fix incorrect marker location link just below the map.  This will open up a little pop-up window that allows you to click and drag the marker to the correct location, using the zoom in and out tools if needed, and click the Save button when it’s correct.
5. If everything looks good, click the Submit button at the bottom of the page.
6. The next page will tell you that they are going to mail you a letter to confirm you are in fact the owner of the business listing you are updating.  This is how they prevent unauthorized changes to your listing.  It typically takes up to 2 weeks for you to receive this letter and when you do you’ll find that it has a pin number included.  Once you have this letter, follow the instructions to verify your listing.  If you do not receive the letter, go to:  https://www.google.com/support/places/bin/answer.py?answer=140935

Keep in mind, if you need to make changes to your Place page once you’ve verified it, all you need to do is click on the Edit This Place link on your page, make your changes and it will call you with a confirmation number to enter so that your changes are posted.  This phone call is immediate so don’t miss it or your changes will not be posted.

Also, in the Additional Details section list the RV Manufacturers and Models you carry along with any other services you provide.

It’s all about drawing more visitors to your website, which turns into more leads and sales.  Obviously educating them on your company, what you offer and getting more familiar with the people they will be doing business with there is a big part of the sales process.

I hope this helps.  Post your questions here if you have any and I’ll be happy to answer them for you.

Cindy Spencer  🙂